RetroGamess children we played games, many of them traditional, that were

more than just fun. These games were designed to imbue us with

logical thinking skills, strategy-building skills, basic math skills and

more. While we learnt sportsmanship, we simultaneously developed

sensory skills, improved our motor skills, and learnt to be alert. These

games sometimes involved chants or songs that remain forever etched in

our memory. Here is a sampling of some games, which young children are

sure to enjoy.

A group of children sit down

and form a circle. One child,

however, is the post man, and

stands behind this circle. She

goes around the circle, swiftly

and noiselessly dropping a

handkerchief behind a child, even

as the other children are singing:

I sent a letter to my father

On the way I dropped it

The postman came and picked it up

And put it in his pocket

Once the handkerchief is dropped, the particular child

behind whom it is dropped, should sense it, get up and

chase the postman around the circle and catch her. If

she fails to realize that the handkerchief is right behind

her, and the postman completes a round, she is ‘out’ and

she becomes the next postman. If she spots the kerchief

but nevertheless fails to catch the escaping postman,

who manages to sit in the vacant spot left by her, she is

‘out’ and becomes the next postman.

A great game that is played on the beach or by the river

bank. Two children play this game. They face each other

with a mound of mud or sand between them. Looking only

at each other’s faces, one child hides a small object like

a shell or stone somewhere in the mound saying Keechu

keechu tambalam, kiya mutti tambalam, machu machu

tambalam, mayya mayya tambalam.

The other child has to correctly find the spot where the

object is hidden by placing his clasped hands, palms down

over the area where he thinks the object is. The child

that has hidden the object then uncovers the rest of the

area to reveal if the guess was right or not.

Keechu keechu tambalam Kerala

Postman, Postman England

13ideas

& 14

Connect with the coreThe deep abdominal musculature and

connected muscles are the primary

posture builders, strength and power

generators and energy enhancers. It

pays to know how to keep them active.

Tell your child to:

INHALE deeply and as he slowly

exhales, tell him to gently contract the

musculature beneath the navel. He will

immediately feel the spinal alignment

changing and the set of his shoulders

altering. Let him stay focused in this

position for a few seconds.

TELL him to extend this while sitting,

standing or lying down and while doing

routine activities like watching TV

or walking.

Balance with nonchalanceBalance is an important physical quality. This exercise

will help your child maintain a

good balance:

ASK your child to walk in a straight

line on the floor, one foot in front of the other.

PLACE a book on his head, tell him to look straight

ahead, and walk normally.

TELL him to stand on one leg with his hands spread

apart. Time how long he can stay without swaying.

Ask him if he feels a difference between the right and

left sides of his body. Tell him to try this with his eyes

closed and observe how his perception changes.

Foster Posture A good posture is dependent on the vertebral column’s strength

and mobility. This activity will help your child adopt a good posture.

Tell her to:

GET on to the floor in a crawling position. Ask her to inhale and

look up, while making a valley with the lower back. Ask her to

exhale and simultaneously tuck chin to the chest and arch the lower

back, into the shape of a hill.

LET her round her shoulders so that the distance between her

shoulder blades increases. Then ask her to draw them back, pulling

them close together.

25ideas

to 27

FOR

AGES

6+

FOR AGES

10+

FOR

AGES

8+

HistoryMystery

istory can be made fun and interesting if your

child is going to be involved in practical activities

relating to the subject and ‘life’ is breathed into it.

Me, Myself & My

FamilyHistory is also about you,

not just kings and queens.

Have you ever wondered

about the lives of your great

grandmothers and fathers,

and did it become too late

to retrieve significant

information about them?

Surely you would want

your child to be aware

of his roots. He will

be interested too,

particularly if he is told

that he got his green

eyes from a paternal

grandaunt and that he had

the same mannerisms as

his maternal grandfather! It

will motivate your child to draw

a family tree when he is told that a remote

uncle in the family was an adventurer and

had a shade of notoriety attached to him! So

inspire him to draw one, and learn more about the family.

Depending on his age, you can either help him with this

exercise, or ask him to do it by himself.

