Varanasi: Academicians, artists and industry experts gathered at Banaras Hindu University for a three-day national conference to discuss how toy design can better emphasise popularity, ingenuity, innovation, ease of use and inclusivity, with the broader aim of drawing children away from screens. The three-day National Conference -‘KREEDA—Knowledge, Recognition & Enhancement through Educational Design and Activity’ beganat BHU on Thursday.The event was organised by BHU’s department of Physical Education in collaboration with the department of Applied Arts, Faculty of Visual Arts (BHU), Aarogya Shiksha Foundation, Krida Bharti Varanasi, TAPESIA Varanasi, The Toy Association of India and Srijan Sanchar. The theme was “Recognition of Toys for Games & Sports: Innovation, Indigenous Knowledge, Physical Literacy and Sustainable Play Ecosystems.”On Friday, Prof Manish Arora, speaking on traditional akhadas and equipment such as the gada and mugdar, said the focus is to revive traditional games and sports that build physical and mental strength and encourage children to return to outdoor play. He added that The Toy Association is exploring the development of toys and games inspired by traditional toys from different regions of India.Inaugurating the conference, BHU vice-chancellor Prof Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi said toys should not be dismissed as trivial and described the toy market as a serious business. He noted that toys and games can also benefit older adults, particularly through word-based and sedentary games that promote mental agility, learning and social interaction.Chaturvedi also stressed the need for research into appropriate, affordable and easy-to-fabricate materials such as wood, plastic, aluminium and newer engineering materials. He observed that traditional wooden-toy production can be time-consuming and called for scalable processes. He pointed to the potential of educational toys in science, engineering and mathematics and urged participants to engage actively in discussions.Padma Shri Dr Rajni Kant, known for promoting Geographical Indication products and supporting artisans, underscored the need to protect and document India’s community-based knowledge and traditional products. He cited GI-linked cultural products and emphasised documenting traditional toys and crafts, saying such toys embody cultural traditions and learning practices. He urged universities to research GI toys, educational toys and traditional games in collaboration with artisans and industry.Dean of the Faculty of Arts Prof Sushma Ghildiyal said play is central to human development but can decline as children grow, making it important to revitalise play rooted in cultural traditions. Referring to NEP 2020, she highlighted the push for activity-based learning and the responsibility of teachers to adopt “toy pedagogy.”Organising secretary Prof BC Kapri highlighted the diversity of India’s traditional games and said KREEDA aims to examine their links with education, culture and Indian knowledge traditions.The conference opened with a short video on the role of toys and games in education, physical literacy, indigenous knowledge, cultural heritage and sustainable play. It features paper and poster presentations, demonstrations of toys and traditional games, workshops and lectures.
