Stories Are Not Manufactured—They Emerge
There’s too much emphasis on writing a story, producing it in different formats, and packaging it neatly. But for me, writing is an outcome, not the starting point. Stories don’t begin […]
Not Just a Toy: How Children Befriend Objects
As remembered by Vibha .  My childhood home was filled with little curiosities, trinkets that my father would pick up on his travels. I remember a brass vase from […]
5 Lessons we Learnt from Childhood Unlocked – Celebrating Karnataka’s Journey in Early Childhood Education
In April 2025, Childhood Unlocked brought together over 100 people under one roof in Bengaluru—each one united by a simple but powerful belief: that every child deserves a joyful, playful […]
Hyperlocal Care Economies: The Crucial Role of Context in Early Childhood Development
Care is deeply rooted in specific cultural, social, and economic contexts. This is particularly evident in early childhood development across the Global South, where hyperlocal approaches—tailored to the unique needs […]
What Children Choose and what their choices reveal
Play involves so much; it holds questions, curiosity, choices, and revelations. On this International Day of Play, we find ourselves circling around a particular question: What do children choose when left to […]
When Care Gets Distant: Rethinking Grandparents, Grandkids, and the Missing Middle
“Pehle toh poora ghar bacche ke uthne ka intezaar karta tha. Ab kehte hain—screen time ke dauraan call karo.” — Aaji, Nashik We didn’t start out asking about grandparents. But […]
“Kheloge Kudoge Banoge Lajawab”: A Children’s Manifesto for Play is Born
“Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man.” – Rabindranath Tagore There are moments that sparkle with the pure, unadulterated magic of childhood, moments […]
Stories That Tell Themselves
Great stories aren’t crafted—they’re uncovered. They live quietly around us, waiting patiently to be seen, heard, and felt. The FactorDaily–Bachpan Manao Storytelling Fellowship began with a simple conviction: real stories […]
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 […]
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