Our Cause
We aim to mainstream play and make play an integral part of children’s learning through advocating for the Right to Play
Our Impact
We take Play to 77,000 children across Maharashtra everyday and have supported 5,000+ teachers to transform them into Play Practitioners
Our Approach
Our unique Conscious Play™ approach empowers children through a transformational impact on childhood experiences and outcomes
Our Play Programmes
We transform classrooms into play spaces, thus enabling a safe space for children to develop 21st century life skills such as critical thinking, communication and socio-emotional learning
The Power of Play
Play is a life-affirming spark that keeps children spirited and joyful even in the face of adversity. Play drives us to live in the moment. Play needs no language; Play is the language for a child to communicate and explore.
Toybank, the flagship project of The Opentree Foundation, a non-profit organisation, optimises the power of play to ensure happier, healthier and fulfilling childhoods. Our play programmes create safe spaces that empower at-risk children to grow, learn and express themselves.
Play enriches childhood in ways that lead children to grow into confident, responsible and compassionate members of our society.
It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken [adults].
– Frederick Douglass
The Numbers at Play
Toybank’s 3-year impact study with over 8,000 children shows how Play changed children’s lives in Mumbai’s urban informal settlements.
10x increase in Curiosity
5x increase in Honesty
2x increase in Attention span
Behavioural Progress
(Period: April 2017 - March 2020)
Our reach
Play Changes Lives
We have grown our Play programme presence to 12 districts across Maharashtra, India. It has successfully helped at-risk children develop greater cognitive, socio-emotional and critical thinking skills.
100,000+
Children actively learning through play every day
600+
Play2Learn centres
350+
Government school partners
5,000+
Teachers trained as Play facilitators
Play helped Sahil build confidence, taught him teamwork
Previously opposed to group activities, he discovered his skill at solving puzzles and outgrew his insecurities, willingly engaging in play with new friends.
COVID-19: Play made learning easy for students during pandemic
Struggling to grasp academics due to constrained physical movement, Ritu got into a better mental space due to playsheets and is at par with her classmates.
Play sheets keep children engaged during COVID-19 pandemic
While two brothers struggled due to a lack of space, and technological resources, solving playsheets together brought them close and enhanced their problem-solving skills.
Toybank’s Play2Learn Programme has helped me bond with my class, overcome language difficulties, and teach them despite their restlessness, inattentiveness or disinterest in studies.”
Leena Kamble
Teacher, Beed district, MaharashtraFor schools and teachers from small towns, activity-based learning is a privilege. Volunteering with Toybank has shown me that through Play, we can simplify and teach children important life lessons."
Onkar Pande
Volunteer, MumbaiGiven space constraints in Mumbai, Toybank’s approach lets us partner with them to engage with at-risk children playfully."
Nikita Mascarenhas
Executive Director, Morgan Stanley IndiaThe Opentree Foundation News
Physical Play Event for School Children in Mumbai!
Our dedicated intern, Ariaan Bajaj, hosted an incredible physical play event for 350 children at a Kurla school in Mumbai. Along with his classmates, Preet Patel and Kritin Kaushik, they created a morning filled with energy, music, and fun for Grades 5 to 8.
Ariaan designed engaging exercises that placed play at the heart of the event. As a Grade 12 student at Bombay International School, he has been supporting the children for over a year, helping them become stronger, faster, and more resilient.