33idea

NISHANTH meNAVYA

KUNALPRIYA

b 2003 b 2009

b 1979 b 1979

m 2000

ASHA VINOD

b 1984b 1982

RAJIV

b 1980

m 2006

MANAV

b 2007

NATHANUSHA

m 1977

SIVAM

m 1978

UMA

b 1957

b 1950 - d 2006

b 1952 b 1958

FOR

AGES

8+

Tech Tonic

Narration www.storynory.com - This is an online treasure-trove

of free audio stories beautifully read by professional

actors. Original stories, poems, fairytales, myths and

histories-you will find them all here. Children of all ages

will soon be hooked on to these stories.

www.kidslearntoblog.com - Blogging is a great way

for children to express their ideas and get involved in

writing. This site is a wonderful resource that provides

the latest information on Internet security and safe

blogging for children below13 years of age.

It teaches children the best ways to blog

and improve their writing skills. It also

provides links to free blogging sites for

children that support and encourage

learning.

www.storyjumper.com - Children

of all ages can script and illustrate

stories, fairy tales or create treasure

maps and calendars on this site. In

short, imagination is the limit. They

can publish their stories on the site

and read stories written by other

children. The site also teaches

your children how to write a story.

Exploration

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/ - The site

is teeming with activities involving animals, science,

crafts and pets for children 6 to 14 years of age.

For the tiny tots, parents can visit http://kidsblogs.

nationalgeographic.com/littlekids/ and help the little ones

navigate the site.

http://kids.discovery.com/ - Discovery Channel’s

website involves children 6 to 12 years of age in

activities ranging from puzzles to quizzes and games

omputers and the digital world fascinate children.

The Internet is teeming with websites catering to

your child’s areas of interest. If your child loves

movies and is curious about filmmaking, help her get

started with the basics of editing with Windows Movie

Maker. You can also download ebooks onto your iPad,

Kindle or other digital devices for easy access to your

child’s favourite books. Have fun visiting the sites.

based on everything under the sun like history, science,

health, machine, people and places.

Space

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/

index.html - If your 6- to 12-year-old child is fascinated by

space and astronauts, this is a site that provides reliable

information on space-related topics, as well as games,

web quests, and even chats with NASA experts. This site

is maintained by the US space agency that sends people

into outer space.

Programming

http://scratch.mit.edu/ - This is an engaging

site for budding programmers. Scratch is a

programming language that allows children

to create their own interactive stories,

animations, games, music, and art -

and share them on

the web.

While engaging in this process,

the children will learn important

mathematical and computational

ideas, learn to think creatively, reason

systematically, and work collaboratively.

It is intended especially for 8- to 16-year-olds, but

younger children can work on Scratch projects with their

parents or older siblings.

Gaming

www.lumosity.com - This site has been designed

to ‘improve your brain health and performance’ with

many interactive games like puzzles, logical thinking

programmes, and memory-building games. It is a

membership-based site, suitable for teens and adults.

35idea

to 39

(INPUTS: CurioKidz)

Matho’magicoes your child fear Math? Games, kits and puzzles

help children think logically, explore the underlying

facts and extend these concepts - all in an

enjoyable manner.

Tic-tac-toe for math maniacsODD OR EVEN

We can play this game using 0s and 1s. Each

player chooses to place either a ‘0’ or a ‘1’ in

each square. The players takes turns placing

their chosen digit in the squares. Before the

start of each game, decide if the winning sum

is odd or even. The first player to achieve it

either horizontally or vertically or diagonally is

the winner.

Example: Odd

Even

Alternatively, use digits 1-9 to form odd or

even combinations.

MAKE 15

The players take turns placing

the numbers 1 to 9 in each of the

squares. The first player to obtain

the sum of 15 using 3 numbers either

horizontally, vertically or diagonally

is the winner.

OTHER VARIATIONS

The same tic-tac-toe can be played

by changing the rules of the game.

Use the numbers from 1 to 9 to

form mathematical equations either

horizontally, vertically or diagonally

to win the game.

Example: 1+3=4 and 4-1=3

This game helps the child practice basic addition and

subtraction.

The same game can be extended by choosing a higher

range of numbers and by using multiplication and

division facts.

