The first Kinder Joy of moving park is at Vicolungo the Style Outlets
Vicolungo, Italy – Soremartec, a Ferrero Group company, and NEINVER, a leading European outlet mall operator, have opened Italy’s first ‘Joy of moving Park’ at Vicolungo The Style Outlets, in the province of Novara. Initially conceived for ExpoMilano2015, the Park has now been updated and upgraded, providing over 1,700 sqm of permanent space for the development of motor skills – all completely free to access.
The President of the Region of Piedmont, Alberto Cirio, attended the opening.
The ‘Kinder Joy of moving Park’ was opened today at Vicolungo The Style Outlets, a shopping centre half an hour outside Milan that is owned by Neptune, a joint venture between Nuveen Real Estate and NEINVER, a leading European outlet mall operator. The result of a partnership between the Municipality of Vicolungo, Soremartec (a Ferrero Group company) and Neptune, the ‘Kinder Joy of moving Park’ is a free playground built according to the principles of the Ferrero Group’s “Joy of moving” international CSR project, designed to encourage children and families worldwide to embrace physical activity.
Alberto Cirio, President of the Region of Piedmont, attended the official opening. He said: “I have been privileged to follow the development of the ‘Joy of moving’ programme from the outset. I am delighted that the collaborative spirit between the public and the private spheres – which our country so badly needs at a time like this – has resulted in a park that is unique in Italy and a real source of pride for the local area.”
Marzia Vicenzi, Mayor of Vicolungo, said that the project provides “an opportunity for the children and families who visit the mall each day to learn and have fun. It’s a one-of-a-kind space with a huge social value, further enhancing the reasons to visit Vicolungo.”
THE PARK AND ATTRACTIONS FOR KIDS AT VICOLUNGO THE STYLE OUTLETS
The ‘Kinder Joy of moving Park’ is a playground focused on motor skills for children aged 5-12, spanning over 1,700 square metres. It is the first permanent park in Italy and worldwide to be launched under the Kinder programme.
Visiting children will be able to learn or improve physical skills while having fun. A ‘Facilitating Environment’ of eight pieces of physical play equipment developed by the Department of Industrial Engineering at Federico II University, Naples, stimulate the children’s development and encourage them to look for creative solutions. It is a colourful, joyous world, where unique and innovative equipment exercise the children’s abilities – and not just their motor functions. The playground features: a climbing wall of over 5 metres, four different walls and various climbing routes, to teach children the value of commitment; an area to try surfing, to figure out the importance of control and stability; a free jump station to test their courage; a platform to fly like birds, to test and control the effort; a spinning mushroom for the most daring to try out; and many other attractions available for the first time in Europe at an outlet mall.
The playground lies next to the main piazza, which was recently upgraded as part of the restyling of the entire Vicolungo The Style Outlets mall. The new area also includes Vico Junior, a covered play area managed by NEINVER and dedicated to small children and their families, with an attached nursery and childcare service.
“There is a single educational approach behind the project,” explained Professor Caterina Pesce, creator of the ‘Joy of moving’ method. “It’s all based on play, to engage children in movement and sport, aiming at a relational and social end goal. The method is designed to encompass every aspect of growing humans, reciprocally developing their physical efficiency, motor coordination, cognitive functions and life skills, to improve their independence and ability to confront the challenges of daily life.”
Bartolomeo Salomone, Chairman of Ferrero, added: “Kinder Joy of moving is an international CSR project of the Ferrero Group, now reaching 4.4 million children in 34 countries. It was established to provide a natural connection for children and families to physical activity and sport, in a spirit of non-aggression, engagement and joy. This is a forward-looking approach, aimed at the development of children and their personalities, based on play and the joy of movement.
Carlos González, Managing Director of NEINVER, said: “This agreement fits in with the strategy and development of our centres. We work to ensure not only excellent shopping, but a unique experience for the over 4 million visitors who come every year, including many families. We are sure that a playground like the one we have created with the Ferrero Group is a huge point of attraction.”
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