(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The jamboree of entertainment at Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre comes at a time kids find it hard to bide their time. The harsh weather makes it all the more difficult for people to seek avenues of entertainment. The Entertainment City put up by Qatar Tourism Authority comes as a beacon of hope for thousands of children who look forward to the festival at this time of the year. The organisation has over the years put in efforts to make the festival a brand associated with entertainment and fun. As schools are closed for weeks for summer vacations, children and adults alike get an opportunity to avail of the numerous avenues of entertainment available at the venue.
Above all, families get to spend time together in a convivial atmosphere with rides, games, shows and food options coming together to create an enjoyable experience. Since it was opened with fanfare and a spectacular fireworks display on the Corniche, the rides and games have drawn a deluge of people from toddlers to the elderly.
Even Qatar Tourism Authority officials were surprised at the overwhelming response the festival received on the first day. They had expected crowds to start pouring in gradually, but it happened in a spurt — delighting organising officials.
From the Angry Birds catapult to the large colourful slide used by kids to go down a rolling slope, new rides introduced this year have added to the zing of the festival. Gokarting is an added attraction and is drawing the most crowds. Children zip around the arena with helmets and enjoy the ride to the hilt. It probably gives them a thrill to look like Formula 1 drivers in sleek cars.
The importance of rides and games in the development of a child cannot be overestimated. Events offering a large number of rides provide wholesome family entertainment in a comfortable milieu. But they serve a function beyond entertainment. The child";s self confidence receives a boost when he comes across ingenious machines meant to provide thrill. There is a method in the madness for some rides, despite their apparently useless gyrations.
Children identify instantly with cartoon and animation characters that help them integrate with the milieu, thus fostering a sense of belongingness to a new environment with known variables. This can help when they grow and step out into the world.
Qatar Tourism Authority";s efforts at building Qatar into a tourism attraction is laudable. Its move to promote the summer festival to draw more tourists deserves praise.