Toys play a vital role in the development of the child. The development includes creative thinking and practical ability to learn on a play way basis. With the vision of creating Atma Nirbhar Bharat, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the first India Toy Fair 2021. The toy fair was organized virtually from the end of February and extended till the first week of March. Children, teachers, parents, or any general visitor can have easy access to the website theindiatoyfair.in. The event was inaugurated by the Union Minister Of Textiles, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Union Education Minister, respectively. The fest was a huge success where people of all age groups got a chance to learn and explore.
Importance of Toys for Children:
Toys are eminent for the growth of children. They are a very important part of children’s lives as they provide freedom of expression and a brilliant source of entertainment for them. Children often spend a subsequent amount of time playing with their toys, and toys act as their stress reliever. Toys are a child’s first best friend as they help in the development of their creative self and imbibing different social skills in them. The new education policy focused on play way learning and improving psychomotor and cognitive skills in children. The more is learning play-based more is the chance of grasping and understanding. Here again, toys act as a tool to give more understanding with fun and learning as a motto.
What is the India Toy Fair?
The virtual event inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi is the biggest platform where one can have easy accessibility by registering themselves on the website mentioned above. This is the initiative to make Atma Nirbhar Bharat till the year 2022, with the main focus to support the home-grown toy industry emphasizing eco-friendly toys. It also emphasizes boosting the creative thinking capacity of children from nursery to class 12. The first-ever digitally well-defined platform is specially designed to promote made-in Bharat toys, with the vision to promote toy industry growth. This is the sole platform where parents, teachers, students, stakeholders, buyers, sellers, etc., can come in contact together and virtually visit the toy fair. It further aims at recycling and less use of plastic and more use of raw materials. This helps in promoting the Indian lifestyle and culture.
With the brilliant transformation and development in the toy industry, thousands of exhibitors participated in the virtual event. Where almost 30 states and union territories participated and showcased their toys and crafts. From plush toys to science toys, creative toys, toys for toddlers, blocks, puppets, craft toys, electronic toys, puzzles, games, etc., almost all modern toys were included. The aim is to make India the global hub for the manufacturing and supply of toys. This initiative can be a boon to the economy as it will help in exporting toys and extending healthy relations worldwide.
Attractions of the Toy Fest:
The virtual visits and amalgamation of several exhibitors throughout India make this fest a huge success. There is also interesting access to craft demonstrations on traditional toy-making and visits to museums. The government also introduced a National Toy Action Plan to make the toy business a competitive success.
The toy exhibition provides buyers and sellers to contact each other and even widen their knowledge regarding the toys and craftwork of a particular state or region. Visitors can explore the whole exhibition digitally and participate in various events and activities as well. The main aim is to bring in front the Bharatiya culture and ethos. The toys and games from different states represent different mythology and history.
Highlights of the Event:
The event was marked as a huge success and acted as a boon for the toy market industry. The virtual event provides a platform for the manufacturers of various states to come in front and showcase their talents: the history and culture of our country Bharat. The beautiful crafts and demonstration of art facts related to toys and games are displayed digitally. The interest in locals is taken into consideration. Importance is given to the locally available raw materials to make toys more eco-friendly and safe.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision is to benefit the toy export industry and children of all age groups and classes, including children with special needs. The specially designed activities and multisensory toys are the major highlights of the events displayed in Session Hall 1 and Session Hall 2. Various panel discussions and webinars related to craft demonstrations and activities for school-going kids are also organized simultaneously.
Toys and play-based pedagogy:
Various activities and demonstrations are organized virtually to give children a more interesting way of learning by doing. Learning through craft demonstrations and making toys collectively with simple and convenient materials that are easily available. Videos of the practical sessions are made available for parents as well.
NGOs and their Contribution:
There is an online session available that focuses on the supreme importance of playing with toys, and the development which can be seen in each child is taken into consideration. There are prominent speakers from Dost Education, India(NGO) offering brilliant services for underprivileged children.
Toy Clusters:
- The virtual toy fair includes craft demonstrations from day 1 to day 4.
- Channapatna Toy Cluster
- Kondapalli Toy Cluster
- Koppal’s Kinhal Toy Cluster
- Jaipur’s Kathputli Nagar Cluster
- Asharikandi Cluster
- Varanasi Wooden Toy Cluster
- Narsapura Cluster
Electronic Toys and Video Games:
The virtual session on Electronic toys and STEM toys covers the emerging trends of STEM toys and the impact on children. It also focuses on safeguarding Indian brands and their interests. The main focus is to choose from our own country’s manufacturers rather than go for imported toys and brands.
Webinars on Online Video Games:
The online session includes the importance of video games for children. How far it is a boon or bane for children is taken into consideration. How to be a responsible digital game player and how to be a digital citizen, various opportunities, and challenges were explained briefly.
Virtual Tour to Shankar Doll Museum:
The event’s major highlight was the virtual tour to the Shankar Doll Museum, where various kinds of dolls can be explored. The exclusive dolls are beautifully designed, and the collection is phenomenal.
Innovations and Technological Upgradations in Toys and Games:
Several prominent speakers came in front to explain the new designs and innovations in the toy industry. The toys’ designs and innovations are based on safeguarding the interest of the children.
Virtual visit toy Manufacturing Unit:
This activity takes the visitors to the virtual field trip organized to showcase the journey from the manufacturing unit to the finished and final completion of the toy orders.
Importance of wooden toys:
The session includes the importance of the Indian heritage of producing wooden toys that are safe and far better than plastic toys, not environment-friendly. These wooden toys are not only eco-friendly but also nonbreakable and made up of superior quality.
Puppetry Show:
The key speakers talked about the importance of puppetry shows designed to imbibe interest in children and promote the business of puppetry shows that are not only cultural but also special in promoting Indian heritage.
Use of Textiles:
The webinar showcased the use of textiles to produce toys, basically soft or plush toys that are hygienically safe and environment friendly.
Few More Highlights of the Event:
- Interesting activity on how to make toys on Cinematic theme by Vigyan Ashram.
- Importance of online gaming.
- How to make your musical instruments by Vigyan Ashram.
- Panel discussions on the importance of skill enhancement and Entrepreneurship for promoting India’s Toy industry.
Submit your own toy story:
There is also a brilliant opportunity provided by the government of India where children can submit their own toy story using Indian toys and upload it using the link #mygov on youtube and various social media and have a chance to win many exciting prizes.
Conclusion:
The great India toy fair has been a huge success. It is the great initiation by PM Modi to make India Atmanirbhar Bharat and to choose from our surroundings the best material that should be eco-friendly and does not harm the environment. The aim is to use plastic at a minimum and give the locals a chance to enhance the toy industry growth. Apart from benefiting the Indian toy market, the focus is on developing the child in their growth and learning using toys as a method to experience easy learning interestingly. The play-way method helps in increasing curiosity within the children to learn and explore using toys and games. The introduction of compulsory safety BIS certification for the toy industry from January 2021 onwards is also a great step. It also focused on safeguarding buyers and sellers’ interest, keeping the environment safety as the top priority. The special needs of all the children are always taken into consideration. The initiative also provides the benefit to stop using Chinese toys and products that are cheap but not safe to use.
The benefit is for all is the prime motto of the event. So choose wisely toys that are helpful in conceptual learning and creative visualization.
