Andorra Marks 38 Years of First Children's Play Centre

Escaldes-Engordany marked 38 years since opening Andorra's first children's play centre on 9 January 1986, when the local council launched the initiative on the third floor of the Fiter i Rossell social and recreational centre—now home to a climbing wall.

The 100-square-metre space targeted children aged four to 14, operating from 5:45pm to 8:45pm Tuesday to Saturday. A dedicated monitor oversaw activities designed to foster personality development through play, promote interaction among children, and teach respect for shared resources. Beyond simple games, the centre aimed to support working families unable to pick up children from school on time, offering a space for borrowing toys—much like a library for books—and hosting creative workshops and popular festivals alongside parents.

Initial workshops covered cooking, toy repairs, and manual crafts. Early events included a Halloween celebration that drew around 60 children aged four to 15, who decorated the space, made costumes, and prepared traditional desserts. The activity became a staple, alongside Christmas workshops, helping to "rehabilitate play and demonstrate its importance," as the council stated at the launch.

As the parish grew, the council expanded facilities. Today, Escaldes-Engordany runs two dedicated children's leisure spaces in Plaça dels Dos Valires: one for ages three to five, the other for six to 12. Hours have extended to 4:30pm to 8:30pm, with a monthly fee of €78.10. The team has grown to include several educators and monitors, who organise socio-educational and recreational activities to support children's holistic development and peer interactions outside school hours.