Toybank - Development through Play

How do we build a stronger national case for Play? By grounding it in evidence, shifting narratives, and moving together with collective intent.

This panel brings leaders from policy, design, administration, and social impact to explore what it really takes to put Play on India’s development agenda.

Featuring:
- Anant Bhagwati, Partner, The Bridgespan Group, India
- Ratan Batliboi, RJB-CPL
- Mokshada Patil, IPS
- Sharad N Ughade, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation
- Shweta Chari, The Opentree Foundation

RSVP: https://forms.gle/3KWRsCgu3AZR8WodA

For the full programme schedule: https://shorturl.at/CyUhq
(Registration is compulsory for all attendees, including plus-ones.)

Shweta Chari | Vikram Nerurkar | StudioPOD | IES College of Architecture, Mumbai

How do we strengthen India’s play ecosystem? By grounding it in data, evidence, and lived experience.

This conversation will unveil The Opentree Foundation's latest research: offering fresh insights into how Play shapes children’s holistic development and why a Play-centered approach is essential for India’s future.

Featuring:
- Anant Bhagwati, Partner, The Bridgespan Group, India
- Hanif Shaikh, Assistant Director – Education, Snehalaya
- Vijaya Balaji, Founder, Social Lens; Managing Director, toolbox INDIA Foundation
- Zhooben Bhiwandiwala, Executive Director & CEO, Mahindra Holdings Limited

To secure your spot, please fill the RSVP form: https://forms.gle/jRcNxtchD72Y4yfy7

We’ll continue sharing session highlights through the week: panels, workshops, hackathons, and more. For the full programme schedule, visit: https://shorturl.at/CyUhq

(Registration is compulsory for all attendees, including plus-ones.)

More session highlights coming soon!

How do we make Play a national priority? By coming together. This dialogue explores how aligned vision, shared expertise, and strong partnerships can accelerate change for children across India.

Featuring:
- Ashraf Patel, Co-founder, ComMutiny - The Youth Collective & vartaLeap Coalition
- Nita Luthria Row, Executive Director, Adhyayan Quality Education Foundation
- Deepika Mogilishetty, Chief of Policy & Partnerships, EkStep Foundation
- Kirti Zala, Project Head and CEO, aProCh - a Protagonist in Every Child

To secure your spot, please fill the RSVP form: https://forms.gle/3KWRsCgu3AZR8WodA

We'll continue putting out individual posts for each session this week: panels, workshops, hackathons, and more. For the full programme schedule, visit: https://shorturl.at/CyUhq

(Registration is compulsory for all attendees, including plus-ones.)

More session highlights coming up soon!

How does Play shape our wellbeing?

This session will bring together experts who will explore why Play must be central to holistic health, and how we can design environments that nurture wellbeing for both children and adults.

Featuring:
- Rohit Kumar, CEO, Apni Shala
- Dr. Vidhi Dave (PT), Neuro-Physiotherapist, The House Rehab
- Dr Mahek Uttamchandani, Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Stepping Stones
- Samriti Makkar Midha, Psychotherapist & Co-founder, Equilibrio Advisory LLP

To secure your spot, please fill the RSVP form: https://lnkd.in/dtGSmASF

We'll continue putting out individual posts for each session this week: panels, workshops, hackathons, and more.

For the full programme schedule, visit: https://shorturl.at/CyUhq

(Registration is compulsory for all attendees, including plus-ones.)

More session highlights coming up soon!

What if our everyday spaces invited more joy, curiosity, and connection?

This hands-on, mentor-led hackathon at Play Summit 2025 invites you to reimagine streets, corners, corridors, classrooms, any space, through the lens of Play. Together, you’ll co-create playful interventions that help people slow down, interact, and belong.

Led by an incredible team of practitioners:

- Ankit Bhargava, Co-founder, Sensing Local
- Ruchi Varma, Founder & CEO, HumanQind
- Mahesh Waghdhare, Co-Founder & Director, StudioPOD
- Vani Herlekar, Founder & Director, City Collab

To secure your spot, please fill the RSVP form: https://forms.gle/jRcNxtchD72Y4yfy7

We’re putting out individual posts for each session in the coming week: panels, workshops, hackathons, and more. For the full programme schedule, visit: https://shorturl.at/CyUhq

(Registration is compulsory for all attendees, including plus-ones.)

More session highlights coming up next!

With the Play Summit just two weeks away, we’re opening registrations for our panels, hackathons, workshops — the whole line-up!

And we’re starting with one of our most energising sessions: Everyday Playfulness.

A hands-on, creative hackathon where participants will co-create simple, joyful, and replicable play practices that bring connection and imagination into everyday life.

Led by a powerhouse trio of play champions:

- Aditi Agrawal, Founder, Gudgudee Designs Pvt Ltd
- Mrunal Shah, Founder, Sunday Bricks
- Dr Krishna Kulkarni, Founder, Peas and a Pod

Registrations are now open: https://url-shortener.me/PAY

Save your spot!

A big leap for Play and play-based learning in Maharashtra!

Our Life Skills Play Programme, implemented for many years across Maharashtra’s Latur, Ahilyanagar and Dharashiv districts, has been endorsed and recommended by the Chief Minister’s Office to district officials across the state.

With years of demonstrated impact in rural Maharashtra, this endorsement reaffirms the power of consistent, play-led interventions, especially as the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasises life skills and play-centred, experiential learning.

This recognition is a strong push towards learning that is joyful, meaningful, and future-ready. We are energised and ready to scale our programmes across every district in Maharashtra.

Together, let’s build a future where every child learns through Play.

Play transforms, and the stories proved it.

With over 200 participants joining us from across the world, Rediscovering Play: Stories of Transformation brought together changemakers who shared how play reimagines learning, connects communities, and restores joy.

From redefining early learning in Botswana to reclaiming lost play spaces in England, every story reminded us that our bodies remember joy, and that adults, too, must rediscover play to protect every child’s right to it.

These conversations are just the beginning. Join us as we continue the journey at the Play Summit 2025, themed Finding Play, where we’ll explore how play lives in our classrooms, communities, and everyday moments.

Sign up for our Play Summit 2025: https://shorturl.at/Ai7gZ