Science through games and toys
New Delhi, Jan 11 (India Science Wire): A child enjoys playing with toys, as they
engage child’s senses, and spark their imagination. Most of us remember the
science behind many of those childhood games. Only during the secondary level
of the school, we realized that toy cars function based on potential and kinetic
energy. And while at the Higher Secondary level, we understood the nitty gritty
that by changing the shape of the material, energy is stored and then released as
motion.
The event “Science with Games and Toys” synchronizes well with the 8th edition
of the India International Science Festival (IISF) 2022 on the theme ‘Marching
towards Amrit Kaal with Science, Technology and Innovation’. The event will be
orgnaised at Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), Bhopal,
from January 21-24, 2023. If well received and accepted by the community, it can
be used as a teaching pedagogy leading towards popularization of science among
school students.
In the curtain raiser program, Dr Ajay Sood, the Principal Scientific Advisor to the
Govt. of India, stressed the need to integrate science with our thinking process,
celebrating it as a festival and suggested distributing games and toys in schools. ‘It
will enable the students to learn its technology with a hands-on experience in a
scientific manner,’ said Dr Sood.
Games and toys provide one of the best tools to impart knowledge and learn
science, joyfully and entertainingly. Abacus is one of the best games of learn
mathematics, matching the colour code of a cube enables better hand-eye
coordination. Screwing the key for a monkey to dance or a toy train to roll upon
the tracks helps develop sensory and motor nerves. The traditional Indian toys
worked upon a scientific principle and were not just used for fun purposes but
played an essential role in learning skills. With the advancements in science and
technology, new vistas have opened up for creative and imaginative people to
develop games and toys of a new age.
India has a rich tradition of local toys and has talented and skilled artisans with
expertise in making good toys. Indian toy industries have opportunities to
proliferate in this space. IISF provides a platform to showcase traditional,
innovative, creative, and modern toys by traditional toy makers and new start-ups
in a spirit of vocal for local toys. The program hosts sessions and workshops for
students to motivate the development of mental concentration and logical
thinking and the science behind the development of games and toys.
IISF is a festival to celebrate the achievements of India’s scientific and
technological advancements with students, innovators, artisans, farmers,
industrialists, entrepreneurs, artisans, policy makers, scientists, and technocrats
from India and abroad. Celebrating IISF 2022 during India’s presidency of the G20
Summit gives an additional edge to showcase Indian scientific accomplishments
globally. The activities during the festival will foster the global theme of G20 –
“One Earth, One Family, One Future.”
Engagement of common people with science in a joyful manner is essential for
the healthy, prosperous and meaningful life. Through its creative programs and
activities, IISF provides opportunities to people and the scientific fraternity in the
country and abroad to come together, work together, and experience the joy of
doing science for the well-being of India and humanity.
The India International Science Festival aims to engage the public with science,
celebrate the joy of science, and show how science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM) provide us with the solutions to improve our lives. (India
Science Wire)