Background

Childhood is a critical time for exploration, learning and development, but for some children, this period is marked by challenges due to learning difficulties or delays in development. Approximately 1.5-2.5% of children in India experience delays in the development of one or more of the following basic skills: gross motor, fine motor, speech and language, cognitive and socio-emotional development. Such developmental challenges in early childhood can have lasting effects as individuals grow into adults. However, early interventions can help these children to overcome such challenges. 

Research in the fields of cognitive psychology and neuroscience has established certain links between motor skills and cognitive development in children. This relationship has sparked the development of various educational reforms and interventions, focused on the use of tools and activities that improve agility, coordination and cognitive functions. One such strategy is the use of stimulating toys. 

However, even though India is home to 18% of the world’s children, it shares a very small part in the global consumption of toys. Most children in marginalized communities in India grow up without toys, or must play with objects that they find around them. When it comes to children with cognitive challenges, this absence of toys can amount to the loss of corrective tools that would otherwise help them to overcome their developmental challenges. 

Toy Town was established in response to these facts, and hopes to make a difference in the lives of children from underserved communities.