Play is not always about games. Sometimes it is simply the feeling of wanting to explore something more deeply.
Learning, on the other hand, was expected to look serious.
WHAT I REALISED MUCH LATER
As a child, I loved history and maths.
History never felt difficult to me because I could imagine the people, the leaders, the places, and the events. It felt less like memorising and more like entering a story.
Maths felt exciting because solving problems felt like solving puzzles. I enjoyed arriving at answers mentally and figuring things out step by step.
But physics felt completely different.
Even though there were experiments, a lot of the learning stayed trapped inside textbooks and examples. I could not visualise what was happening. I could not emotionally connect to the process.
And because I could not imagine it, the subject began to feel heavy.
The difference was not intelligence.
The difference was emotional engagement.
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WHAT PLAYFUL LEARNING REALLY MEANS
I think one of the biggest misconceptions about play is that we reduce it to games.
But play is much deeper than that.
Play is the feeling of joyful engagement.
- curious
- alive
- participative
- visual
- hands-on
- emotionally meaningful
If I want to teach my child geography, I may still use the textbook.
But alongside it, I may pull out a map, talk about cultures, discuss festivals, trace landscapes, connect stories to places, and slowly make the learning feel lived instead of memorised.
That, to me, is playful learning.
Play is not about avoiding learning.
It is about helping the mind participate more willingly in the learning process.
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THE BIGGEST MISUNDERSTANDING
I understand why many Indian parents feel cautious when they hear the words “playful learning.”
For generations, marks have represented stability, opportunity, and security.
And even though education is changing, that emotional conditioning runs deep.
But playful learning is not about removing rigor or avoiding academics.
It is about making learning feel alive enough for children to stay curious and keep exploring.
Play is not extra.
It is the emotional infrastructure that makes lifelong learning possible.
Bhakti
Founder, The Lil Kid Co
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ABOUT THE LIL KID CO
The Lil Kid Co designs playful learning tools, storytelling experiences, workshops, and classroom resources that help children learn through curiosity, interaction, and imagination.
We also collaborate with schools, educators, and organisations on:
• playful learning tools
• workshops & engagement programs
• educational content & activity design
• school branding & communication
Website: www.thelilkidco.com
Instagram: @thelilkidco
LinkedIn: Bhakti Doshi Dholakia
If this resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
We'd love to build meaningful learning experiences together.