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MAINSTREAMING PLAY Tag
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Tag: MAINSTREAMING PLAY

IMPORTANCE OF PLAYPLAY2LEARN
November 28, 2018

The fun-tastic fiesta

It was a novel experience, filled with light, laughter and learning.

– A Toybank volunteer

All of us, working professionals would perhaps admit to missing our childhood, school and college days. There are multiple reasons for this – but I’m sure it all boils down to the ‘FUN’ element that was predominant in almost every aspect, every activity of those formative years.

I am grateful to Toybank, for taking me back in time and experience the fun and excitement on 24th and 25th of November at their power-packed Fiesta. The venue was lovely, the arrangements – exquisite and the event- let’s just say it was the most fun I’d had in a long, long time.

Day 1 was a charmer. Luke Kenny, the kind and funny human that he is, welcomed the guests and kick-started the event. I was surprised to see young school bands, Amplitude and Poptastic Rockers, singing rock, indie and pop songs for the opening act. They truly rocked the arena with their music and energy. It was a delight to see the kids grooving to music from the 90’s; I stood there, swaying, reliving my childhood through their performance.

The electrifying music performances were followed by a thought provoking conversation between actor Parvin Dabas and filmmaker/activist Nandita Das. They spoke about the role of play in a child’s life, and Das being a mother herself, had some really insightful thoughts to share.

The closing act for the evening was none other than Elvis Presley himself! Siddharth Meghani, India’s only
Elvis Presley impersonator got us all foot-tapping and rock n’ rolling with his melodious Elvis-y voice.

The next day was a spectacle! It began with 2 high school bands, No Feedback and The Sunday Evening Collective playing the blues and some other 90’s hits, and moved on to the long awaited conversation about childhood resilience that was moderated by award-winning author Meghna Pant, with NBA India’s Director Scott Fleming and actor/activist Rahul Bose. Their discussion on the impact of play led to a good understanding of the roles of gender that children are exposed to at an early age. The speakers spoke of equal opportunity, the importance of games and, the seriousness of living a fun childhood.

There was also a Toybank pop – up bazaar on both the days which displayed an array of products one could purchase to support the organisation. These products ranging from mugs, bags, notepads, postcards, accessories, diaries, etc. were creative, spunky and the audience could not get enough of it.

Founder and CEO Shweta Chari, giggled on stage as she expressed her gratitude as well as invited the guests
to join in on Toybank’s mission- to create a safe, playful childhood for all kids, and help them grow and learn
through the medium of fun and play. Toybank’s work is truly inspiring and impactful.

The final act, by Luke Kenny and Band got all of ABACA and its guests onto their feet, singing, sweating and
shouting, “Rock On!”

The event was definitely the best way for me to spend my weekend (Special shout-out to the hospitality and
food partners for their mouth watering food). It was a novel experience, filled with light, laughter and learning.

I look forward to volunteering with Toybank and lending my help to Toybank’s cause in whatever way I can.

EVENTSIMPORTANCE OF PLAYPLAY2LEARN
June 21, 2018

Play Takes Center Stage: Power of Play Championship Highlights

In April 2018, Toybank held the first ever Power of Play Championship. This revolutionary event provided a unique learning and development experience for 80 children from 20 schools across Maharashtra. In addition to providing an enriching experience for children, this event developed skills and sensitivities in teachers, Toybank team members, and volunteers including volunteers from Manavlok’s Masters of Social Work college. Our intention was to cleverly disguise the Power of Play Championship as a competitive event in which children competed against each other in three tasks: playing a game they were familiar with, playing a game which they had to learn on the spot, and completing creative exercise in a team. 

Though the children did complete these tasks, and they were competing, the point of the championship was not to win the most games nor complete the best project; the point of the competition was to support development of well-rounded children.  Children were scored on interpersonal and problem-solving skills– enthusiasm, politeness, attitude, and strategy, were only some of the characteristics which these children were scored on. 
 
After the children had finished the first two sessions (playing a game they were familiar with, and learning a new game), we revealed the secret behind the scoring system.When the children as well as their instructors were informed of the alternative goals of the Power of Play Championship, everyone involved learned valuable lessons.  The children learned that patience, kindness, and an open and creative mind are often more important to success than winning is. Those of us who had the privilege of observing the children got the chance to see clearly how play can develop the mind of a child beyond teaching him or her curriculum subjects. 

The third session, which was a collaborative creative project, reinforced the concept that play is valuable in building well-adjusted and successful adults.  Teams of children were given Legos, clay, mechanic sets, and other loose parts to use to build their ideal school or village.

Not only did this project enhance the children’s self-confidence by giving them the chance to express their own opinions concerning their everyday environments, but it also built unique skills which will help the children in their lives to come.  One unexpected, and incredibly beautiful, outcome of this third challenge was that the children were exposed to materials and ideas which they had been unfamiliar with previously; an example of this is that many of the children hadn’t had the chance to play with molding clay before, they explored this material by feeling and even sniffing it! 

Cmpleting this project in groups allowed the children to practice teamwork, collaboration, and communication. The task itself required the children to think critically about the components of a successful community and perhaps, how they see themselves involved in one.

The Power of Play Championship successfully exemplified the impact that play can have on children, their communities, and their futures. Volunteer Reeba George said “There was learning to happening all around; for us, for the teachers, and for the children. You could see the impact.” This statement illustrates the environment which we had hoped to create by providing this unique experience to the communities involved in this event. 

In the end, every participant in the Power of Play Championship left having learned something about ourselves, our field of work, and or the human experience, proving how play has the capacity to encourage growth on an individual level as well as on a larger scale.