CHILDREN

Playing games in playstations or computers or watching television is the common pass-time activity amongst most children of today’s generation. I wonder if they even know about many other interesting games that one can play in the absence of any equipment or electricity.I chanced upon the website of Kavade - a toy hive, a store in Bangalore which is promoting Indian games such as kavade (cowrie shells), good old tic-tac-toe board game, marble mazes, and puzzles and so on.Glancing at their product list transported my thoughts to the days of my childhood. Back then, fancy toys, action figures, expensive dolls,…

A gust of wind blew over my sleeping body, and promptly and quickly, I jerked up from my lying position and stared at the whirling fan in my room. That was what surprised me as I normally wake up at 7.45 am during summer vacations and don’t budge from my bed till that time, but now it was only 6.00 am and I was awake. And then, it struck me that it wasn’t vacation anymore; school had started and my waking-up-in-the-morning senses were just beginning to develop again. Glad, excited and a little mournful, I headed back to school.The school…

When I was growing up (admittedly a long time ago) summers always meant mangoes, visit to grand mothers' and unlimited play time. But today there is a structure to this blissful summer holidays. 9 am - bollywood dance, 10 am - swimming, 11 am - drawing class, 1 pm - origami class, 2 pm - TV time, 3 pm - classical dance, 4 pm to 6 pm play time. Grand mothers and mangoes struggle to fit into this schedule. This is as much about "structured fun" as it is about keeping children busy all day so the mothers can "relax",…

I met Rahul on my way to the milk booth. He held a half-peeled banana in his hand as he hurried down, his mother close behind him with what looked like a badminton kit. Though the summer vacation had commenced,  Rahul had not visited us for a fortnight, not even for the regular chess competitions the two of us (Rahul and I) have at my home.I saw them again the next day, huffing and puffing their way to the main gate of ourpremises. As the boy boarded a waiting van and Neetu, Rahul's mother, waved at him, I got curious…

Unless you have been living under self-imposed exile, you have probably seen the ads. Bangalore's besieged by banners, hoardings, posters and mailers with your morning newspaper, announcing the vacation inevitable - The Summer Camp.Most camps start early April (April 5th) and continue till the end of the month. Some continue even in May. If you are reluctant to pack them almost as soon as the holidays begin, some also have batches starting from mid-April. Unless the camp aims to teach the child a specific new skill altogether and requires continued attendance, most camps give you the option of enrolling your…

Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE), Bangalore is organizing a free 'Vacation Training Program on Bio-Resources' for students from April 19th to 8th May 2010. Funded by Department of Bio-Technology, Government of India, this program consists of lectures and interactive sessions with eminent scientists and experts in the field of biology and bio-resources, visits to research institutes, orientation to skills required for field-biology and out-door camps. Students who have appeared Class X examination in 2010 from recognized schools in Karnataka are eligible to apply. Application forms can be downloaded from our website. For more details visit http://atree.org/vtp-2010…

Pics: Chitra Iyer. Holy celebrations with friends.Little holi players.Colors and joy.Colour attack.Smears and splashes.Holika‹ › $(document).ready(function(){ $('.carousel .carousel-inner .item').first().attr('class', 'active item');});⊕

About 30 kms from the city, a little off Sarjapur Road is Ananya School, a unique institution for underprivileged children.  Ananya is a part of an effort to bring the benefits of long distance running to its students. Trained electronics engineer and now full time runner, Santhosh Padmanabhan (30) is the brain behind the programme. Padmanabhan is the founder of Runner’s High, a Bangalore-based organisation that aims to promote ultra running and integrate running as an activity into the curriculum of schools for underprivileged children  such as Ananya School. They also coach interested individuals for long distance runs and marathons.…

...to question whyshe needs permissionto answer nature ...to wonder aloudwhy 'adults' oftendiscuss kids' issueswithout consulting them...to inform 'leaders'that their needsare critical too...to remind eldersthat they maybecitizens of tomorrowbut are around now!   Inspired by what I saw and heard from and about the young during the Civil Society Summit 2010, a commemoration and re-examination of 60 years of the Indian Republic and its constitution, held in Bangalore from 24th-26th January. 

 Hardships.Children.Smiles.  Picture by Govind Chakravarti