New ‘wisdom park’ opens in Narathiwat

Variety of fun and educational activities designed to get youngsters away from their screens

NARATHIWAT – A new children’s amusement park has opened in Waeng district of the country’s southernmost border province.

Suttipong Juljarern, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Interior, on Thursday presided over the opening of the Mareemai Amusement Park at the Waeng Tambon Administrative Organisation.

The park is a free learning and play centre for children built under the concept of a “wisdom playground”.

It consists of nine learning stations ranging from a swimming pool station where children can learn to swim to an activity station where they can do activities such as drawing, colouring and playing with Plasticine.

Mr Suttipong said small children in particular lack good opportunities in life as they spend more time with electronic devices such as computers, game consoles and mobile phones than nature.

He cited an example Her Royal Highness Princess Srinagarindra, the mother of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great, who raised her children by teaching them to embrace nature. This was an inspiration for the wisdom playground, according to Mr Suttipong.

Small children’s brains, emotions, minds, sociability and discipline should develop together, he said. Mareemai park incorporates traditional Thai activities for children such as running in rice fields, climbing trees and swimming, which will allow them to develop by being close to nature.

“Wisdom playgrounds will help build social discipline for children,” said Mr Suttipong. “Since the number of toys is limited, they will have to wait in queues. This will allow them to socialise by talking to strangers, being polite, being assertive and having respect for societal rules.”

The Mareemai Amusement Park is another wisdom playground in addition to the Dek-Roon-Yai Park in Songkhla.