A citywide invitation to reclaim play, joy, and imagination

Bachpan Manao presents BM in a Box — a citywide invitation to reclaim childhood! 

As Bengaluru prepares to celebrate Makkala Hubba (January 16–25, 2026), BM in a Box brings play, stories, art, and imagination to every corner of Bengaluru. From parks to metro stations, schoolyards to hospital waiting rooms — every space can become a playground for laughter, creativity, and connection.

From December 1, 2025 to January 15, 2026, we invite schools, anganwadis, community groups, RWA’s, organisations, and individuals across Bengaluru to host your own ‘BM in a Box’ – a joyful series of micro-events that bring play, storytelling, and creativity into everyday spaces.

Download the Makkala Hubba Brochure:
👉 Brochure PDF

What Is BM in a Box?

BM in a Box is a co-created digital playbook for joy and connection designed to help anyone host a small, meaningful celebration for children. The Box includes:

• 1 simple guide on how to host a BM in a Box event
• 8 childhood themes (“Bachpan is GR8”)
• 32+ activity ideas across age groups (0–3, 3–6, 6+) – A curated mix of activities, stories, poems, lullabies, games, and playful prompts
• A directory of artists, storytellers, musicians, and resource persons
• Printable décor, materials, and giveaways to make spaces vibrant
• Guidelines on safety, inclusion, and care for every child

Download the BM in a Box Brochure:
👉 Brochure PDF

View the BM in a Box Playbook:
👉 BM in a Box Playbook

Download Event Kit (includes Printables):
👉 BM Event Kit

Why Host a BM in a Box Event?

Because childhood thrives when communities come together. By hosting even a micre-event — with 5 children or 50 — you help:

• Bring everyday play into public space
• Create more opportunities that celebrate children’s creativity, curiosity, and imagination
• Create safe, connected spaces for children and carers
• A sense of belonging and celebration in your neighbourhood
• A collective, citywide movement that centres the early years leading to Makkala Hubba 2026

Together, we aim to create:

• 15,000+ participants
• 100+ micro-events
• 20+ ecosystem and institutional partners
• One citywide movement of care

Download the BM in a Box Brochure:
👉 Brochure PDF

Who Can Host?

Anyone who cares about childhood:

• RWAs and neighbourhood groups
• Schools & preschools
• Anganwadis
• Community centres
• Libraries & cafés
• NGOs & civil society organisations
• Offices, hospitals, studios
• Individuals, parents, grandparents, youth groups

If you have a safe space and a willing heart, you can host.
There is no minimum requirement.

Play does not need big resources — just attention and care.

Where Can You Host?

Anywhere children and carers can gather safely:

• Parks, playgrounds, terraces
• School classrooms or halls
• Libraries, cafés, courtyards
• Anganwadis, community rooms
• Offices or lobbies
• Homes and apartment spaces

Small spaces are wonderful. Large spaces are welcome. The Playbook explicitly encourages using everyday spaces like waiting rooms, schoolyards, and public parks.

The goal is joy, not scale.

How to Host a BM in a Box Event

Step 1: Choose a Date & Place

Fix your event date (Dec 1, 2025 –Jan 15, 2026) and select your venue.

Fill this form to register your event (mandatory).

👉 Sign up Form

Step 2: Select Activities / Resources

Choose 2–3 activities (minimum) from the menu based on your age group.
You may also collaborate with in-person resource persons listed in the directory (honorarium ₹5,000/120 min).

View the BM in a Box Playbook:
👉 BM in a Box Playbook

Step 3: Document & Share

Capture photos, quotes, videos using the Documentation Guide. 

Fill the documentation form

👉 Post-Event Documentation Form

OR

Email your documentation to bachpanmanao@gmail.com, include the subject line: “BM in a Box event – [Your Neighbourhood Name]”

What’s Inside the BM in a Box Playbook?

1. The “Bachpan is GR8” Themes

The Playbook is structured around 8 essential elements of childhood:

Each theme includes:

• Benefits for child development
• 4 age-appropriate activity ideas
• Online resources for inspiration
  

View the BM in a Box Playbook:
👉 BM in a Box Playbook

2. Activity Menu (32+ Activities)

Each theme includes activities for:

• 0–3 years
• 3–6 years
• 6+ years

Examples include:

• Peek-a-boo, Walk Like an Animal (Play)
• Lullabies, Sock Puppets (Social Bonding)
• Scavenger Hunt, Sort Vegetables (All-round Skills)
• Read-Alouds, Story Circles, Story Baskets (Stories)
• Nature Walks, Gardening (Nature)
• Quiet Time (“Nothing!” — letting children just be)

3. In-Person Resource Directory

A curated list of artists, storytellers, naturalists, and facilitators across Bengaluru, offering sessions such as:

• Deconstructive Play with cardboard
• Bana Trails (nature exploration)
• Upcycling / creative making
• Crochet workshops
• Cyanotype art
• Storytelling & imagination clubs
• Drumming (Tamate)

Honorarium: ₹5,000 for 120 minutes, paid directly to the facilitator.

View the BM in a Box Playbook:
👉 BM in a Box Playbook

4. Printables & Event Kit

The Playbook includes:

• Logo, characters, silhouettes, frames
• Buntings and Bachpan Manao Zone banner
• Stickers, bookmarks, notebooks
• Pinwheel activity
• DIY bunting activity

For in-person events: print Buntings + BM Zone Banner. 

For social media: use logo, characters, silhouettes, frames.

Do not crop, stretch, recolour, or distort the logo.

Download Event Kit (includes Printables):
👉 BM Event Kit

5. Other Collaterals

You may also use:

• Bachpan Manao film
• Bachpan Manao Songs – Bachpan Mana and Bachpan is Gr8
• Animated BM logo

Download Event Kit (includes Digital Assets):
👉 BM Event Kit

6. Facilitator’s Guide

The Playbook emphasises:

• Child at the centre
• Safe, inclusive, accessible spaces
• Local context adaptability
• Eco-friendly, reuse-based materials
• Portrait-mode photo capture
• Joyful, light, and playful facilitation
• Consent before photographing children

7. Documentation Guide

• What to capture
• Submission requirements
• Sharing on Instagram
• Upload & Submission

Host Support

As an ecosystem partner, you may also request:

• Co-hosting support or artist pairings
• BM in a Box printables pack
• A spotlight feature on the Bachpan Manao social media channels

To explore deeper partnership opportunities, write to:
👉 bachpanmanao@gmail.com

FAQs

Do we need prior experience working with children?
No. The playbook is simple and designed for anyone to use.

Is there a fee to host?
No. BM in a Box is freely available for community use.

Can we host multiple events?
Yes! Some partners plan 2–4 sessions across the season.

Can corporates sponsor Boxes for communities?
Yes. You can “Gift a Box” to a school, NGO, or neighbourhood. Write to us at bachpanmanao@gmail.com with the subject line “Gift BM in a Box”.

Join the Citywide Movement of Care

BM in a Box is more than an event — it’s a shared invitation to see childhood with fresh eyes, and celebrate the wonder children bring into our world.

We can’t wait to see what you create in your neighbourhood. 💛

👉 Email: bachpanmanao@gmail.com 

👉 Instagram: @bachpanmanao | @makkala.blr.hubba