The inauguration of the Children’s Park Tenerife (PIT) part-time because it was reduced to the afternoon, it came with several surprises after two years without being held due to the pandemic. Negative surprise because the lack of publicity and previous information reduced the public on the first day. Positive surprise that of a Fairground “more orderly than ever” and with new highly valued elements. From the explanatory signage in each of the 35 attractions gathered in 18,000 square meters to the great novelty of the distribution of chairs throughout the facility. A great success because they are watchtowers and, above all, points of essential rest.
The president of the Cabildo, Pedro Martín, inaugurated this tour of the world with the games as the center that can be visited –and enjoyed– until next January 5th. Martín points out that the children’s and youth park “offers a few days of fun and entertainment, but also awareness-raising, because this year is dedicated to traveling the planet and discovering, publicizing natural wealth and raising awareness about the environment.”
Martín also highlighted that the PIT opens on dates to share with the family, Christmas, a long-awaited return that indicates that the long-awaited normality has finally been recovered.
In the opening ceremony of this new edition, the Minister of Employment, Socioeconomic Development, Employment and Foreign Action, Carmen Luz Baso. She pointed out that “it is one of the most anticipated appointments of Christmas, which has become a tradition.” With the added value of the revitalization of economic activity during these holidays. In this sense, only the assembly and maintenance of the fair requires the direct hiring of 250 people –monitors, security, cleaning, medical equipment, maintenance, organization, etc.)– as well as many others indirectly. They do their work in 35 play areas where playful, physical and educational activities are combined for children and their families.
Visitors enter little by little. They pay 6 euros today (yesterday) although the normal price for the whole day is 9. Rubén and Attenery, with little César (3 years old) in their arms, come from La Laguna and think about the possibility of repeating. They will do it if their 9-year-old son Diego, who they are watching carefully, asks them to. More than likely I sell as you enjoy. He has had to queue as in all the attractions on the first day.
The route leads from the mechanical attractions or the areas dedicated to sports to spaces for training and educational workshops, as well as live performances on the stage of the theater enabled at the entrance where there will be functions almost every day.
Luis works at Algorithmics, International Programming School for children and adolescents from 5 to 17 years old. They will soon open their headquarters in the center of Santa Cruz. Its director, Jacqueline Knopps, challenges a group of children to a virtual game. If they pass the tests in 12 minutes they will have a scholarship for the course they want. They offer everything from notions of digital programming to the creation of video games or graphic design. It shows that the PIT is not only for children.
Alex, 13, complains about the excess supply for the little ones. He comes from the La Salud neighborhood with four friends and is about to get on La Masa, a classic of the Carnival fairs. Like the mechanical bulls of El Rodeo, with falls included, in the absence of the classic Manitú melody. There he awaits his turn for his daughter Mercedes, 8 years old, María, who considers the return of the Children’s Park “great and wonderful”.
Another mother, Vanesa, tries to convince her 7-year-old son Sergio to get on La Barquita, another attraction for children who are sailing through a pool.
Back to the classics with El Pulpo. Aura and Daniela are mothers who come from Santa Úrsula with their daughters, Laura and Lucía, and their friend Elena, all 10 years old. They consider this initiative “spectacular for us and for them.”
María del Cristo is a grandmother attentive to two of her grandchildren –she has five–, Dylan and Anays. She says, sitting comfortably, that she “had wanted to go back to PIT because it’s like a tradition. She already brought my children 20 years ago and she is better ». She lives in La Multa (Ofra) and her cousins, 5 years and barely months apart, come from San Isidro (Anays) and El Sauzal (Dylan).
Gara, a worker at the Lego stall –it is forbidden to miss the models that surround it– explains: «I am 19 years old and I study socio-sports animation at the Virgen de la Candelaria FP Center. I will be here for 15 days with children and it is like doing the internships. I didn’t expect so many people the first day, but I think there was a lack of publicity that it was open today (yesterday)»
The doors of the XXXI PIT – it was created in 1989 – will be open until Thursday, January 5, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with some special hours that can be consulted on the Fairgrounds website. The entrance costs 9 euros and with it the visitor will be able to enjoy all the activities as many times as he wants. Children under 3 years of age, people over 65 and people with disabilities will be able to access for free. For large families the reduced price is 6 euros. Family fun and environmental awareness are guaranteed. The PIT returns for Christmas.
