Erica Riggeal plays with her son at the Sagamihara Housing Area outdoor swimming pool July 19 during an Army Community Service-hosted child-parent bonding pool playgroup. (Photo by Noriko Kudo)
SAGAMIHARA FAMILY HOUSING AREA, Japan – A new pool playgroup offered here is giving parents the chance to bond with their young children through playtime while also allowing them to stay cool in the summer heat.
Camp Zama’s Army Community Service developed the playgroup and will host it every Friday through Aug. 16 at the Sagamihara Family Housing Area outdoor swimming pool. The first session was offered July 19.
Jenny Thapa-Sitaula, a new parent program specialist at ACS, said her organization decided to extend its regular playgroup offering to include pool activities during the summer months, with a goal of strengthening the connection between parents and their newborn to toddler-age children.
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ShanDreaha “Shay” LaNedtra Hudak plays with her son at the Sagamihara Housing Area outdoor swimming pool July 19 during an Army Community Service-hosted child-parent bonding pool playgroup. (Photo by Noriko Kudo)
“Military families often face challenges of separation or isolation, making it difficult to build a support network in the community,” Thapa-Sitaula explained. “This event helps provide a free playgroup specifically designed for parents and babies to strengthen their bond, as well as social interaction with other community members.”
Thapa-Sitaula said for children, playing is very crucial because it helps cultivate skills like independence, imagination, creativity and problem-solving. Programs like the pool playgroup can also help children develop social and emotional well-being, and provide parents an opportunity for community-building where they can share experiences, tips and ideas with each other, she said.
“[The parents] are getting to interact with each other,” Thapa-Sitaula said. “I think they were having a great time.”
Thapa-Sitaula said she also hopes that through the program, parents in the community will connect and can come to rely on each other, which she said helps families build a sense of community and resiliency while also getting to spend time with their children.
Erica Riggeal, a mother of three, said the program was a wonderful opportunity to spend some quality time with not only her youngest child, but all of them.
“This is the first time that me and my kids have done anything pool-related this summer,” Riggeal said. “The program offers a new experience and educational value with professionals, and I found it very beneficial with all of my kids.”
Riggeal said she always feels welcome at events like the pool playground and that they make her feel like a part of the community here.
“We really enjoyed it,” she said. “We’ll definitely be back.”
The remaining dates for the pool playgroup are scheduled for Aug. 2, 9 and 16 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. for parents and children ages zero to 3 years old. It is free to attend and there is no registration required. For more information, contact ACS at 263-4357 or email jenny.thapa-sitaula.ctr@army.mil.
