Local services
With the cooperation of parents and the help of the institution’s foundation, a sports yard for developing physical activity was created in the inner courtyard of the Nagyerdei Kindergarten in Debrecen. The new facility was opened on March 24, 2025, to the great joy of the children.
Deputy Mayor, Diána Széles responsible for care policy, highlighted the importance of how important it is for preschool children to exercise, especially outdoors. By the time they reach school age, exercise is limited to physical education classes, and perhaps some special sports activities or training. Until then, we must take advantage of the opportunity to run, climb trees, play ball, and all kinds of exercise. As Diána Széles emphasised, “Children and their parents must teach them that exercise is an experience, and as a result, the children themselves should demand to go out into the yard and play outdoors. The creation of a sports courtyard at the Nagyerdei Kindergarten and similar developments can help to give children a real world instead of a digital world, and to bring them into the real world of nature and real community instead of a virtual world. The municipality of Debrecen can do something for this cause with its own means, by setting up and running the “Move, Debrecen!” initiative and its school programme.”
In her welcoming speech, the Director of Nagyerdei Kindergarten Valéria Makai pointed out that in the institution’s 49-year history, movement and health development had always played a prominent role as part of the Kerekerdő Pedagogical Program. “Those who move are not only healthier, but also smarter, since movement is the tool that has the best effect on the nervous system,” the Head of the Institution highlighted. There are also opportunities to practice various forms of movement in their kindergarten: they have daily and weekly outdoor movement programmes led by their kindergarten teachers, they have joined the Swimming Nation Programme for the fourth year, the Treasure Hunt Programme organised by the Debrecen Sports School, their children go ice skating with the help of the Debrecen Hockey Club, and they have also organised a sports selection programme for parents and children at the kindergarten level for the third year. The institution also has a large and well-equipped gym. In addition, several creative movement development sites have already been created in the yard, such as a long jump pit and a barefoot path. Last year, the solution of rainwater drainage supported by the Municipality made it possible to renovate the synthetic running track, as well as to further develop the inner yard, that is the creation of a movement development sports yard, which was made possible by the support of the parents through the institution’s foundation. Valéria Makai especially thanked Attila Czibere and József Boros from among the parents, as well as the CEO of Pázsitkirály Gábor Rózsás, who carried out the construction.
After the handover, of course, the children were able to immediately take control of the sports yard with a “Rékatorna” held by the kindergarten employee, Réka Gulyás. The sports court, covered with artificial grass and decorated with a natural flower bed in the middle, which is surrounded by the aforementioned running track, and also includes the barefoot path and long jump pit, features, among other things, hopscotches, clinging and springy games, balance-developing games, a mini basketball backboard and a mini soccer field.
Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu
