PROMOÇÃO DO BEM-ESTAR INFANTIL: ESTRATÉGIAS LÚDICAS E EDUCATIVAS NO CENTRO DRA. LOTUFO MANZANO

Abstract

Promoting children's well-being is one of the main contemporary concerns, especially in view of the emotional and social challenges faced by children in their development process. Children who have access to safe environments, educational stimuli, and recreational activities have higher self-esteem, resilience, and social interaction skills, factors that directly impact their learning and quality of life. Objective: to promote child welfare through the implementation of recreational and educational strategies developed at the Dr. Lotufo Manzano Center, aiming to stimulate the integral development of children and strengthen emotional, cognitive, and social aspects in the context of care and education practices. Methodology: The project was conducted as a descriptive qualitative research study, involving students from the Medicine, Dentistry, and Nursing courses at Afya Porto Nacional. The activities took place in the morning and included games, workshops, readings, and basic health care, with the aim of stimulating the cognitive, affective, and social development of children. Results and Discussion: The results demonstrated high engagement and satisfaction among participants, highlighting the positive impact of playful practices on children's self-esteem and socialization. In addition, improvements were observed in skills such as empathy, teamwork, and communication among students, strengthening the university's social commitment. Conclusion: It is concluded that interdisciplinary and humanized initiatives are fundamental to promoting social change, expanding the critical awareness of future professionals, and strengthening the role of university extension as a link between scientific knowledge and the real demands of the community. From this perspective, playful strategies, such as games and workshops, are effective pedagogical resources for stimulating meaningful learning, strengthening human values, and promoting the integral development of children, uniting education, health, and citizenship in the same formative purpose.