Urban Crayon Read online

  >1 Kotla Road, near ITO

  Tel: 011 2326 7961

  Nearest Metro: Central Secretariat

  Timings: Mon to Fri 9 am to 5:30 pm

  Entry: Membership Rs 7; annual fee of Rs 50 for children ages 5 to 12; Rs 100 for ages 12 to 16

  Web: www.nationalbalbhavan.nic.in

  Children’s Heritage Museum

  The Archaeological Survey of India has set up a Heritage Museum for children, the first of its kind, in a building next to the fifteenth century Siri Fort wall in South Delhi. The museum caters to children aged 6 to 18 years, bringing the history of India alive through displays and artifacts. The Past–Present hall has photos of many monuments showing how they have evolved over time. The photos emphasize how important it is to preserve the monuments as some have fallen into disrepair, and to not deface them as some monuments have been photographed with graffiti and posters glued to them. The museum also houses artifacts and antiquities recovered from historical sites all over the country and have on display rare findings by the ASI during their many excavation projects. A guide quizzes children about how well they know their history after the tour.

  >Siri Fort complex

  Timings: Daily 10 am to 6 pm

  The Colour Factory

  The plates and cups at Good Earth will have nothing like the ceramics the kids will produce at The Colour Factory. A range of items from cups, soap dishes, motorcycles, plates and figurines can be painted. The more adventurous can try their hands on the potter’s wheel and create their own knick-knacks. Everything is provided and art work can be left for glazing and picked up in 4 to 5 days. Birthday parties can be held for Rs 300 per person which includes a snack.

  >2nd Flr, Select Citywalk Mall, Press Enclave Road, Saket

  Tel: 011 4059 7515

  Timings: Daily 11 am to 8 pm

  Cost: From Rs 225

  Web: www.thecolourfactory.in/contact.htm

  >120, 1st Flr, DT Mega Mall, DLF

  Tel: 0124 437 0958

  Timings: Mon to Fri 11 am to 8 pm; weekends 11 am to 9 pm

  Crafts Museum

  Crafts Museum, opened in 1956, showcases materials, techniques, designs and traditional crafts from across India. Some of the best artisans from around the country demonstrate their wares in stalls, giving the feel of a typical day in the life of the extraordinarily skilled village people who make their living this way. The museum honours artisans who have kept traditional art alive. The museum has a collection of 20,000 items in all media from across India. Children can assist the artisans if they are so inclined. Great for all ages. The museum shop sells crafts, books and other knick-knacks.

  >Gate No. 2, Bhairon Road, Pragati Maidan

  Tel: 011 2337 1641/1370/1887

  Timings: Tue to Sun 10 am to 5:30 pm; closed on government holidays

  CribRocka Weekend Club

  The name is a bit of a tongue-twister. However, it is quite appropriate as the CribRocka Weekend Club will get kids twisting, shaking, jamming, rockin’ and rollin’ and painting and crafting. Can one club fit so much into a weekend? The answer is a resounding yes. The two-and-a-half-hour activity sessions include various forms of dance including ballet and hip-hop. Kids can also channel their inner Kareena Kapoors or Akshay Kumars by acting in front of a camera. The arts and crafts, bamboo works and math and science activities breed stimulation and creativity. Parents can make this a 2-day affair as on Sundays, the kids can look forward to animal yoga, where they can derive the benefits of yoga through various animal poses. Crouching tiger, hidden dragon anyone? There are also lavish doses of story-telling, puppet making and charades. The activities are appropriate for children ages 3 to 9. Class sizes are kept to 12 to 15 kids.

  >F-40 South Extension Part I, Ground Flr (next to Wills Lifestyle)

  Tel: 99582 01185; 98105 27828

  Timings: Sat and Sun 3 pm to 5:30 pm; during the summer months (May to July) 3 pm to 5 pm. The weekend club may extend into the weekdays. Call for details.

  Entry: Rs 2,800 for a month of activities or a drop-in fee of Rs 700

  Diksha Weekend Classical Workshop

  Forget about hip-hop and bhangra. The Diksha Weekend Classical Workshop offers theatre, music, classical dance, Sanskrit chanting, drawings and paintings for children ages 4 to 14. Children learn from professional artistes.

