Rising KashmirRising KashmirRising Kashmir
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • News
    • Kashmir
    • City
    • Jammu
    • Politics
  • Health
  • Anchor
  • Features
  • Interview
  • Video
Search

Archives

  • June 2025
  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022

Categories

  • Anchor
  • Breaking
  • Business
  • City
  • Developing Story
  • Editorial
  • Education
  • Features
  • Health
  • Interview
  • Jammu
  • Jammu and Kashmir News
  • Kashmir
  • Kashmir Tourism
  • Kath Bath
  • National
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Top Stories
  • Trending
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • Viewpoint
  • World
© 2022 Foxiz News Network. Ruby Design Company. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Let’s celebrate play – play is learning!
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Rising KashmirRising Kashmir
Font ResizerAa
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • News
  • Health
  • Anchor
  • Features
  • Interview
  • Video
Search
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • News
    • Kashmir
    • City
    • Jammu
    • Politics
  • Health
  • Anchor
  • Features
  • Interview
  • Video
Follow US
© 2024. All Rights Reserved.
Rising Kashmir > Blog > Opinion > Let’s celebrate play – play is learning!
Opinion

Let’s celebrate play – play is learning!

It’s suitable for the child and the child in you

SANJAY KUMAR | SHANKAR MARUWADA
Last updated: July 20, 2024 12:04 am
SANJAY KUMAR | SHANKAR MARUWADA
Published: July 20, 2024
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

It was the launch of Jaadui Pitara (Magic Box) on 20 Feb 2023 by the Hon. Minister of Education, with some children invited on stage to unveil the box. As the children opened the Jaadui Pitara, the teaching-learning material for the foundational stage, they ruffled through the books and flashcards ceremonially. But when their eyes spotted the toys lying underneath, their eyes lit up as they thronged around it like children around a birthday cake. They picked up their favourite toy from the box- a doll, puppet, tambourine- beaming from ear to ear and engrossed in their world, with the stage and ceremony fading into the background. It elicited wonder, curiosity, and joy. The distinguished audience of over five hundred administrators, academicians, and teachers, remembering their childhood, broke into spontaneous applause and beaming smiles.

 

Bright eyes, laughter, giggles, chatter, pitter-patter of tiny feet, and an occasional wail make their way to classrooms across India at the start of the new school year in July 2024-25. Let us celebrate the new learning year by making it welcoming, joyful, and playful for every child. Play is natural for children and a powerful tool for holistic development (physical, socio-emotional, language, cognitive, and cultural). It allows children to be curious, explore, and experiment in a safe, fun, and non-judgmental space.

 

Recently, India and the world marked the UN declared June 11th as International Day of Play, recognizing the importance of play especially for children to thrive to their full potential. India has also stressed on play and has been a pioneer of sorts in institutionalizing it.

 

The National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for the Foundational Stage (NCF-FS), 2022 for the first time envisaged and crafted a curriculum framework for the foundational stage (covering ages 3-8). The core transformative aspect of NCF-FS is “Learn through play, ” giving legitimacy to what is known instinctively: when children play, they learn. Learning is not only when a child is writing. It’s imperative not to force a particular style of learning for there are as many pathways to learning as there are a number of learners. Play includes conversations, storytelling, toys, songs and rhymes, music and movement, arts and crafts, and indoor and outdoor games. This interaction creates an indelible bond amongst students, teachers, parents and community.

 

Historically, play as part of caregiving dates back to the Indus Valley civilization. The civilization lineage is visible in the rich and diverse repertoire of lullabies, children’s stories, games, toys, rhymes and riddles.

 

 

A symbol of the transformative nature of NCF-FS is NCERT’s Jaadui Pitara, released in February 2023. Jaadui Pitara exemplifies content needed in any school for the foundational stage. It is diverse and demonstrates the sensibilities (age-appropriate, sensory experience and local) to be kept in mind while developing such content. The Pitara has toys, games, puzzles, puppets, posters, flashcards, storybooks, playbooks and teacher handbooks. Each toy and play is mapped to a definite learning outcome.Stakeholders across the country have appreciated the transformative teaching-learning materials exemplified in the Jaadui Pitara. Efforts are ongoing by the states to customise the box’s contents for their local context and milieu.