1 1

1 1

0 0

0

35

1

0 1

1

0

FOR

AGES

6-8

50idea

3

1

7 5

4

9 5

Don’t throw away the plastic bottles you have at home.

They can serve as pots to keep in your balcony. Make a

coin size hole in the middle of each bottle. Fill the bottles

with manure and mud mixed in equal proportions (you

can get organic fertilizers from any nursery). Fill the

holes by pushing in the seeds of the vegetables you like -

tomato, lady’s finger or brinjal. Water mildly, every day.

Your child will be surprised to see plants growing out of

the little holes. In three weeks, you will have your own

vegetable source.

To feed a family of 4, you will need at least 12

such bottles.

Bottle Garden

FOR AGES

2-4For the

little ones, the obvious fun lies in

watering the plants.

Leaf ArtTAKE a walk in your

neighbourhood.

OBSERVE the sizes, shapes and

colours of the leaves around you.

COLLECT leaves of different

shapes and colours. Place the

leaves between 2 sheets of paper

and weigh them down between

heavy books to dry them out.

CREATE your own leaf art and

use it to make crafts like cards

and book marks.

Nurture Nature53ideas

& 54

FOR

AGES

7+

The fun lies in using

the tools – spades,

rakes and snippers are

always in demand.

I only went out for a walk and finally concluded

to stay on till sun down; for going out, I found

was really going in.

JOHN MUIR

Papier Mache Balloon Puppet

FOR

AGES

10+64idea

Make fun heads and prop them onto sticks or umbrella frames to

make large puppet characters

YOU WILL NEED

Medium sized balloons, Twine/rubber bands, Old newspapers,

Water, Fevicol or Maida paste, Poster paints, Jute rope

HOW TOSOAK torn bits of newspaper in water.

BLOW a balloon to maximum capacity. Secure with a piece of twine

or rubber band. Remove a bit of soaked newspaper from the water

and smear with fevicol.

PASTE it on the balloon. Keep pasting in this manner till the entire

surface is covered leaving a small gap at the secured end of the

balloon. Let the pasted balloon dry completely in the sun.

ADD more such layers over a period of 2-3 days allowing each

layer to dry completely. Deflate the balloon and remove it from the

papier mache shell.

PAINT a face on the shell. For the hair, attach painted

jute rope strings to the head using cellotape.

TO USE AS A PUPPET

INSERT a sturdy stick or an umbrella frame in the

hole in the head.

FOLD a dupatta into two and using a small portion of the

folded end at the top, make a knot around the stick and shell

to secure the head. The dupatta now hangs like a gown around

the stick, but with an opening or slit. Instead of knotting, you

could also pin or stitch the dupatta.

BEFORE a performance, insert one hand under the flowing

dupatta to hold the stick. This hand should not be visible to

the audience.

THRUST the other hand through the dupatta slit and make

hand movements/gestures. Your moving hand has become the

puppet character’s hand and acts out a role.

Papier Mache Balloon Puppet

FOR

AGES

10+64idea

Make fun heads and prop them onto sticks or umbrella frames to

make large puppet characters

YOU WILL NEED

Medium sized balloons, Twine/rubber bands, Old newspapers,

Water, Fevicol or Maida paste, Poster paints, Jute rope

HOW TOSOAK torn bits of newspaper in water.

BLOW a balloon to maximum capacity. Secure with a piece of twine

or rubber band. Remove a bit of soaked newspaper from the water

and smear with fevicol.

PASTE it on the balloon. Keep pasting in this manner till the entire

surface is covered leaving a small gap at the secured end of the

balloon. Let the pasted balloon dry completely in the sun.

ADD more such layers over a period of 2-3 days allowing each

layer to dry completely. Deflate the balloon and remove it from the

papier mache shell.

PAINT a face on the shell. For the hair, attach painted

jute rope strings to the head using cellotape.

TO USE AS A PUPPET

INSERT a sturdy stick or an umbrella frame in the

hole in the head.

FOLD a dupatta into two and using a small portion of the

folded end at the top, make a knot around the stick and shell

to secure the head. The dupatta now hangs like a gown around

the stick, but with an opening or slit. Instead of knotting, you

could also pin or stitch the dupatta.

