– By Vasudha Arabandi, National Initiatives and Communication Associate
India is a young nation, with a median age of 28. This young nation has over 14 crore children under the age of 6, making it the youngest of the young. As India celebrates Children’s Day today, it aspires for nothing but the best for its children. And the best way to invest in our children’s future is to ensure quality education for them.
85% of brain development happens before the age of 6, which means we need to ensure that children have access to quality early childhood care and education. This quality of education is not measured by what ‘grades’ a 5-year-old is able to achieve, but by whether they are able to meet all developmental domains and are school ready. Which is why we need to ensure that children don’t just learn, but learn effectively.
Every child has the ability to think creatively — in fact, it’s often adults who struggle with it. Children are drawn to play like fish to water. Through curriculums like the National Curriculum for Early Childhood Care and Education – Aadharshila for children aged 3–6 years, and the National Framework for Early Childhood Stimulation 2024 – Navchetna for children aged 0–3 years, we can integrate play with learning.
Learning needs to be fun. In fact, research suggests that when children learn through play, they learn better.. The idea should never be that playtime is from 3 to 4 PM and study time is from 4 to 5 PM. There is so much we can teach children through play — it makes education both engaging and impactful.
By encouraging children to ask questions, explore different perspectives, and make decisions through playful activities, we help them build strong foundations for critical thinking. It’s not just about what they learn, but that they learn to think.
This Children’s Day, let’s remind ourselves that play is not a distraction from learning — it is learning. When children build blocks, tell stories, or pretend to be teachers and doctors, they’re not just having fun; they’re building creativity, developing problem-solving skills, learning empathy, and building confidence. Play is how children make sense of the world around them — it’s their first language of discovery. It is our role to nurture this curiosity by creating spaces that allow children to explore freely, ask questions fearlessly, and learn joyfully. When classrooms are filled with laughter, colour, and imagination, children thrive — not just academically, but emotionally and socially.
On this Children’s Day, let’s pledge to make learning joyful and meaningful for every child, where curiosity is encouraged, creativity is celebrated, and every child feels the freedom to dream. Because when learning begins with joy, it lasts a lifetime.