Building Life-skills for 150,000 children

Key Updates from April 2024 to June 2024:

• Play Workers Unnati Workshop Series:  Ahead of the new academic year, as part of ‘Playworkers Unnati Workshop Series’, Toybank conducted multiple training sessions with the programme outreach team to train the new team members and as refresher training for existing team members. The objective was to prepare and train the outreach team in successfully delivering the programme through the year. The sessions were focused to align Outreach Playworkers (OPWs) to the vision of the organization, which is to bring PLAY-based methodologies into classroom learning, while also understanding how to use Playful approaches in engaging with children. Through these training sessions OPWs were trained to build their capacities in playful facilitation, classroom and behaviour management, communication and volunteer engagement and more.

• On-ground Play2Learn Sessions: Play is the primary way in which children explore a world that is not in their control. Toybank —  Development through Play’s Play2Learn centres are safe spaces for children to explore and engage in developmentally-appropriate play sessions. The play sessions are an hour-long session that start with energisers, fun and movement-based activities and are aimed at starting the session on a joyful note. This is followed by children engaging in carefully-curated and strategically chosen games and play-based materials. Our Programme team members and Play Centre Facilitators (PCFs) support children to understand the games, learn through them, work in groups, help them think independently and more. The play session ends with another energiser, in addition to children sharing what they liked the most about the day’s play session and what they learned. These play sessions are conducted with children between 3 to 13 years at government-aided and government schools, private schools, community centres and childcare institutions.From April 24’ to June 24’, the Programme team members and PCFs conducted 2,153 Play2Learn Sessions across 413 Play Centres in Maharashtra.

• ‘Power of Play’ Workshops for Play Centre Facilitators (PCF): On-ground training sessions were conducted with the school teachers (PCFs) to make them aware and knowledgeable on play-based learning and re-orient them on Toybank's play programme. These training sessions help them understand the impact of developmentally appropriate play on the childhood to adulthood outcomes in children. They are trained on new games and how to effectively use them in classrooms, as part of their daily teaching, in order to build a healthy and stronger student-teacher bond. Our Programme Team conducted four ‘Power of Play’ workshops training 80 Play Centre Facilitators of Maharashtra during this period.

Story of Change: Inspired by Toybank, Class 7 student incorporates play during free periods

Rohit (name changed) is a Class 7 student and attends the MPS CBSE Aziz Baug School in Chembur, Mumbai. He is also the class monitor, who helps maintain discipline when the teacher steps out.

According to Rohit’s peers, he was known for being critical as a monitor and he was also very strict. If he saw someone briefly talking, he would write their names for a remark. This caused the class to feel distant from him and they were annoyed about the constant complaints.

Rohit, too, realised this and decided that he would work on it. The class had been attending play sessions for a while. When Rohit noticed how play could effectively captivate the class and bring joy to everyone, he decided to incorporate similar activities that he learned during the sessions. One day, while he was monitoring the class, he decided to enquire if the class was interested in playing a game involving counting numbers, and all eagerly agreed. He kept directing the activity and discovered that he no longer had to be a supervisor. He was surprised by his classmates' interest in the new method of engaging with each other. This went on for a few weeks during free periods.

When the class was questioned about their perception of Rohit, they said that they enjoyed participating in play while being monitored, as it brought them more joy, and they liked that Rohit took the effort to make the classroom more playful for them.
Even as a Class 7 student, Rohit, who was inspired by play sessions, understood that play itself could help him better connect with his peers. He was able to understand how to engage children and how to channel their energy positively so as to maintain discipline in class.

-Story shared from Aziz Baug Mumbai Public School CBSE, Chembur, Play centre MU. 407.

Thank you for supporting at-risk children’s learning through Play!

As a non-profit that envisions a world where every child is empowered through play, Toybank is creating safe spaces for at-risk children, providing them access to quality play material and mainstreaming its Conscious Play™ approach. Toybank’s play programme helps to develop cognitive abilities along with 21st-century life skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving.

With your continued support, Toybank bolsters its efforts to rebuild childhoods with equity, ensuring our children’s holistic development and mental well-being.