 

Recognizing that we now live in digital era and technology-enabled channels can accelerate and amplify the reach and impact of the Jaadui Pitara, the Ministry of Education launched the e-Jaadui Pitara in February 2024 to complement the physical Jaadui Pitara and democratize access through multiple channels: computer, smart- and feature-phones, television and radio. Caregivers can now interact with virtual assistants, leveraging generative AI, through chat and voice features, to tell stories and ask questions on engaging children in play-learn activities.

 

Several studies on child development and the brain too indicate that play is essential for:

  1. Brain development, especially stimulation of the prefrontal cortex, responsible for attention, problem-solving and regulating social behaviour.
  2. Neuroplasticity orability to form new neural connections, fundamental for learning and adapting throughout life.
  3. Intuitive knowledge, essential for problem solving and decision making in complex and uncertain conditions.

 

Play as a fundamental aspect of parenting in building the foundation for children’s growth and development, from infancy, is underscored by international agencies like UNICEF.

 

During play, children are continuously making choices. They are full of wonder and joy. Play fosters among children: holistic development, creativity, and resilience. For adults, play enhances mental health, cognition and creativity. When parents and caregivers engage children in play, they celebrate play. Let’s celebrate play and help children learn and develop, Bachpan Manao, Badhte Jao.

 

(Article is written by the Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy, Govt of India, Shri Sanjay Kumar, and Mr. Shankar Maruwada, CEO and Co-Founder EkStep Foundation, Bengaluru. Courtesy: PIB)

Fighting Terrorism Together: India Acts, the World Must Follow
Delhi Elections: Shift of Power from AAP to BJP
Ensuring a Safe and Healthy Diwali: Protecting Eyes Amidst the Festivities
Railways: The Engine of New Growth and Development in North-East India
The invaluable contribution of rural women

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Share This Article
Facebook Whatsapp Whatsapp Copy Link Print
Previous Article The Alchemy of Learning: Transforming Knowledge into Wisdom
Next Article Beat the Baldness: Win the battle against male hair loss
Leave a Comment Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Stay Connected

1MFollowersLike
262kFollowersFollow
InstagramFollow
234kSubscribersSubscribe
Google NewsFollow

Latest News

IRGC launches successful missile attack on Major center of Zionist regime’s Mossad spy Agency in Tel Aviv
Developing Story World
June 17, 2025
IndiGo flight makes emergency landing at Nagpur Airport after bomb threat
Breaking National
June 17, 2025
Union Home Secretary chairs review meeting on security preparations for Amarnath Yatra
Developing Story Jammu and Kashmir News
June 17, 2025
Iran’s Senior-Most Military Official Ali Shadmani killed in Israeli Airstrikes
Breaking World
June 17, 2025

Recent Posts

  • IRGC launches successful missile attack on Major center of Zionist regime’s Mossad spy Agency in Tel Aviv
  • IndiGo flight makes emergency landing at Nagpur Airport after bomb threat
  • Union Home Secretary chairs review meeting on security preparations for Amarnath Yatra
  • Iran’s Senior-Most Military Official Ali Shadmani killed in Israeli Airstrikes
  • Road Accident at Srinagar’s Rajbagh Riverfront leaves Two Minors injured 

Recent Comments

  1. Shah on Relief for Employees: J&K Bank Fixes EMI-Credit Mismatch, says JK Bank Chairman
  2. Latif khan on Why Kashmir needs Stronger Private Healthcare and Health Insurance
  3. Sameer farooq mir on Qazi Irfan assumes charge as RTO Kashmir
  4. Captain Vikrama on CM Omar Abdullah hails historic feat as three Kashmiri Girls crack IIT-JEE Advanced
  5. BASHIR AHMAD BHAT on Poor hotel accommodation, lack of medical facilities irk Kashmiri pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, video goes viral

Contact Us

Flat No 7,Press Enclave, Srinagar, 190001
0194 2477887
9971795706
[email protected]
[email protected]

Quick Link

  • E-Paper
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Top Categories

Stay Connected

1.06MLike
262.5kFollow
InstagramFollow
234.3kSubscribe
WhatsAppFollow
Rising KashmirRising Kashmir
Follow US
© 2025. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?