Cheering for Childhood
Bachpan is Gr8 begins with this simple shift in perspective:
Childhood is not lacking. It is abundant. Abundant in curiosity, learning, emotion, imagination, and meaning.
This idea draws inspiration from something the world already understands well — the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs turned vast, complex challenges into clear, memorable goals. Simple symbols. Shared language. Collective action.
Bachpan is Gr8 does the same for early childhood.
It does not ask adults to make childhood a project. Instead, it offers a shared way to notice, value, and protect what already helps childhood thrive.
Making Time for Childhood
The adult world tends to rush childhood.
But children experience childhood as something to be lived fully — not hurried through.
So Bachpan is Gr8 is an invitation to slow down and celebrate childhood across 8 essential areas that matter deeply to children and quietly shape who they become. These areas are everyday experiences that allow childhood to unfold well. They are the wonders of childhood.
The Gr8 Wonders of Childhood
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Play – Play is how children make sense of the world.
Through child-led indoor and outdoor play — games, sports, pretend worlds, building, chasing, inventing — children explore ideas, test limits, solve problems, and discover joy.
Play builds confidence, creativity, and social skills.
It teaches children how to try, fail, and try again.
Play is not a break from learning. It is learning.
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Social Bonding – Children grow through relationships.
Time spent with peers, siblings, grandparents, neighbours, and caregivers builds emotional security and trust. These interactions teach patience, adaptability, and belonging.
Social bonding helps children understand themselves in relation to others.
It is where empathy takes root.
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All-Round Skills – Life skills don’t arrive through instruction alone — they grow through participation.
Helping in the kitchen.
Folding clothes.
Carrying a bag.
Waiting for a turn.
These small, age-appropriate responsibilities build independence, coordination, communication, and confidence. Children learn that they are capable — and that they matter.
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Education – Early education works best when it follows curiosity.
Language, numbers, patterns, questions, and real-life experiences form the foundations of literacy and numeracy. When learning is playful and connected to everyday life, children engage deeply and meaningfully.
Education in early childhood is not about pressure. It is about possibility.
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Creativity – Children are natural creators.
They sing, dance, draw, build, pretend, and imagine without asking for permission. Through music, movement, art, and craft, children express emotions they may not yet have words for.
Creativity builds focus, coordination, confidence, and innovation.
It allows children to explore who they are — and who they could be.
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Stories – Stories help children make sense of the world and all its layers and complexity.
Reading, storytelling, read-alouds, and conversations grow vocabulary, imagination, and cultural understanding. Stories teach empathy — allowing children to step into other lives, situations, contexts and perspectives.
Through stories, children learn that their experiences matter — and that many worlds exist beyond their own.
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Nature – Nature grounds children.
Time with trees, water, open skies, animals, and earth regulates the nervous system and invites sensory exploration. Nature encourages curiosity, calm, and discovery — often without instructions.
Children do not need elaborate setups to connect with nature. They need access. And permission.
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Quiet Time – Stillness is as important as activity.
Moments of rest, daydreaming, and quiet allow children to process experiences, regulate emotions, and develop inner stability. Quiet time builds self-awareness and balance.
In a noisy, fast-moving world, quiet is a gift — not an absence.
Gr8 for Caregivers and Stakeholders too!
Caregivers have many concerns and questions:
What should I focus on beyond food, safety, and school readiness?
How do I know my child is growing well emotionally and socially?
Am I doing enough — or too much?
How do I protect childhood in a competitive, screen-heavy world?
Bachpan is Gr8 offers reassurance – not instructions.
It provides:
- Clarity: These eight areas help bring attention to vital areas of early childhood.
- A Common Language: Parents, teachers, anganwadi workers, health workers, and communities can talk about childhood using shared terms.
- Doable Practices: Each area can be nurtured in small, everyday moments — five or ten minutes at a time.
- Relief from Pressure: The focus shifts from performance to wellbeing.
- Confidence: Caregivers recognise that what they already do — play, talk, rest, connect — counts deeply.
Bachpan is Gr8.
Let’s celebrate these eight.
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