At the Rafa Nadal Foundation, we Know that play is a powerful educational tool.
At the Rafa Nadal Foundation Center in Madrid, we organized a very special activity with the children and adolescents we work with. During the session, they not only moved, laughed, and had fun, but also learned valuable lessons about empathy, cooperation, and respect.
It is a cooperative game in which the goal goes far beyond winning: it’s about understanding others and learning to work together.
The dynamics of the game were simple but deeply meaningful: we blindfolded some participants, who had to navigate the court guided only by verbal instructions from their peers, in order to find balls and carry them from one side to the other.
The goal wasn’t to compete, but to collaborate. In this way, the children had the opportunity to step into the shoes of someone with a visual impairment, experiencing the challenges this can involve and understanding the importance of mutual help and sensitivity to others’ needs.
This kind of game allows us to work on fundamental aspects such as cooperation, teamwork, empathy, and especially respect for people with disabilities.
Putting yourself in someone else’s place helps to understand different realities and build a more inclusive and compassionate perspective.
At the Rafa Nadal Foundation Centers in Palma, Valencia, and Madrid, we are committed to a holistic approach to children’s development, combining educational and sports activities with programs that strengthen their social and emotional skills.
Because we believe that education goes beyond teaching, and growing up also means learning to live together, to care for others, and to value them.
We continue to work every day to offer them spaces where they can learn, play, dream, and become the best version of themselves.