Some of us have been concerned that in an increasingly globalised world, transnational toys and media are hijacking children's imaginations. The observation is that the culture that comes with such playthings removes children from familiar local contexts, transporting their self-image to imaginary worlds.
Children become insecure, relentless in their pursuit of commercially marketed validifiers (brand names, latest models) and alienated from the concerns of local communities and even the idea of belonging to an ethnic group or nationality.
We try to re-familiarise teachers and parents with traditional toys and introduce them to low cost innovative educational aids by holding exhibitions of resource materials and demonstrating the pedagogical ideas contained in them. We have selected a number of books that also embody these values to show alongside the toys.
The challenge we face is to make play, and thus learning, relevant to the child's setting. The idea is that the child remains somewhat rooted to the material world she moves in, is intrigued by it and feels free to interact with it to learn for herself rather than be dependent on a screen or a readymade product.
The toys we stock are mainly made from organic materials: wood, lacquer, bamboo and cotton fabric and they provide employment to rural crafts persons.
In addition to cultural relevance, these toys have various pedagogical strengths. Particular toys can be used to help children learn scientific principles intuitively, encourage mathematical and strategy-making skills, or boost spatial skills and eye-hand coordination. Besides, some toys encourage fantasy play and story-telling abilities.
The toys have been selected by us over some years and we are always open to new ideas, so do get in touch if you know of any likely toy makers or are one yourself.
The toys on our list are available at our office in Mumbai. The illustrated online catalogue is coming up but till then, you could check out our toy and book lists, cut and paste your own order and mail it to us. We’ll weigh the items, calculate the shipping costs, and inform you of the charges. On getting the amount, we’ll dispatch the parcel to you.
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List of books
List of toys
Enquiry for toys
If you would like us to hold an exhibition of these books and toys in your school, housing society or office or at any conference or festival—any place that people may gather, email us at: cometmediafdn@gmail.com
For more about the producers and the toys they make:
