Over the past month, I had the opportunity to take part in Playful Park, a series of open and creative activities for children in the park. We spent time outdoors, drawing, playing games, talking, creating things together, and, most importantly, simply sharing a space where children could be curious, active, and themselves.
What I enjoyed most was seeing how quickly a simple activity can become meaningful. Sometimes it is enough to show a child something new and see that moment when they become genuinely interested and want to take part. That feeling of being included can be a small thing from an adult perspective, but it can be a surprisingly important experience for a child.
I also came to appreciate that success does not always look like a medal, a competition, or a spectacular achievement. Sometimes success is much simpler: a child is no longer bored, someone who was quiet decides to join in, someone discovers that they enjoy drawing, or simply leaves with a smile. Creating an environment where young people feel welcome, respected, and encouraged to explore is already something valuable.
Playful Park gave us plenty of opportunities to experiment with combinations that perhaps would not normally be put together: drawing under an oak tree, playing football on the hills, or trying to communicate without words. These activities were simple, but they created space for imagination, cooperation, and spontaneous interaction.
One of my favourite things was discovering just how naturally children can turn an ordinary activity into a memorable one. They bring their own ideas, energy, humour, and occasionally very convincing arguments about the rules of football. I am now fairly certain that Slovenian football has a very promising future. During our matches, I managed to rescue a couple of games that were heading towards 5–5 draws, while also successfully avoiding being hit by a falling acorn — so I consider my own sporting career reasonably successful as well.
For me, Playful Park was ultimately about many small steps. Neil Armstrong famously spoke about the significance of a single step; during this project, we had many of them — small, kind, funny, creative, and sometimes surprisingly meaningful.
Perhaps that is what I will remember most. A good community is not built only through big achievements. It is also built through everyday moments in which people feel that there is a place for them, that their ideas matter, and that it is safe to be curious.
And, of course, I remain convinced that some of the children we met will eventually win an Olympic medal or an Oscar. But for now, making a drawing under an oak tree, joining a game, making a new friend, or simply having a really good afternoon is already a pretty great achievement.
Maksim – ESE prostovoljec
* Projekt z oznako 2025-1-SI02-ESC51-VTJ-000347016, ki se izvaja od 1.10. 2026 do 31.1.2027, je sofinanciran iz programa Evropske solidarnostne enote.
* The project with the code 2025-1-SI02-ESC51-VTJ-000347016 which is implemented from October 1st 2025 to January 31 2027 is co-financed by the European Solidarity Corps program.
