Create more playgrounds for children during the summer.

Summer 2026 holds special significance for children in Ho Chi Minh City, as it marks the first year the city enters a new phase of development after the merger. This places new demands on the care, organization of summer activities, and creation of playgrounds for children in the area.

On the occasion of International Children's Day on June 1st, a reporter from Saigon Giai Phong Newspaper had an interview with Ms. Trinh Thi Hien Tran (pictured), Deputy Secretary of the City Youth Union and President of the Ho Chi Minh City Children's Council, on this topic.

REPORTER: Madam, how has the City Youth Union prepared for organizing summer activities for children this summer?

Ms. TRINH THI HIEN TRAN: This is Ho Chi Minh City's first summer after the expansion of its administrative boundaries. With a larger area, a larger population, and a more diverse demographic, the demands are also higher. Therefore, the City Youth Union is paying special attention to strengthening the summer program staff at the grassroots level, enhancing their understanding of children's situations in the area, and equipping the staff with additional skills and methods for working with children and organizing them. We consider these to be crucial steps in preparing for this year's summer activities.

Volunteer teams participating in campaigns such as Green Summer, Red Phoenix Flower, Pink Holiday, and Green March are also preparing many activities for children, coordinating with local authorities to organize regular summer activities and create more playgrounds for them during the summer.

So what needs to be done to help children "get away from the internet" and participate more in experiential activities during the summer?

Building on the achievements of previous years, the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union, along with organizations such as the Ho Chi Minh City Children's House and the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Cultural Center, will continue to maintain many familiar activities such as summer camps, festivals, children's days, book fairs, sports events, and arts and culture performances. In addition, we will strengthen community activities, skill-building experiences, and the development of artistic talents, sports skills, and creative thinking for children.

At the grassroots level, many summer activities are also being designed to be more engaging and diverse. Children will have the opportunity to learn about history and traditions, visit historical sites and revolutionary landmarks, develop a reading culture, experience local tourism , or participate in activities such as "A Day in the Military," along with practical skills like fire safety, accident and injury prevention, drowning prevention, personal health care, and improving mental well-being.

In the current context, equipping children with digital knowledge and skills is essential for their learning and development. However, it is crucial to help them use technology effectively, without becoming dependent on electronic devices, and to view it as a tool to support modern life.

This year, the City Youth Union launched the "Digital Summer" volunteer teams. In addition to supporting citizens, businesses, small traders, and the elderly in digital transformation, these teams will also organize many activities to help children improve their digital awareness and skills through summer playgrounds.

What will the city do to ensure all children have the opportunity to participate in summer activities?

This year's summer activities focus on on-site activities, organized regularly on a weekly basis through summer activity sessions.

Youth Union and Young Pioneer leaders in wards, communes, and special zones are also striving to attract and mobilize as many children as possible to participate in summer activities. The City Youth Union is also paying attention to disadvantaged children, orphans due to the Covid-19 pandemic and other reasons, children in social welfare facilities, shelters, open houses, and children with disabilities... so that they can access and benefit from these values ​​like their peers.

Besides providing playgrounds, how will efforts to care for disadvantaged children be implemented?

Caring for children during the summer requires the joint efforts of many sectors and organizations, not just the Youth Union and Children's Union. Currently, along with the City Youth Union, many agencies and units in the city are implementing programs to support and care for children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Museums, cultural destinations, tourist areas, and entertainment venues also have many policies offering free or discounted tickets or subsidized services to create opportunities for children to participate in experiential activities during the summer.

We also pay special attention to disadvantaged children. Immediately after the 2026 City Leaders' Meeting and Listening to Children program, children from disadvantaged backgrounds had the opportunity to attend a performance at the Phu Tho Circus and Multi-Purpose Performance Hall.

Children enjoy summer fun at Phu Tho Circus and Multi-Purpose Performance Hall (Lu Gia Street, Phu Tho Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) (PHOTO: DUNG PHUONG)

What are your expectations for this year's summer activities in terms of the holistic development of children in Ho Chi Minh City?

The message of the City Leaders' Meeting and Listening to Children program, held last weekend, was "Give the best to children," because investing in children is investing in the future of the city and the country. Current summer activities should not only build upon the achievements of previous years but also focus on overcoming the limitations and difficulties of those years; leveraging various forces and mobilizing social resources to invest in and care for children.

Specifically for the City Youth Union, activities will focus on leveraging the training expertise of its members and young people to improve the quality of summer activities, concentrating on enhancing skills in preventing drowning, digital skills, and educating children about the pride of the city that is honored to bear the name of President Ho Chi Minh.

CAM TUYET - CAM NUONG performed

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/tao-them-nhieu-san-choi-cho-thieu-nhi-trong-dip-he-post855350.html