Nurturing Young Minds Through Play

AFTER EIGHT FRUITFUL YEARS IN THE U.S, WHEN KEERTHI GABRIEL RETURNED TO INDIA, SHE DECIDED TO CREATE A UNIQUE SPACE FOR CHILDREN. AS A PROUD MOTHER OF THREE, SHE DREW INSPIRATION FROM HER OWN KIDS IN SHAPING THE CONCEPT OF TODDLE TOWN.’ LIKE MANY ENTREPRENEURS, KEERTHI FACED SKEPTICISM WHEN SHE DECIDED TO LEAVE HER ESTABLISHED IT CAREER TO PURSUE A GROUNDBREAKING VENTURE IN CHENNAI. HOWEVER, HER UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO PROVIDING CHILDREN WITH A BREAK FROM THE DIGITAL REALM AND NURTURING ESSENTIAL LIFE SKILLS FUELED HER DETERMINATION. RECOGNISING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PRETEND PLAY IN FOSTERING SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, LANGUAGE ACQUISITION, AND CREATIVITY, KEERTHI ENVISIONED THE SPACE AS MORE THAN JUST A PLAY AREA—BUT A GATEWAY TO A HEALTHIER, HAPPIER CHILDHOOD. KEERTHI OPENS UP ABOUT THE GENESIS AND VISION FOR HER DREAM VENTURE

- VINITHA VENKATESHA

"Our concept revolves around creating a miniature world for children. As you stroll down our pathways, you'll notice buildings lining both sides, mirroring the setup we've designed. The aim of this environment is to provide children with an open space for thinking, imagining, and playing, as opposed to simply engaging with toys that produce preset sounds or actions at the push of a button. Our goal is to encourage active engagement of the brain.

The inspiration stemmed from observing children's natural inclination to mimic adults from as early as one year old.

Whether it's imitating how we walk, read newspapers, or cook, children naturally engage in pretend play. In Chennai, traditional play areas mainly focus on activities like jumping and running, lacking the imaginative depth we envisioned for Toddle Town.

One of the challenges we noticed is that many parents hesitate to let their children play freely outdoors due to various concerns, which we believe is unfortunate. Hence, we established this space to provide a safe environment where both children and parents can thrive. Our setup encourages children to think creatively and assist one another.

With features like a small fire station, supermarket, castle, beauty salon, and police station, children engage in pretend play that enhances their gross motor skills," says Keerthi Gabriel.

So what are the other challenges? Challenges come in various forms, and each time presents unique obstacles.