BEFORE a performance, insert one hand under the flowing

dupatta to hold the stick. This hand should not be visible to

the audience.

THRUST the other hand through the dupatta slit and make

hand movements/gestures. Your moving hand has become the

puppet character’s hand and acts out a role.

Pasta NecklaceFor once, this pasta is not for eating.

Help your little designer fashion her own

necklace with pasta!

YOU WILL NEED

Pasta (Tube), Food Colouring, Zipped bag or pouch, A

string, Scissors

HOW TO

ASK your child to select the pasta that she wants for

the necklace.

TELL her to decide what colours she wants to use.

Divide the pasta accordingly and place in separate zip

locked bags.

IN each bag, have her add 3 to 4 drops of the desired

food colouring.

HAVE her seal the bags and shake them well so that the

pasta is uniformly coloured. Next, have her add a few

drops of vinegar to each bag. Shake the bags well.

NOW open the bags and

leave the pasta to dry

completely.

HAVE her measure and

cut the desired length of

string. She can pass the

string through the pastas

in a pattern and finally

tie the two ends of the

string together. The pasta

necklace is ready to wear!

Designer Forum

T-Shirt PillowYour children will love to cuddle up with this pillow.

YOU WILL NEED

An old T-shirt, Cotton filling, Needle and Thread

HOW TO

TURN the T-shirt inside out.

LET them sew the bottom of the T-shirt.

NOW tell them to sew the arm holes in the same manner.

THEN, turn the shirt back, right side out.

NOW, ask them to stuff the shirt, from the opening at

the collar of the T-shirt, with cotton. Once it has been

stuffed properly, they can sew the collar.

The T-shirt pillow is now ready!

f your child loves to design her own clothes

and accessories and ‘imprint’ her stamp on

them, here are some ideas to trigger her

thinking.

FOR AGES

6+

FOR AGES

8+

65ideas

& 66

71ideas

Li’l ChefC

hildren love to eat their own creations. Why not

allow them to blend their own smoothies or make

fun-shaped sandwiches, or decorate those cookies?

Involve them in tasks that they are able to handle and don’t

worry too much about the mess.

PEEL and cut a variety of fruits such as strawberry, kiwi, banana,

mango, apple and orange. Display in individual attractive

containers.

PLACE a variety of toppings such as flavoured

yoghurt, condensed milk, jams, chocolate sauce,

raisins or nuts in small bowls.

EACH child can be given an individual bowl and

toothpicks to choose her fruits and toppings and

customize her fruit salad. Or have your child

create her own yummy fruit salad and serve the

whole family.

MIX together150g flour, 75g butter at room temperature, 75g sugar and 1

tsp of vanilla essence. Mix in very little milk (1 to 2tsp) if needed, to hold the

dough together.

ROLL out and use cookie cutters to cut out different shapes of dough.

BUTTER a baking tray and place the cut-out shapes on it. Bake in a

preheated oven at 180°C for 14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a

wire rack.

GET creative and decorate with Gems, candies or nuts by using a paste of

10g butter at room temperature and 20g icing sugar.

Traffic Light-Butterfly-Bunny COOKIES (makes 20 small cookies)

Make-your-own- FRUIT SALAD

& 72

The table below matches your answers with a particular parenting style. Circle the answer you have selected for each question. The column with the most circled answers reflects your dominant parenting style.

Question No. Authoritarian Authoritative Indulgent Neglectful

1. a c b d

2. c b a d

3. a c b d

4. c d a b

5. a c b d

6. d c b a

7. c d b a

8. b d a c

9. b c a d

10. a d b c

11. b d c a

12. c b d a

13. b c a d

14. a c d b

You may find that you are somewhere in

between. Or you may congratulate yourself as

you find your style is authoritative. If you find

yourself to be an indulgent or authoritarian

parent, there is no need to panic.

There are many instances where non-

authoritative parents have reared well-adjusted

and happy children. Again, the temperament of

a child may also be a factor in influencing your

parenting style.

Think about what kind of adults you want your

children to become, and make suitable changes

to your style after you have considered all

these factors.

