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Children take part in a soccer game during Free Play for Kids\u2019 \u201cWelcome to Play\u201d program, which helps newcomer and refugee children build friendships, confidence and a sense of belonging as they settle into their new communities.
\u00a9 Free Play for Kids<\/p>\n
By Zeba Tasci in Ottawa, Canada<\/p>\n
When families arrive in a new country after fleeing conflict, persecution or uncertainty, the world they once knew feels far away \u2014 and the challenges of building a new life can feel overwhelming. For children and parents alike, the early days of resettlement can be defined not by relief alone, but by deep transition: new languages, new routines, and the invisible weight of adjusting to a place that should feel\u00a0safe, but\u00a0is still unfamiliar.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In Edmonton,\u00a0Free\u00a0Play for Kids\u2019 Welcome to Play program creates a space where the simple act of play becomes something much more profound \u2014 a bridge to healing, connection and belonging. Through fun, active, trauma-informed activities, Welcome to Play supports recently arrived refugee and newcomer children,\u00a0youth\u00a0and parents as they navigate the first steps of their settlement journey. Every day, staff welcome families from temporary hotels and transitional housing, guiding them to recreation\u00a0centres, community spaces,\u00a0museums\u00a0and parks where children can laugh, explore and make friends in a supportive and inclusive environment. The program also connects youth to leadership pathways and offers opportunities for parents to engage and connect with community resources.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For families like Juan\u2019s, the impact of this welcome goes beyond the play itself \u2014 it touches transformation. Three years after arriving in Canada from Mexico, Juan\u2019s son Elias was initially shy and hesitant to engage. But through connections first made in after-school and resettlement-focused programming, he found new confidence and a sense of belonging.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Juan, a devoted father and avid soccer fan, watched his son begin to change in ways that delighted and surprised him:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI love soccer \u2014\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0my\u00a0favourite\u00a0sport. But Elias was never fully into it. He was always\u00a0kind of following\u00a0his own path\u2026 He liked the idea [of joining a team], got into it, and now\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0loving it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For Juan, the value of play \u2014 and especially the chance to be part of a soccer team \u2014 extends far beyond sport. He sees it as a space where children learn responsibility, teamwork, and how to work with others. He also highlights the role of caring coaches who\u00a0support the kids not just in sport, but in life. Through these experiences, Elias began to move away from screens and isolation, trying new things and spending time with peers \u2014 a visible sign of growth that filled Juan with hope.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stories like Juan\u2019s reflect a pattern seen\u00a0time and again\u00a0in Edmonton\u2019s newcomer communities \u2014 where sport and play can unlock potential in ways that ripple far into a child\u2019s future.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
One of the most remarkable examples is Canadian-born soccer star Alphonso Davies, whose own journey from newcomer child to international athlete began in a free after-school soccer program very much like Welcome to Play.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Davies, born in a refugee camp in Ghana and resettled in Edmonton with his family at age five, first played organized soccer in a local free soccer league that removed barriers to participation and helped him connect with peers and coaches in his new home city. This early access to organized play helped ignite his love of the game and set him on a path that would lead to professional soccer with Vancouver Whitecaps, FC Bayern Munich in Germany and the Canadian national team \u2014 demonstrating how inclusive, community-based play can spark confidence and open doors for children from all backgrounds.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Davies often speaks about how the friendships,\u00a0skills\u00a0and sense of belonging he found through community soccer programs shaped his\u00a0life, and\u00a0now returns to Edmonton to host soccer camps that, like Welcome to Play, aim to inspire and support the next generation of young players.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stories like Juan\u2019s reflect the profound and layered ways\u00a0play\u00a0can support children\u2019s social and emotional wellbeing \u2014 especially for those whose early lives have been shaped by upheaval. Welcome to Play does more than provide daily activities; it helps reduce stress, build\u00a0community\u00a0and nurture resilience at a critical point in families\u2019 transitions. It creates moments of joy,\u00a0trust\u00a0and connection that can shift the trajectory of a child\u2019s sense of belonging in their new home.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In a context where the refugee journey often begins with loss, play becomes a universal language of healing. Through Welcome to Play, children and families not only find a safe space to explore and grow \u2014 they find new friendships, confidence and, most importantly, a sense of being truly welcomed.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Children take part in a soccer game during Free Play for Kids\u2019 \u201cWelcome to Play\u201d program, which helps…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":692035,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194294],"tags":[49,48,23752,561],"class_list":["post-692034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-edmonton","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-edmonton","tag-soccer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/692034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=692034"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/692034\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/692035"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=692034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=692034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=692034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}