The Wise Blog: Matthieu Ricard

http://www.matthieuricard.org/en/index.php/blog/

Rich in wisdom and so essential for a happy content life.

Kindergarten ideas from Hinduism

Before the East India Company entered India, I wonder what used to be the various activities (predominantly at home) for toddlers and kids below 7 years of age. The activities must have been daily rituals either religious or community-driven or part of festivities, given the large number of festivals or important thithis (days) in one year.

In traditional Andhra culture, these could have been some activities for sure:

1. Music (as cradle rhymes, short songs of nature, land)
2. Poetry recital (introduction to literature, existence of a few 'satakam' for kids - 100 poem set)
3. Moral science - imbibed in the poem sets
4. Mythological stories
5. Panchatantra

(This post is under-research, as and when I find something more, it will be appended).