Authoritarian Authoritarian parents expect their children to follow strict rules as they believe in strong discipline. Channels for negotiations are blocked, and if the children break rules, harsh punishments are meted out.

This style of parenting does not take into account the views and wishes of the children, and unwanted child behaviour is severely punished. Such parents would say things like, “Because I say so,” “Because I am your Mom”, or “Because I am your Dad.”It is believed that while children of authoritarian parents often perform well academically, they are at risk of becoming adults with poor social skills and low self-esteem.

Authoritative (or Democratic/Balanced) This is the gold standard of parenting. Authoritative parents lay down the rules or ‘guidelines’ and do so in a democratic fashion, keeping in mind their children’s viewpoints. They also tell children the reasons behind such rules. Such parents are affectionate and engaged, and responsive to the needs of their children. But when the situation demands, they will be strict and adopt a no-nonsense approach.

Such parents will say, “Fine, let us think through this”, “Let us find more acceptable solutions”, or “May be we should talk about it and then decide.” Children of such parents usually: • Are assertive

• Do well at school and are happy • Are kind and responsible • Become independent-thinking adults • Are confident & cooperative

Indulgent (or Permissive) Parents who favour this style love their children so much that they cannot say ‘no’ to anything that their children want. They are unable to set boundaries and believe in having a friendly relationship with their children. They can also be unpredictable and inconsistent in their behaviour towards their children.

Parents will say,“We are best friends” or “I am not her father but her best friend.”

Children of such indulgent parents often have better

social skills and high self-esteem. However, such children may get involved in risky behaviour and do not hold themselves accountable for their behaviour.

NeglectfulParents who adopt this style are uncommunicative and unresponsive to the needs of their children. While they ensure that their children's basic survival needs like food, shelter and education are met, they are not much attached to the parenting experience and abdicate discipline.

According to researchers, children of such parents may experience problems in cognition, emotional skills, attachment, and social skills.

WHAT THE STYLES MEAN

Press and flatten one end of a

straw. Cut diagonally with scissors

on both sides of the flat end to form

a pencil point. This will be the reed

that vibrates to create sound. Blow

hard from the other end to hear

music. TIP: If needed, shorten the

straw size, and flatten it some more.

Experiment!

AS you blow, keep cutting the straw

to shorten it. Observe the change

in pitch.

FOLD the straw and snip out a tiny

portion at the folded end to make

a hole. The hole will help produce

a different sound when your child

blows into the straw. Cut out more

holes along the straw. Open and

close the holes while blowing to hear

different notes.

Word and TunesHave you

noticed that certain words

have a mood of their own?

Sing each word in the pitches

that bring out its character.

Experiment! Try singing the word ANGRY in

a really loud voice with a high

even pitch. Sing happy starting ha with a low pitch and taking ppy to a high pitch. Try sorry

starting with a medium pitch

and taking it to a really low

pitch.

String together 5 such words

which convey different moods

to you and sing them in

appropriate pitches.

86ideas

to 88

Make your own Jal TarangJal Tarang is a classical instrument

which creates music by using water

in china bowls. Here’s how you can

make your own Jal Tarang!

Take 6 to 10 bowls of the same size

and shape, made of porcelain or

glass. Fill the bowls with water at

different levels. Take two pencils

and strike the rims of the bowls

to make different musical notes.

Hear the notes emanating from the

different bowls, and mix and match

to create an interesting tune.

LooneyTunes

Straw Flute

Music produces a

kind of pleasure

which human

nature cannot do without.”

CONFUCIUS

Introduce your child to music.

It can be informal and as

simple as humming a tune

or listening to the sounds of

nature. Let him create his own

music using these ideas.

FOR

AGES

6+

FOR

AGES

8+

(COURTESY: Arvindguptatoys.com)

FOR

AGES

4+

WAYS TO VOLUNTEER Funds for a causeEncourage your children to set aside a

part of their pocket money each month for

a worthy cause. Instead of birthday gifts,

have friends and family gift money for a

charity selected by the child. After a few

months, take out the lump sum and drive

your children to the charity of their choice.

