The sounds of children’s excited laughter, shouts and cheering filled the air at the Zwelihle Sports Field when 231 young learners of Lukhanyo Primary School took part in the quarterly Fun Day hosted by final-year Occupational Therapy (OT) students from Stellenbosch University.
The occupational-therapy students Lindelwe Kubheka and Stacey Koopman, who are currently completing their community-interaction practical at this school, used their skills and creativity to organise a programme for the Grade 2 learners that combined laughter, learning and lots of movement.
The Fun Day, said the students, is designed to promote gross motor development, visual-motor coordination, and social interaction. They added: “The event turned purposeful play into a powerful tool for growth. Each station featured carefully selected activities designed to target key areas of development, including coordination, balance, and whole-body movements.”
Learners enthusiastically took part in engaging tasks such as the spoon-and-rock race, balancing beanbags while walking on a rope, dribbling soccer balls, sack racing and tossing beanbags into hula hoops. A standout favourite was the newest addition to the programme; tyre pushing, which had learners using strength and teamwork while building their gross motor skills through running, jumping, throwing, and balancing. The Learner Council and remedial class assisted with the different activities.
The school principal, Morris Tshabalala, also joined in on the excitement, taking photos with the various classes and showing his support for the initiative.The learners sang and danced and cheered their peers on at the different stations. The learners also enjoyed watching the Grade 2 teachers participating in the different activities.
The school’s learner council members assisted with keeping score at each of the stations to determine the winners of a 50-slice cake. All the participants received a goodie bag at the end of the event and the class that ended with the second-highest score also received packets of popcorn.
Kubheka and Koopman thanked the school’s sport coaches, the principal and their supervising occupational therapist for their assistance in ensuring the success of the event and to all the sponsors – Round Table for the apples, Gateway Spar for the cake, BUCO for the paper bags and gazebo, Yorke Cash and Carry for the lucky packets, sweets, drinks and other catering supplies, and Hi-Q for the cash donation and tyres.
The next fun day is planned for the Grade 3 learners. To get involved, assist or contribute contact Annetta Saaiman on 072 118 5683 or Morris Tshabalala on 028 312 1552.
