Attended by Mrs Pooja Guglani, Junior School
The benefits of play in terms of cognitive, physical, social and emotional well-being and development is unparalleled.
Play not only allows children to use their creativity but also develop critical thinking and problem solving skills while boosting their imagination, dexterity and emotional strength.
On the 12th of February 2020, a Seminar on ‘Value of Play and Importance of Toys and Games for Child Development’ was organised by FICCI in Federation House, Delhi.
Mrs Pooja Guglani along with four students of Class 2 from the Junior Wing attended the seminar.
It was a platform where renowned educationist, school teachers, representatives from NGOs and toy manufacturing companies like Hasbro, Lego, Mattel and Hamleys came together under one roof to discuss the importance of play and the role of toys in the lives of children.
The inaugural session had a special address by Sushri Debasree Chaudhuri, Hon’ble Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Government of India, who was welcomed by Mr Vivek Jhangiani, Chairperson , FICCI Toy Sector Committee. The esteemed minister emphasised that play and learning go hand in hand as play helps children to implement and put into practice what they have learnt. While tracing the roots and importance of play in the context of Indian tradition, she reflected on the social and cultural values attached to toys. She pointed out how even at the grassroot level, the Central and State governments are focusing on incorporating toys and tools to engage children during learning in Anganwadis.
The special address was followed by a session by Ms Shweta Chari, Founder, Toybank India on ‘ Why Play needs to be Mainstreamed?’.
Toybank, an initiative under The Opentree Foundation is an organization in India that promotes the ‘Right to Play’ for all children. It provides a platform to all individuals from all ages to participate in this movement of propagating the Right to Childhood. Ms Chari shared how Toybank has successfully made toys and board games available to underprivileged children through distributions and the setting up of toy libraries called Play Centers.
This was followed by a panel discussion on ‘Relevance of Toys and Games in today’s generation’ chaired by Dr. Shayama Chona, Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Founder, Tamana Association.
This session helped in understanding the various ways of creating areas(residential and in schools) into playful communities, so children can work, learn, play well and acquire creative and cognitive skills for the 21st Century. Views were expressed and exchanged on how there is a pertinent need for physical and social play in current times when children are becoming addicted to the screen. Conclusions were drawn about how the focus on play has to be brought to fore to develop and rekindle the curiosity and fun element which is vital to learning.
The final session of the day was chaired by Ms Manmeet Nanda, Joint Secretary, DPIIT and Mr Vivek Jhangiani, Chairman, FICCI Toy Sector Committee. The session discussions looked into toy safety and the practice of ensuring that toys, especially those made for children, are safe as per the government set safety standards. The toy sector manufacturers discussed the importance of quality control checks and conforming to the highest standards for selection of material and manufacturing.
The participants drew significant insights about the role and value of play in the lives of children and how it can further be emphasised with the use of child friendly toys and games.
The seminar also targeted selected students from various schools who were invited to participate in different game challenges involving a variety of toys and games. The students had a fun filled experience participating in different games and activities organised by renowned toy manufacturing companies like Lego, Mattel, etc.
Overall it was an enriching session both for the teachers and the students who participated in this day long seminar.