Let them donate the money for causes

close to them - it could be to an orphanage,

a home for the elderly or an organisation

that takes care of wounded stray animals.

Adopt a furry friendNewspapers often carry ads from

organizations putting up stray pups and

kittens for adoption. If your six-year-old

child has been hankering for a furry friend

for quite a while, take her to the animal

shelter and allow her to adopt a stray pup.

The pup gets a home, your child gets a

friend for life! Friends indeedFriendships spring from the most unlikely

places. Your child can be a buddy to

an underprivileged child, mentor a slow

learner or spend valuable time with a

differently-abled child. It is important to

sensitize your children to the needs of

92ideas

to 96

Giving Treehen children volunteer, they get to see how they can actually make a

difference. It fosters in them a sense of gratitude for who they are and

for what they have. Volunteering makes children more responsible - it

teaches them about sharing and caring, hard work and dedication, skills they will

need as adults.

differently-abled children who may

feel intimidated by your

children. This will also

make your children

more responsive

to the needs of

differently-abled children. Lend a handAnother way to volunteer would be

to teach younger children. Your

14-year-old son may want to help

the 8- and 10-year-olds in the

apartment block with their

studies. Or he may want to

read the Ramayana to his

grandmother in the evenings.

If your security person or the

help at home has young children

who need help with studies,

check with your children if they

would like to lend a helping hand.

Share'n'careFind out about environmental

programmes nearby where

your child can volunteer.

Ensure that he is keen

on volunteering; the

spirit of volunteering

is lost if you force

your child to

spend time in such

activities.

Marble CoasterYOU WILL NEED Foam pipe insulation (the one having 3/4-inch diameter works best),

Scissors, Masking tape, 1 Marble, Paper (optional)

HOW TOHELP the child, only if needed, to cut the foam pipe insulation

lengthwise from the middle. The child will have two long strips, or

tracks, for his marble game.

TAPE the two tracks together to double the length of the original

insulation. Be careful before you allow the masking tape to be used

on furniture and walls. Tape can pull paint off the wall or the finish

off a table.

LET the child set up his marble coaster using the pipe and tape.

Encourage him to think about his design. How does it start? Can he

design a loop or a corkscrew? How many turns does it have?

HAVE him test each new curve or loop to see if the marble stays

on the track before he tapes it down. If necessary, he can make

tunnels with paper taped over the top of the track. He can repeat

this step as many times as needed.

NOW he is ready to tape down the track, release his marble and

watch it go!

SCIENCE BEHIND THISThe higher he starts the marble coaster, the more potential or

stored energy the marble will have. If the marble slows halfway up

a loop or hill, he may need to adjust the loop size or hill height to

keep the marble going. The start of the track can be raised to give

the marble more energy or to make the loop smaller. If the marble

falls off the curves or other places, change the angle and tilt of

the track.

(SOURCE: Tech Museum of Innovation, California)

Water WhirlieYOU WILL NEEDSturdy plastic cup, Hole punch or

scissors, String (3 to 4 feet long)

HOW TOHAVE your child punch two holes under the

rim on opposite sides of the cup.

THEN he should lace the string through the

holes and tie the ends together so that

the string forms a handle.

THEN he should fill the cup half way

with water and take the cup outside

where it is okay to splash.

HE should wrap the string handle

securely around the hand. He should

hang his arm down in such a way that

there is six inches of space between the

cup and the ground.

HE should swing the cup back and forth, taking

larger and larger swings every time. Then, he

should try swinging his arm and the cup in a

circle over his head without

slowing down.

HE should try to slow down

without splashing.

SCIENCE BEHIND THISWhen you spin the water-

filled cup in a circle,

you create centripetal

force. When you spin

the cup fast enough, you

create something called

centrifugal force, which

overcomes gravity. That is

why the water does not spill

out when the cup is upside

down. Centrifugal force is

the natural tendency of a

moving object to continue to

move in a straight line.

FOR AGES 8+

TIPIf he

masters the

movement,

the water

will not fall

off the cup!

He can try

doing the

same thing

with a bucket

of water.

In summer,

getting wet

should not be

a problem!

11ideas

& 12