A neat concept to teach concepts

Updated on: Thursday, December 29, 2011

“If you ask a first grader in my class how he can produce light, he will tell you to rub two stones together to see the light. He is trying to explain the concept of heat,” explains Nagalakshmi Vijaykumar, a Curiokids science workshop conductor.

Yes, December is that time of year when schools close for winter vacations and for those who have not planned their holiday, workshops are the next best thing, if not the best.

Be it creative skills, story telling sessions, theatre workshops or even science workshops, a wide range of activities are available to keep kids engrossed and entertained at play schools in the city.
“Our theme is ‘five senses.’ We design activities and games to indulge the kids. The idea is to make them understand concepts through interesting sessions,” says Sapna Dugar, of ‘Worldly Wise.’

If you thought it’s just about highlighting the concept of one particular subject then you’d be mistaken. Meet Nataraj, who is conducting ‘Claymation’, a workshop that involves creating animation with shapes made from clay.

He says, “We get children to write a story and create characters. Then, they shape characters out of clay; we record the movements on a camcorder and then play in on the computer. In our next session, which is tomorrow, we will teach the kids animation techniques. And all the activities are done by the kids themselves.”

Unlike regular classes, kids look forward to such workshops. N. Hemant, a 15-year-old says, “It’s more like a fun outing than a class, thanks to the creative ways that are used to help us understand various concepts.”

Nagalakshmi sums up, “We designed this format of the workshop when we actually wanted our own kids to attend one. The aim is to make sure the child understands the concepts rather than mechanically follow the steps.”

So if you’re sticking around in the city this holiday season, and wondering how to engage your child, you know where to go!

A neat concept to teach concepts

More Education news