Power of Play Championships 2018
Power of Play Championship · Beed, Maharashtra · July 2018
From our archive: Toybank has since grown into The Opentree Foundation, with Toybank as its flagship play programme.
The Power of Play Championship took the spotlight as the most powerful event held by Toybank this quarter.
Toybank as organisers, Child Action as sponsors and Manavlok as partners joined forces to conduct the inaugural Championship at Manavlok's premises in Beed, Maharashtra, for 100 children from 20 schools.
The Power of Play Championship was much more than just a board game competition. It was about reinforcing the language and importance of play in the lives of children, using play both as a distraction and a learning mechanism.
An important aspect of the event for Toybank was reaching out to stakeholders like teachers, to reiterate what exactly play can achieve. The children were assessed for their enthusiasm, kindness, problem-solving skills, aptitude, strategy and other behavioural parameters — rather than simply winning points.
The winning team was the team that displayed team spirit, empathy and patience across all three sessions of play. While there could only be one winner, all 100 participants learned that play has the power to forge friendships, build communication and showcase talents.
In our journey of impacting the lives of children and championing the right to childhood, Toybank relies on individuals like you to help mobilise games and toys, which play a large role in meeting children's development needs. A simple toy or game has the power to influence a child in the most impressionable years of their life. It is through play that children hone their cognitive, social, physical and emotional skills.
At the time of this event, Toybank reached over 43,000 children through 285 play centres every day — a number that has since grown to more than 200,000 children across 650+ play centres.
"One of the luckiest things that can happen to you in life is, I think, to have a happy childhood."
— Agatha Christie