Manhattan Fun Lab brings joy among youth during winter holidays
The Manhattan Fun Lab created a series of play experiences for children between the ages of six and 12 years old.
The Manhattan Fun Lab hosted a play initiative that sets out to tackle play inequity and deliver quality play opportunities for South African children living in impoverished areas, especially those in Soweto.
The Fun Lab which kicked off on June 19 will run until July 24 and is expected to host about 3200 children from the community of Pimville and surrounding areas.
The main objective of the Manhattan Fun Lab is to promote fun, freedom, socialisation, and creative problem-solving for children who face barriers to getting the playtime they need.
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Speaking to Urban News and explaining the reason why Manhattan chose to host this play initiative during the holidays, Lauren Miller, from Manhattan Sweets said.
“We know that during the holidays kids run around in the streets and they don’t always have any planned activities or anything to do,” said Lauren Miller from Manhattan Sweets.
“This created a perfect opportunity for us to come in specifically to the Pimville area and really set up a fun experience for the kids.
“They not only have fun but are also doing educational things, a little bit of PlayStation games, science labs, and arts and crafts.”
The Manhattan Fun Lab created a series of play experiences for children between the ages of six and 12 years old.
It also incorporated iconic brands such as Super C, Candy Tops Eclairs and Champion into the activities.
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This is where children get to make edible slime, do science experiments, create masterpieces in the art lab, get their bodies moving with the Super C sports coach, and even get to do some responsible gaming in the Manhattan Fun World Roblox Game.
Arts Lab Facilitator, Roslyn Melander shared the joy she gets when seeing the young ones in the lab.
“It’s really a wow factor to see the children getting into the art class, enjoying themselves, and being creative because in our high schools, we don’t have arts at all. In future, we would like to see it in our schools,” said Melander.
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The Manhattan Fun Lab has been a proactive and creative response to the issue of play deprivation.
One of the children who attended the Fun Lab, Lehlogonolo Khuto said, “I enjoyed using the PlayStation because I beat this other boy 12-0 on Tuesday.
“I have also learned how to respect other children, have discipline, and I love being here with my peers,” shared Khuto.
