)
Unmatched Brain Growth
The brain forms over 1 million
connections every second,
developing faster during this
phase than at any other
time in life.
The first 8 years of childhood are known as the ‘Window of Opportunity’.
So what is this window of opportunity? Yes, it is about brain development and neural networks but it goes beyond that.
The foundation of their future, across mental, emotional, social, language & communication and creative development is laid during these golden years.
The science at the heart of this Opportunity
Maximum Flexibility
A young brain adapts
effortlessly to its
environment, making it
much easier to pick up new
habits and skills like
languages.
Foundation for the Future
Early social, emotional, and
language skills create a
strong foundation, setting
them to thrive in life
Timebound Opportunity
A positive approach during
this window (heatlh, safety,
play, and responsive
caregiving) prevent future
developmental gaps that
become much harder to fix
later in life.
Bachpan Manao is an initiative that recognises the first 8 years as a window of early opportunity and the science behind it. It celebrates the potential of joy, learning and growth in this early phase of childhood. Seeded by EkStep Foundation, Bachpan Manao is a growing community of 100+ Collbactors striving to enable and empower the caring adults around the child to create the right environment and engagement so every child can be assured of a holistic childhood experience, which is essential to build foundational life skills. Here are the milestones of Bachpan Manao’s early years….
Year 01 - The year of who
- Launched in September 2023 with a film, a website and 75+ founding organisations
- Grew the Collabactor network to about 100
- Took the launch film to 1,000+ PVR INOX screens across the country, as a public service message through PVR NEST
- Celebrates the first International Day of Play with the Hour of Free Play campaign with UNICEF India, which carried into schools, homes and mothers’ groups
Year 02 - The year of why
- Created awareness about the early opportunity and the science behind it, taking the conversation to a national audience with NDTV
- Highlighted ‘play’ as central to how children learn and relate to the world, inviting parents and creators to #TakeChildhoodsSide and #ChoosePlayEveryday
- Brought collabactors and caregivers together at the first Bachpan Manao Sabha, celebrating collabaction as the force behind the movement
Year 03 - The year of how
- Established ‘Bachpan is Gr8’ as a lens to recognise 8 wonders that enrich childhood and invite caregivers to celebrate and embrace these wonders for and with their child
- Invited a whole city to celebrate childhood, with Makkala Hubba and BM in a Box, as schools, anganwadis, libraries and neighbours hosted celebrations of their own
- Heard from children first: 4,000+ children across 10 states shaped a Voices of Play: National Play Manifesto and book
- Brought the play conversation to a national stage at the Made in Play summit with NDTV
- Presented ‘The Gr8 Toran’ as a physical form of the ‘Bachpan is Gr8’ lens: a gentle reminder of these 8 wonders and a blessing that surrounds the child
Related Resources
Scroll through to explore resources on the childhood opportunity
Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) - Early Years, 2019
Pratham
Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), 2022
Pratham
How Young Mothers have become the Force of Change in the Learning and Growth of our Children
Pratham
Insight Cards
Primalise, Siriti
Moments of Childhood: The Many Ways a Child Grows
Siriti
National Curriculum Framework - Foundational Stage, 2022
Bachpan Manao