Why we Struggle to Design from Observation
We often say we want to center children, to design from their curiosity, to follow their lead. But when we really try, something resists. What makes it so hard? In […]
What Holds Up Childhood: an Installation on Visible & Invisible Care Work
WHAT HOLDS UP CHILDHOOD: An Installation at the Bachpan Manao Sabha At first glance, childhood looks light — a circle of children listening to a story, a burst of laughter […]
UNICEF India’s #HourOfFreePlay Cards
As part of a nationwide effort to promote play in early childhood, UNICEF India, in collaboration with the EkStep Foundation’s Bachpan Manao initiative, developed a set of simple, practical resources for […]
Designing From High Status
“To observe without evaluating is the highest form of intelligence.”— Jiddu Krishnamurti What if we started there? This one’s for anyone building classrooms, tools, or systems for children. We’ve been […]
Bachpan Manao Sabha: A Day of Thought, Story, and Play
Bangalore | 23 May 2025 At its heart, this was a space to think about childhood as it really is: messy, magical, and rooted in what we often overlook. It […]
Celebrating First Songs: Stories, Songs & Early Learning
First Songs – A Lullaby Project is a celebration of the songs we first sing to children — lullabies that carry rhythm, comfort, and early language. As a child’s first […]
The First Songs
First Songs is a growing collection of lullabies in Indian languages—songs that parents, grandparents, and caregivers have sung to little ones for generations. At Bachpan Manao (an initiative of EkStep […]
The Shape of Everyday: Slate Scribbles
Inside a government school building in Anepalya, Bengaluru — tucked into a room off a corridor — sits a quietly functioning Anganwadi centre. The hum is immediate. Not noise. Not […]
What Toy Are You Handing Over—A Doll, or a Worldview?
Toy toy hota hai… toh girls’ toy kya hota hai?” That’s what I asked a shopkeeper once when he asked me if I wanted toys “for boys or for girls.” […]
No Hacks, Just You: What Children Really Need from Parents
I don’t want to talk about what happened in the classroom. I don’t want to talk about children. I want to talk about their caregivers. Because, I held space for […]
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