Dong Nai Children's Festival in full swing

To enhance healthy recreational activities for children during the 2026 summer season and strengthen the roles and responsibilities of families, schools, and society in protecting, caring for, and educating children, the Dong Nai City Youth Union has organized the first Dong Nai Children's Festival.

Children participate in the Childhood Playground at the festival.

Nguyen Tran Phuong Ha, Deputy Secretary of the City Youth Union, Chairwoman of the City Student Association, and Chairwoman of the City Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneer Organization (HYPO) Council, said the Dong Nai Children's Festival is being held in two clusters: Tran Bien ward (June 1-2) and Binh Phuoc ward (June 7-8), featuring a wide range of vibrant and meaningful activities for children and adolescents.

From useful playground…

Alongside activities to present gifts and scholarships to disadvantaged children, the highlight of the 2026 Dong Nai Children's Festival is a series of rewarding playgrounds for children. Immediately after the opening ceremony of the Dong Nai Children's Festival (Cluster 1) at the Dong Nai City Youth and Children Culture House (Facility 1, Tran Bien ward), children from communes and wards in the southern area of Dong Nai City joined the Childhood Playground, which offered a wide variety of activities.

Games such as ring toss, color-coded bottle stacking, color-coded ball sorting, lucky wheels, and zigzag ball drops were set up on the grounds of the Dong Nai City Youth and Children Culture House, attracting many children who enthusiastically participated. Many children were experiencing these games for the first time and observed carefully, while others who had played before found the challenges relatively easy to complete.

Mai Dinh Khoa, a class-4D student at Vinh Tan Primary School in Tan An commune, arrived at Dong Nai City Youth and Children Culture House early in the morning. Khoa said, “I am fortunate because I recently received an award from a competition organized by the Dong Nai City Youth and Children Culture House, and also had the opportunity to participate in the festival games. After completing three consecutive games, I realized that they not only bring joy but also help improve my dexterity and reflexes. Even more exciting is that participants receive vouchers to exchange for gifts after completing a challenge.”

Within the framework of the festival, children also participated in a variety of engaging experiential spaces, including the Books and Childhood Zone, the Creative Zone featuring STEM, robotics, and artificial intelligence activities, the International Integration Zone, and the Green Environment Zone.

In addition, to create a playground for children aged 6-15 with artistic talent and passion to interact, demonstrate their abilities, and promote cultural and artistic movements among children, the City Youth Union organized the 2026 Dong Nai City Modern Dance Festival for children.

The festival attracted 25 teams performing various genres, including hip-hop, popping, locking, breaking, waacking, K-pop dance covers, street dance, and other modern dance styles suitable for children. Most performances conveyed positive and inspiring messages while reflecting the dynamic spirit of youth. Notably, many performances promoted national pride, love for the homeland, and the aspirations of young people in the new era.

“The Dong Nai Children's Festival should become an annual event. It is not only a summer kick-off activity but also a major festival for children as a place where they can learn, play, interact, gain experience, and develop comprehensively in a safe environment.”

Nguyen Quoc Viet, General Manager of the HYPO of Chu Van An Secondary School in Cam My commune

...To activities promoting children's right to participate

For many years, to realize children's right to participation, Youth Union organizations at all levels in Dong Nai province (now Dong Nai City) have established and operated the Children's Council model.

According to Deputy Secretary of the City Youth Union Nguyen Tran Phuong Ha, members of the Children's Council are outstanding students with strong academic and training achievements, good ethics, teamwork skills, presentation abilities, critical thinking, and active participation in social activities. Through their participation in the Children's Council, they represent the voices, thoughts, and aspirations of children in their localities; engage in exchanges and dialogues; and make recommendations to authorities on issues related to children. As a result, agencies and sectors can better understand children's needs and develop plans to implement effective care, protection, and education activities.

Building on these achievements, the City Youth Union issued a decision to establish the Children's Council. At the 2026 Dong Nai Children's Festival, the City Youth Union launched the City Children's Council with 125 members representing children from 95 communes and wards across the city. Pham Le Gia Han, a class-6A5 student at An Loc B Secondary School in An Loc ward, shared, “Joining the Children's Council is an honor, a source of pride, and a responsibility for me and all members. I recognize that this is not only an opportunity to express the thoughts and aspirations of children but also an environment to learn, develop skills, strengthen responsibility, and contribute practical ideas for activities dedicated to children.”

Immediately after its launch, the City Children's Council convened its first meeting. Presided over by the interim Presidium of the City Children's Council, the meeting took place in a lively atmosphere, drawing numerous comments from members on issues related to children, including summer recreation and entertainment, safe use of social media, participation in Youth Union and HYPO activities, and the living environment for children.

In addition to activities related to the Children's Council, the Dong Nai Children's Festival also featured communication activities on preventing child abuse in cyberspace. Along with providing information on the situation of online child abuse and common tactics, experts recommended a range of solutions to help protect children online. In this regard, children are not only subjects in need of protection but also key actors in safeguarding their own safety.

Specifically, to ensure their own safety, children need to proactively equip themselves with knowledge by participating in awareness sessions and reading safety guidance materials at school and at home. They should avoid sharing sensitive images, contact information, or addresses of themselves and their families on social media. In addition, children should establish personal boundaries by not chatting with, meeting, or trusting people they know only through the internet; using reporting functions when encountering harmful content; and seeking support from adults or authorities when threatened, harassed, or bullied in the digital environment.

These joyful and beneficial playgrounds, along with activities that promote children's right to participate in matters affecting them, have helped give children added motivation and confidence in their studies, self-improvement, and comprehensive development.

By Nga Son – Translated by Minh Hong, Minho