Johannesburg - The sound of laughter rippled through the crisp Joburg autumn air as youngsters joined their hands with Mrs World Candice Abrahams to leap into the air from a trampoline.
The beauty removed her high heels in a bid to fully immerse herself in the playground at the Turffontein branch of Cotlands Child Sanctuary on Thursday.
Her sash, which proudly displayed her prestigious title, swayed from side to side as her golden brown locks became dishevelled while she played with the children as part of World Play Day festivities.
The initiative, which will officially be celebrated on Saturday, is pioneered by the International Toy Library Association and aims to publicise the importance of play, especially in early childhood development.
“Playing is fundamental for children to learn and develop social skills,” Abrahams said.
In a room alongside the playground, several more youngsters aged two to six sat with local musician Zakes Bantwini and played with puzzles and lego. Celebrating his birthday on Thursday, his face lit up as the children sang and wished him well.
Bantwini, who attended the event as a Unicef (UN Children's Emergency Fund)ambassador, also stressed the importance of playtime for youngsters, saying it was vital to pick up developmental problems while they are still young.
“Kids just want to play and that is a good thing because it allows their parents and teachers to detect any developmental issues they might have as early as possible.”
This is the third time Cotlands, which is an Early Childhood Development organisation, has celebrated World Play Day. National Communication Manager Lois Moodley said despite this achievement, they are lobbying for the day to be recognised by Unicef.
She said the organisation has placed several resources and facilities towards allowing children to play, including toy libraries.
Moodley explained that it worked similarly to that of a library filled with books, but involves giving access to children and crèches in need of toys for just R50 a year.
These are lent to them for a certain period and returned for new toys, many of which are educational. When access to these items is limited, Moodley said Cotlands has a mobile library which delivers the toys to children, especially those in townships, countrywide.
“Our main focus is to provide children from birth to 6-year-olds with resources and toys to learn,” she said.