The first-year Occupational Therapy students had the opportunity to assist at the Prinshof School for the Visually Impaired Primary School's Sports Day, which took place on August 25, 2023, from 08:00 to 12:00. The annual occasion hosted by the school’s dedicated and compassionate staff, affords the disadvantaged learners the opportunity to experience school in the way that society deems “normal”. A series of miniature games and activities designed to stimulate and entertain the learners were played throughout the morning.

Laughter and cheers soon filled the air as the children raced across the field as the main objective was  being accomplished - to teach and mould well-rounded people who will conquer the challenges the world may throw at them whilst exposing the Occupational Therapy students to the loving and complex nature of children.

The bike race.

Each first-year student was paired with a student from the visually impaired school to spend the day with. The students were organised into teams distinguished by different colours. A program created by the teacher guided the day's activities. The day was filled with various games, including races and dancing.

One of the activities involved the students sitting in two circles on chairs while holding a sheet. In the centre of the sheet, there were several bean bags, and the students had to shake the sheet to make the bean bags fall off. The first team to successfully shake off all the bean bags from the sheet emerged as the winner.

Students handing each other the ball over their heads.

Another activity had all the students standing in a circle with a teacher in the centre playing a tambourine. The students had to dance, and when the "music" stopped, they had to quickly find a seat. The student who was the last to sit down was eliminated, and this process continued until only one student remained, who was declared the winner.

In yet another game, the students formed two lines, with one student in front holding a ball with a bell inside. The objective was to pass the ball over their heads to the student behind them, and the last student in line had to run with the ball around a teacher and return to the front of the line. The team whose members all had the chance to run around the teacher first, was declared the winner.

A team shaking a sheet till all the bean bags fall off.

Additionally, each student had a bike and participated in both bicycle races and running races.

Lastly, each student sat on a chair in front of a set of bottles filled with sand arranged like bowling pins. The students then rolled a ball from their lap to the bottles, aiming to knock them over.

Occupational therapy is a multi-faceted degree that brings creativity, science and compassion together and this is the key aspect that can be taken away from this engagement. The children who were the main stars of the day felt content and accomplished.

Overall, it was a day filled with engaging and inclusive activities that allowed the Occupational Therapy students to connect with and support the visually impaired students.