"Fathers can leverage their unique perspectives and strengths to create meaningful play experiences that complement the care provided by mothers," says Mari Payne, Deputy Managing Director and Senior Director of Education and Outreach, at Sesame Workshop South Africa (SWSA).

"We wanted to partner with relatable South African dads (and moms), who enjoy connecting with their children, in doing so we hope to encourage father figures in our country to realise the benefits of playing with their children and equip them with some tools in order to do so," Payne adds.

The brand says that it connected with:

  • trainer, author and life coach, Darren August
  • parenting influencer and podcaster, AfroDaddy, and
  • mom and radio personality Elana Afrika-Bredenkamp.

Together the group produced a series of reflective pieces of content, which touch on each of their parenting journeys and why they feel that bonding through play is important. 

"The campaign process in itself was an insightful experience for our partners, they all had significant moments in their parenting journeys, and these moments translated into engaging learnings and beautiful social media content, bringing the campaign essence to life," says Payne. 

August says, "It's about the little moments, you don't need to be perfect; you just need to be present." August also believes that dads are capable of being nurturing caregivers, and that caregiving is not gender-specific. Dads aren't 'helping' when they are with the kids, they are parenting.

Terence Mentor (aka Afrodaddy) spent time reflecting on what his kids love doing with him, what he loved doing with his father, and what he can do more of.

"Being a father is the one thing that I actually feel I am great at, so being a part of a campaign that encourages fathers to connect with their children is special," Mentor says. He also noted that what he tries best to do for his kids is, "teach them kindness".

As a parenting podcaster, Afrika-Bredenkamp explores many beautiful conversations around children and parenting. Through these conversations, she says that she knows that dads want to be involved. 

"Fathers and father figures want to play with their children, sometimes they just need a little encouragement. Showing how we value this provision of playtime validates dads and those in supportive parenting roles, encouraging bonding through play. The whole family benefits from gender equitable play, resulting in joyful moments for everyone in the family," Afrika-Bredenkamp says.

This partnership is the second phase in Takalani Sesame's 'Bond Through Play' campaign, which serves to educate caregivers on the benefits of father figures connecting with their children. The campaign encourages them to embrace play, challenge harmful gender stereotypes and adopt positive parenting practices, says the group.

As children grow, their play needs and preferences change. "Fathers must be attuned to these changes and adapt their approach accordingly, but luckily we have some suggestions for dads," says Payne. 

"For example, with infants, fathers can engage in soothing physical touch, such as gentle rocking or massaging. As children become toddlers, fathers can introduce more active play, such as chasing games or throwing a ball. During the preschool years, fathers can encourage imaginative play through storytelling or dress-up activities," adds Payne. 

Payne and the team at Takalani Sesame provide tips for families to play together:

Play Is a Shared Responsibility

When families play together it is a win-win. Below are some ideas for fun family games, including some South African favourites:

  • hide-and-seek in safe indoor or outdoor spaces
  • creating a round-robin story with hand shadows
  • age-appropriate card and / or board games
  • Morabaraba: trying to get three "cows" in a row
  • Kgati: the skipping rope game
  • Diketo: the stone-throwing game — remember the adults need to play with their non-dominant hand, and 
  • imaginary play: go on imaginary adventures together.

Play Anytime, Anywhere and in Any Way

Payne says that in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we can also incorporate play while ticking off the items on our to-do list:

  • Sorting laundry can be a fun learning game by sorting according to colour or by type of garment.
  • Look for shapes while shopping — "How many circles can you see?"
  • While preparing meals, parents can ask children to fetch ingredients e.g. hop to the fridge like a bunny and get the milk or turn meal preparations into a scavenger hunt, e.g. find the milk, find three potatoes, find the fresh bunch of spinach, etc.
  • Travelling games have a dual purpose, as they help to pass the time while learning and bonding. This can be done by counting cars by colour, imagining shapes out of the clouds, or playing "I Spy" — just not the driver.

Payne concludes by noting that playing with children has social, emotional, physical, and academic, cognitive and school readiness benefits. "We have all heard the saying 'Time is money' right? Playing with your children means spending time with them and allows you to #BondThroughPlay. Spending time in playful activities with your children means providing for them, it provides benefits of play for children, mothers, fathers, extended families and communities and includes lifelong learning, physical and mental health."

For more information, visit www.sesameworkshop.org. You can also follow the Sesame Workshop on Facebook, X, Instagram, or on TikTok.

*Image courtesy of contributor