Stick to the basics

Storyteller Aashima Mishra will conduct the session

What can you learn from an old woman who outsmarts a forest full of wild animals waiting to devour her? The ability to maintain grit and the power of wit in difficult situations, a lesson that's not just crucial for kids, but also adults, especially this year. And storyteller Aashima Mishra, founder-director of The Story Monkey, will bring this folktale, titled The Old Lady and The Pumpkin, to life during a virtual workshop for children today, using stick puppets.

(From left) Founders Nithya David, Davneva Phira and Anuja Gupta

The session, hosted by Bengaluru-based kids' activity platform Hullabaloo, is aimed at little ones in the age group of three to six years, co-founder Davneva Phira informs us. The platform, founded by Anuja Gupta, Phira and Nithya David, went live earlier this year in January to provide children a space to learn extra-curricular activities such as art, craft, language, music, dance and storytelling, among others, from trained professionals. "We also wanted it to be a space where kids could mingle and interact with each other as nowadays, most of us live in nuclear families. However, post-COVID-19, we have stuck to online sessions only," Phira adds.

Phira elaborates that unlike most Zoom sessions where kids end up staring at the screen for hours, Saturday's session with Mishra promises to be interactive. "It will be a story and activity session. We want to engage the kids, and make them use their minds and hands through this Indian folktale," she says. With the help of stick puppets, voice modulation and interactivity, Mishra hopes to help the participants imagine the jungle, the hungry animals, and in turn, drive home the key message. "Even though the woman is old and frail, and lives in the jungle, she thinks of clever ways to tackle the situation without being fearful. The workshop is designed in a way that kids use their cognitive senses. We don't want to just preach; we want them to use their imagination," the co-founder asserts.

At the end of the 45-minute session, the kids will also learn a new craft. "Kids in this age group like to chat, so we make sure we talk to each of them," she claims. What's next in their line-up? Drawing, musical phonics, and cognitive engagement related activities, along with a Christmas-themed event. Sign up, if you're keen to give your little one a well-deserved break.

On: Today, 11 am
Log on to: insider.in or @hullabaloo.blr1 on Facebook
Cost: Rs 400

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