Toy-makers Meet
2nd April, 2018
April began on a super note for Toybank as Shweta Chari was invited to be the guest speaker at Zephyr’s Toymakers Meet. Zephyr is well known in India as a leading manufacturer of toys and is also a supporter of Toybank’s message of the Power of Play. Many of Zephyr’s games such as Mechanix, Oranges and lemons and Memory skills are used in Toybank Play Centers.
Preluding the talk, The Managing Director of Zephyr toys, Mr Zaheer, highlighted the need of making toys with quality materials and how important it is to Make in India so that we are not engulfed by global economics and neglect the needs of domestic industries especially the Indian Toy industry
Speaking at the forum, Shweta highlighted the reach and need of Toybank’s work and how the country ought to push for policy level change when it comes to access to play for all.
She also questioned the gender discrimination that modern toys tend to promote.
“Why should a kitchen set be only a toy for girls when many of the top chefs in the world are men? Or why should a car be only a boy’s toy when there are so many women engineers today?”
These quips, among others, got the audience of toy distributors and toy manufacturers thinking!
“Why should a kitchen set be only a toy for girls when many of the top chefs in the world are men? Or why should a car be only a boy’s toy when there are so many women engineers today?”
These quips, among others, got the audience of toy distributors and toy manufacturers thinking!
Following on, Madhulika from the Toybank Welfare team shared actual stories of children from Toybank Play centers and how the medium of play changed their perception and attitude towards education and the people around them.
Among the stories, she recalled an incident when children at a particular rural center were very passive and non-responsive despite her best efforts to conduct fun activities. However, upon revealing the board games she had brought along, there was a sudden excited gasp from them. Their listless demeanor had been transformed instantly into enthusiasm by the prospect of play!
Toybank’s work was well appreciated by all gathered with some asking how they could be a part of the change. This was a step forward towards Toybank’s ambitions.
(You too can be a part of the change too. Find out about volunteering opportunities with Toybank) Among the stories, she recalled an incident when children at a particular rural center were very passive and non-responsive despite her best efforts to conduct fun activities. However, upon revealing the board games she had brought along, there was a sudden excited gasp from them. Their listless demeanor had been transformed instantly into enthusiasm by the prospect of play!
Toybank’s work was well appreciated by all gathered with some asking how they could be a part of the change. This was a step forward towards Toybank’s ambitions.
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