Children discuss importance of play

An online conference on Thursday highlighted the importance of play among children. ‘Voices of Play’ was hosted by Ekstep, a non-profit from Bengaluru, and Reach India Collective, an alliance of 16 education-based organisations working in remote locations.

According to ‘Bachpan Manao, Badhte Jao’, an initiative by Ekstep, play is important for the cognitive development of children until the age of eight.

‘How Children in India Play’ was the theme of the conference. About
20 children and teenagers shared their views about the changes they would like to see in society. They spoke in four sessions, titled ‘Play for children with disabilities’, ‘Traditional games from a gender perspective’, ‘Play in rural regions’ and ‘Play within urban communities’.

These children are associated with different NGOs across India, such as Umoya Sports, Aatman Academy, Samanta Foundation, and Bhumi.

Rithika Khatri T from Bhumi said, “Elders must understand our need for play and outdoor activities. They should not stop us just because we might get hurt. That is part of playing.” Avinash Shekhar from Aatman Academy added, “It’s important for us to move with time and think of video games as part of play as well.”