The Indian Toy Story This article first appeared in a 2013 issue of Mother & Baby. Toys and playthings are an integral part of any child’s growing years. Both pediatricians and child psychologists agree that playtime is very essential to the development of a child. It is a tutorial for life really. While playing with their toys they take decisions, develop their imagination and enhance their confidence and adaptability. Toys present the world in miniature for kids. Have you had a look at a toy shop recently? They are the replicas of those in any western country. If you want dolls there is the fantastically proportioned Barbie of the golden locks and blue eyes. Of course there is an “Indian Barbie” stuck somewhere in the pile. Even the cute little baby dolls are foreign looking – blond and fair skinned. There just aren’t enough dolls of Indian origin in the market. Then there is the movie and cartoon franchise. There again Disney cartoons and Superheroes like Spiderman wrestle for children’s attention. Even the Holi pichkaries are splattered with these imported mascots. Children would think that the world is like that only. Children grow up surrounded with these toys and they become their point of reference. This way little girls may grow up believing that it is imperative to have fair skin and blond locks to look good. When they look into the mirror and find a remarkably different type of face staring back, they get confused. The manufacturer produces them and shopkeeper sells them for the simple reason that the kids prefer them. India has a rich and vast cultural heritage which can only be kept alive if propagated to our children. Can there be a better medium than toys and games to pass on this great legacy? In India there is a rapidly progressing toy manufacturing industry with a huge investment of over Rs. 1000 million per annum. However, this sector is mostly replicating the toys and ideas doing well in foreign countries. Any particular Indian originality in the toys manufactured by this sector is sorely missing. Of course, there are toys available that follow the Indian ethos and lifestyle. Parents just have to make a little effort to procure them. It’s not that children should not appreciate other cultures. But it is always better if the child grows up surrounded by toys more in line with the atmosphere around. Having a toy based on indigenous themes is beneficial as they are simple and kids identify with then easily. There is a harmony between the toys and the local ethnic spirit as they are created in the regional context. The range is immense -from the colourful puppets depicting the tales of warriors and queens in Rajasthan to a wrestler in action in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. Many Indian traditional games are people’s games which require two or more people to play. This encourages the child to spend time with family members and friends promoting social bonding.
Look for the toys made of natural material like wood bamboo with natural dyes and colours. This way there is no fear of toxicity like in the case of some Chinese toys that have been made with toxic substances. Slowly a marked influence of Hindi films is also appearing in the toys. More and more Indian mythological character based cartoons and children films are being made and appreciated. My Friend Ganesh, Chota Bhim and Hanumanare a few examples. Toys and other franchise based on them have sprung up in the market. The children have heard these stories sometime or the other and they identify with these characters immediately. Educationists and child development experts also agree that toys which express our rich cultural and traditional values are beneficial for kids, as they reflect the way of living and dressing of the local people. They are very good tools to teach ethical and moral values to children and at the same time make them appreciate the concept of environment friendly activities. “Traditional mela toys, particularly the ones that move or make sounds, were remarkable examples of the creative and thoughtful use of materials. In the process, we also found that many of our simple toys had far more to offer in terms of fun and learning,” says Sudarshan Khanna, Faculty of Industrial Design, National Institute of Design. This phenomenon is spreading around the world too. Software engineer Anindita Sengupta chucks her job with Motorola, Bangalore to join Gween toys after a postgraduate course in ‘Toy & Game Design’ in National Institute of Design. Gween Toys’ first range of 5 toys was launched in USA in June 2011 and received great responses by customers and critics. One of Amanita’s designs – ‘Gwomies’ – received the CII Design Excellence Award in Dec 2011. The designs are manufactured in Channapattana using traditional handicraft methods. Each toy is created with three key components in mind: education, entertainment and eco-friendliness to create innovative toys that inspire children to have fun while learning. Then there is Pallanguzhi – a popular folk game of the South played with tamarind seeds on a foldable board which has two rows of seven cups. This is an excellent way to teach counting in an engaging manner. KAVADE is a niche Toy Hive in Bangalore which strives to promote traditional, value enriched learning through games without moving too far away from nature. Sreeranjini of Kavade Toys says about her toys, “Most of my toys force a child to take decisions and generally think on their feet instead of the mindless whacky toys which give temporary joy and then are forgotten.” The ubiquitous television, movies and videogames bombard our kids with a western outlook. It is essential that we re-visit our treasure chest of traditional games. When the world is looking towards our cultural ethos for guidance, isn’t it time we directed our children towards being proud Indians? Also see more info @ http://www.parentedge.in