Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Fun way to learn

Children can learn while at play, according to Tumble Tots, a British play programme, which is set to start in Chennai

ALL SET FOR THE INDIAN LAUNCH Mike Lim of Tumble Tots

Jack of the "All work and no play" proverb can heave a sigh of relief. He need not find time for play and study. Play can be study. That is one of the founding philosophies of Tumble Tots, a British physical play programme for children. It will be launched in India at Chennai because "the city is nearest to its headquarters in Singapore," says Shankar Santhiram, managing director of the new Tumble Tots India. Also he and the director of Tumble Tots India, V. Suresh Kumar, are from the city.

Besides play, Tumble Tots believes in parents' involvement in bringing up children. "Parents have to spend time with their children to understand them," says Mike Lim, Director, Tumble Tots (Asia). If not the parent, any one who spends time with the child such as grandparents can be part of the classes. Efforts have to be made to strengthen family bonds, which have weakened because of the break-up of joint families and parents finding less time to spend with their children, says Mike. However, parents, exposed to international ideas of parenting, are willing and able to spend money on their children's needs, he says.

Tumble Tots offers programmes for different age groups (6 months to 7 years) — Gymbabes, Tumble Tots and Gymbos. Activities for Gymbabes focus on helping babies use their five senses. For Tumble Tots, the focus is on building body awareness, balancing, agility and finding games of their own, and for Gymbos, the focus is on teamwork. "The programme helps children acquire interpersonal and communication skills, and learn to share," says Mike.

Though the programme was initially started in the U.K. by Bill Cosgrave, a former coach of the British Olympics Gymnastics team, in 1979, today most of its centres are in South East Asia. "People in Asia are willing to spend on children's education," says Shankar. The monthly fee for the programme, which has weekly classes of 45 minutes to one hour duration, is Rs. 900.

ASHA MENON

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail