Sikhula Sonke Early Childhood Development to Host Khayelitsha’s Largest Preschool Picnic for World Play Day 2026

Khayelitsha, Cape Town — May 2026 - 
Sikhula Sonke Early Childhood Development will celebrate World Play Day 2026 by hosting Khayelitsha’s largest picnic for preschool children from early learning centres located across the informal settlements of the community.

The annual event will take place on the last Friday of May at OR Tambo Hall on Mew Way in Site B, bringing together hundreds of young children, teachers, caregivers, and community members for a day dedicated to play, learning, safety, and joy.

The picnic has become a cherished tradition in Khayelitsha since it was first launched by Sikhula Sonke in 2014 as part of Child Protection Week. The inaugural event welcomed 500 children together with their teachers and caregivers, creating a safe and nurturing environment where children could play freely while raising awareness about the importance of protecting children’s rights and wellbeing.

Now in its twelfth year, the annual picnic continues to grow as a symbol of community care and investment in early childhood development.

World Play Day highlights the importance of play in children’s emotional, social, physical, and cognitive development. For many children living in under-resourced communities, opportunities for safe and structured play remain limited. Through this initiative, Sikhula Sonke aims to create meaningful experiences that support healthy childhood development while strengthening partnerships between families, educators, and the broader community.
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“Every child deserves the right to feel safe, valued, protected, and free to play,” said Mdebuka Mthwazi, Executive Director of Sikhula Sonke Early Childhood Development. “The 2026 Child Protection focus reminds us that protecting children is not only about responding to harm, but about building communities where children can thrive with dignity, care, and opportunity. Through this picnic, we celebrate childhood while also calling on society to work together to create safer environments for every child in Khayelitsha.”

The event will include games, educational activities, entertainment, music, healthy meals, and opportunities for caregivers and educators to engage around child protection and early learning issues.

Sikhula Sonke invites community stakeholders, local organisations, donors, volunteers, and members of the media to join in celebrating the children of Khayelitsha and advancing the importance of play and child protection in early childhood development.

Media Enquiries
Sikhula Sonke Early Childhood Development
Khayelitsha, Cape Town
Winkie Cebisa
0737246830
[email protected]

About Sikhula Sonke Early Childhood Development
Sikhula Sonke Early Childhood Development works to support early childhood development and strengthen early learning centres in Khayelitsha, particularly within informal settlements, through community-based programmes, training, advocacy, and child-centred initiatives that promote the wellbeing, safety, and development of young children.
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www.sikhulasonke.org.za