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Playing with Nature: A Study on Jenu Kuruba Children

Ksheerasagar

Jenu Kuruba children playing and enjoying with Nature

Background of the study

*Entry to FEDINA*Supervision of Balavikasa*Children – outside the school*Efforts to bring them inside

- Food, slate, playing toys

Follow children’s path…..See wonders

The pattern of tribal settlements- inside the forest- periphery of the forest- near the villages

(Note: Almost all the settlements are attached to forest and surrounded by water streams.)

Person playing with forest-fire flower

Few Examples*Playing with the lion-ant*Bamboo-twist and twirl*Cart from the flower-plant*Writing pictures from halemara*Closing and opening of the petals of the plant*Turning grass*Turning beetle*Various sound from rain-beetle*Sound from the bamboo piece*Gulmohar flower*Baloons from a plant*Flying flower in the air

Child playing with flower which flies in air

Play of children are inseparable to the tribal culture in forest

•Observing animals, birds, butterflies and insects•Climbing the tree, plucking the flowers and fruits•Hunting•Preparing various kinds of traps•Walking alongside of stream

The children playing with nature

• Close relationship is built with nature and child• Creativity and searching is involved in their own area• The availability of playing things depends on the

changing weather and season• The articles are very simple and money is not

involved• The indigenous knowledge on these continue from

generation to generation• It has got folk characteristics

The life of children now

• They play with the ready-made toys• Cost oriented• There is no creativity• Moved away from the forest• Children are content with artificial things,

colours, vision and sounds.

Future of children

• Involve children in building curriculum that is nature-oriented

• The curriculum should focus on the relationship of the children with nature

• The curriculum should also make the child a responsible person in their respective communities