Tiempo para Jugar (Playtime)
While childhood healthcare centers have grown exponentially in the region, their presence is still low in rural areas. Chiapas, Mexico, is a good example. In the face of this challenge, Tiempo para Jugar (Playtime), a program of home visits, seeks to provide guidance to caregivers using a “magic” touch: community mothers become play fairies who pay visits to homes. With this game-based approach that leverages the resources found at home and in the community, the program strengthens links between caregivers and children at a low cost. Sometimes, all it takes for innovation is a pinch of imagination.
Problematic
In Chiapas, Mexico, nearly 7 out of 10 children fail to attend an initial education institution, a situation that puts their caregivers in central stage. But the caregivers can only help with children’s development if they get adequate information about how resources available at home, plus some strategies like play activities, can be turned into useful educational tools.
Solution
Tiempo para Jugar takes advantage of all objects found in the house –kitchen and cleaning tools, ornaments, clothing, etc.– and turns them into valuable resources for play activities that are included in the daily routines of caregivers and children. During the home visits, caregivers receive orientation on the importance of play activities as well as training on how to make their home a creative and stimulating place for their children’s development.
Evaluation and Impact
Pilot tests show that the program has a great potential to adapt to different scenarios, paving the way for its eventual expansion. Empowering mothers both at home and in their communities is one way to achieve that goal.