A summer of fun and learning for Ho Chi Minh City children
Friday, July 01, 2022, 21:42 GMT+7
Children from across Ho Chi Minh City have spent their first few weeks of summer visiting the children’s section of the General Sciences Library, located in downtown District 1, to read in a comfortable environment and participate in a variety of clubs and activities.
Nguyen Ngoc Lan, a fifth grader from District 3, has spent nearly the entire week at the library eagerly reading books and participating in the dozens of activities hosted by staff and guests there, including storytelling sessions and advice on choosing new books to read.
New books, new activities
Lan did not have much love for reading when her mother first brought her to the library, but the time the young girl has spent making new friends and enjoying the library’s activities has turned her into a true bookworm with a particular interest in outer space and comics.
Fourth grader Viet Quan and his sister, first grader Huong Thanh, have also been spending their mornings at the library.
The siblings are particularly fond of the art activities and English lessons there.
The library does not just offer opportunities to learn from books, but also chances to learn from peers.
Tran Minh Hang, a sixth grader, found this out when she met an American international school student at the library.
The two shared information about their countries and Hang was happy to show her new friend pictures of the different fruits and scenery in his hometown, Tien Giang Province in the Mekong Delta region.
The woman making sure there are plenty of activities to keep the children at the library busy is Lam Thi Ngoc Thu.
The library’s summer programs began on June 13 and run every day from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm, except Fridays, Thu said.
Each day offers a different theme: Mondays are for storytelling, Tuesdays for science, Wednesdays for arts and crafts, and Thursdays for life skills.
Saturdays and Sundays typically feature cultural lessons, movie showings, and even chess tournaments.
Homemaking skill classes for everyone
After a two-year pause due to COVID-19, the Children’s House of Ho Chi Minh City, situated in District 3, has re-launched its soft skill classes.
This year, the classes are being held for over 200 children from June 27 to July 29.
They are meant for seven- to 12-year-olds and cover all sorts of activities, from basketball to dancing.
Right now, 80 children are participating in the house’s first summer session, which features outdoor games and camping trips.
Other activities focus on how to show love to family members and self-care, including lessons on how to be independent by doing various chores around the house.
Pham Thi Ngoc Yen, vice-director of the Children’s House of District 7, shared that these classes have been offered at her venue for the last five summers, except during the pandemic
The programs have been a big hit amongst parents due to their low-cost and variety of activities.
The house’s second summer session will begin on July 4 and last until July 15.
So far, 80 students have signed up and there is still space for 40 more.
Thanks to the success of its past events, the Children’s House of District 7 has been able to share its experience with other organizations across the city.
The Children’s House of District 4, for example, will launch a semi-boarding summer program for the first time this year from July 18 to 29 for children seven to 13 years old.
According to Ngoc Nga, the mother of eight-year-old Minh Khang, finding programs that offer full care for children is important because many parents are busy with their work and their children cannot stay home alone during the day while schools are closed for summer.
Since May, Nga registered Khang for both summer sessions at the Children’s House of District 7, hoping her child will enjoy himself and be well-cared for.
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