A series of art activities will be offered at the HCM City first-ever Kids Fest at the Children Cultural House on June 2-4. VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vũ

HCM CITY – HCM City plans to offer a wide range of entertainment and educational activities until August 20 to create playgrounds for children during summer.

The Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union of HCM City will host the Kids Fest 2023 at the Children’s Cultural House from June 2-4.

Having the theme of “Trẻ Em Hôm Nay – Thế Giới Ngày Mai” (Children Today – Tomorrow the World), the event will include workshops where children can learn about digital technologies, chess, painting and pottery making, traditional Vietnamese music and art, and a variety of music genres and instruments.

There will be a place for children and parents to join family games, a reading zone offering different kinds of books for children, and a food court.

The event will also have music and dance performances by young performers of the cultural houses, along with shows by circus performer Quốc Nghiệp, songstress Ngọc Mai and their son.

In addition, the organiser will launch a camp for 350 needy children across the city at the festival.

Trịnh Thị Hiền Trân, deputy secretary of the youth union, said the festival would include a series of cultural and entertainment activities in order to provide spiritual care for children, particularly needy children in the city. It would be an opportunity for children and their parents to have a fun time together, as well as honour the importance of family in modern society.

The festival will take place at 36 Lê Quý Đôn Street in District 3.

Meanwhile, the city will launch a programme called “Em Yêu Thành Phố Của Em” (I Love My City) to encourage the discovery of the history and culture of the city and the country through trips to museums, historical sites, iconic buildings, and “Uncle Hồ with Children” memorial spaces.

The city asked Departments of Education and Training, Culture and Sports, and Tourism and the Youth Union to work with schools to plan and organise field trips for children, and offer ticket exemptions for them at the attractions as well.

The Police Department will open courses on child protection and children's rights.

The programme will also include summer camps, and a cultural exchange between Vietnamese and Lao children.

HCM City will host the annual Book Fair for Children during summer to promote the habit of reading among children and teenagers. VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vũ

The annual Book Fair for Children, organised by the HCM City Department of Information and Communications and its partners to promote the habit of reading among children and teenagers, is expected to open in late July.

The fair at the Book Pedestrian Street will offer thousands of books by local and foreign authors, mostly literature, from popular publishers and distributors, including Kim Đồng Publishing House, Phương Nam Book Company, and Trẻ (Youth) Publishing House.

The organisers will host workshops and discussions on reading habits and children’s favourite books, and announce the children’s book prize.

The fair will also include music and dance performances, plays for children, and a game zone.

In addition, the city asked local authorities to build bookcases for children at cultural houses and offer reading sessions every week to promote a love for reading among children. — VNS