When learning is a new adventure everyday

Somedays I wish the twins were toddlers again and it’s not only because their tweens are proving to be tougher than their toddler days ever were. This feeling was brought on the other day when I was at the inauguration of a play school, Safari Kid at Koregaon park, Pune.

The thought that has gone into making the play school not just child friendly but mom friendly as well, is amazing. As I went from room to room, (I cannot call them ‘classrooms’ at all because they just aren’t that, not in the traditional sense at least) I found myself going from ‘aww’ and ‘how cute’ to being seriously impressed.

Safari Kid is a chain of play schools that has made its way all the way from Silicon Valley to Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune in India. This is its second centre in the city. There’s lots to like here and you can go to their website for more on it.

A Glocal approach to learning

What I liked best is the principle of bringing in global ideas and modifying them to suit local culture. For instance along with Hindi and English children are given an exposure to languages like Spanish and our good old Marathi. The idea is not to drown them in coursework, they’re just 2 to 5 years old, remember? However, children pick up way more in their earlier years, simply by being exposed to new experiences – and that’s the idea Safari Kid is working with.

Because each child is different

As a mom to twins I know how very different two children can be. I’ve written about it often enough. That’s why, when I was looking for a school for the twins one of the major criteria was the number of children in their class. That’s another thing I loved about Safari Kid. They have not more than 16 children in each class with the teacher-student ratio at 1:2 for the infants (under 1), 1: 6 for children under two years old and 1:8 for the 2-6yrs age group. This allows them to work with each child as an individual, tailoring the teaching to each little one’s pace and style.

Building potential leaders

A lot of play schools these days serve as mere preparatory classes for when the children move on to the ‘big’ school. At Safari Kid, that happens automatically while the focus remains on his long term personality enhancement. For instance there’s a little podium where children learn to make presentations. Standing up there and talking about something as simple as ‘my favourite colour’ or ‘my favourite toy’ helps rid them of self-consciousness and makes them comfortable with public speaking, encouraging potential leaders.

For the Creative Child

Oh and if you thought it was all about reading and languages and presentations, you must visit the Art Room. I fell in love with the tiny easels and the colourful array of paints. I can completely imagine children spending hours messing about and refusing to come out of there.

And there’s more..

There’s a delightful indoor play area where children can climb and slide when they feel like a break. Take a look.

There’s space for the very tiniest ones – a Sensory Room where they can touch and feel and play along with their mums.

I got talking to some of the moms and they seemed to trust Safari Kid implicitly with their children. That’s should be enough recommendation for any parent.

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Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. The views, however, are my own.

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22 Replies to “When learning is a new adventure everyday”

  1. There seems to be a revolution coming about in the parents and what they expect for the education of their kids – such initiatives are great as they seem to focus on actual learning for each child as an individual and not by mindless mugging of chapters!

  2. Oh this does seem very delightful. I love the idea of making presentations – how I wish I had that exposure as a kid as to date I am nervous about public speaking!!

    1. Tell me about it! I learnt when I was doing my MBA and still am nervous as hell. I end up talking too fast each time I have to say something in public. This new generation, however, is way more prepared.

  3. This is very much like D’s classrooms here. Good to know that the idea has now taken root and is spreading fast in India as well. 🙂

  4. Safari Kid seems to provide an learning experience in a fun and adventurous environment to meet the child’s physical, social, emotional and cognitive skills, early on. Sounds great!

  5. Omg I wanna be a kid again. Too bad we never had anything like this when we were growing up. I would have loved spending my time painting and in that sensor room. It’s wonderful to see how innovative learning has become now.

  6. Such a gorgeous place and the kids would love it for sure! Our Army Unit is in Pune and I’m sure the ladies would love this little place. Thank you 🙂

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