  >11-B Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Next to RML Hospital Emergency

  Tel: 011 2374 2083

  Timings: Fri and Sat 4 pm to 7:30 pm

  Nearest Metro: Patel Chowk, Rajiv Chowk

  Email: [email protected]

  Flight to nowhere

  Bahadur Chand Gupta, a retired Indian Airlines engineer, helps kids soar without actually taking off. The ‘virtual journeys’ are on a discontinued Airbus 300 he purchased on a whim. It allows passengers to experience sitting on a plane, listening to announcements and receiving in-flight food service. For about Rs 150, ‘passengers’ are shown how to buckle up, served snacks, allowed into the cockpit, given the chance to try on an oxygen mask, and even exit via the emergency slide. The aircraft, located in Dwarka, near the domestic airport, is missing some sections, but still accommodates 170 people.

  >Centre for Civil Aviation Training

  Sector 8, A Block, opposite CRPF camp, Dwarka

  Tel: 011 55 772 2466

  Metro: Dwarka Sector 9

  Timings: Daily 9 am to 2 pm

  Entry: Rs 150

  Web: www.ccat.in/aeroplanet.htm

  Get the Scoop

  One museum that you’ll be begging the kids to leave is Nirula’s Ice Cream Museum. Part of the Noida ice cream factory was converted to celebrate one of the joys of hot summer days. Visitors are greeted by posters of ice cream cones and melted chocolate is painted on the stairs. The wall facing the entrance is a colourful world map with dotted lines and ice cream cones that trace the journey of the frozen dessert through various countries. The museum provides visitors an entertaining mix of ice cream-related facts, trivia and ice cream making action in the mixing room. Children will learn about manufacturing and packaging processes of the more than 15,000 litres of fresh ice cream which Nirula’s produces daily. All of the flavours that are sold in the stores are also displayed on stickers which are framed on various walls. The visit takes about 30 minutes and kids are treated to snacks at the adjacent restaurant afterward. The museum is open twice a week for children between ages 7 and 11. Entry is free but batches of 30 to 40 kids only. Individuals can’t take a tour.

  >C-135 Sector 2, Noida (near the Delhi–Noida border just beyond the DND tollgates)

  Tel: 95 120 244 52607; to confirm time and date call Tulsi Walia at 93133 73 819

  Timings: By appointment only; Tue to Fri

  Habitat Children’s Book Forum

  The Habitat Children’s Book Forum at the India Habitat Centre holds creative writing classes, readings and meet-the-author sessions once a month. Set up by a group of children’s writers, the forum highlights books by Indian authors. Call for details.

  >Habitat World, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Estate

  Tel: 011 2468 2222

  House of Puppets

  From the Mumbai slums featured in Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire to the slums near Shadipur depot on the Dwarka– Indraprastha metro line, absolute gems can be found within these walls. For over 50 years, puppeteers, magicians, acrobats, drummers and dancers have been coming to Kathputli Colony to showcase their art. The colony is named for the Hindi word for wooden puppet. The House of Puppets hosts a puppet show twice a month. From dancing Rajasthani puppets to children on stilts, the show also includes fire eaters and a man who swallows a sword. After seeing the spectacle of the dancers and the magicians, kids definitely won’t mind slumming it.

  >Kathputli Colony, near Shadipur depot

  Tel: Kailash Bhatt 99683 84447

  Timings: 4 pm every second and fourth Saturday

  Entry: Rs 400 per person

  Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust />
  Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust offers workshops on how to create and work with puppets, an art form that has been around in India for more than 3,000 years. Children are taught how to make puppets, create stories around the puppets and sometimes put it all together in a show. The trust also holds performances including staging of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and the Little Blue Planet.

  >India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road; Cambridge School in New Friends Colony among the venues around the city

  Tel: Anurupa Roy 98105 11360

  Timings: Workshops vary, call Ms Roy for details

  Web: www.katkatha.org

  Kite Market

  For those who want to indulge in flights of fancy or become fleet-footed kite runners, go to Lal Kuan kite market to find kites of all shapes, sizes, colours and motifs. Fancy a Spiderman kite? No problem. How about Shah Rukh Khan? It can be had for Rs 100. There are kites that fit every pocketbook with prices ranging from Rs 50 for basic kites to Rs 250 for the more elaborate, aerodynamic varieties. About 15 to 20 stalls sell kites year round, but in ‘kite season’—yes, there’s a kite season that runs from about 1 to 15 August—at least 150 to 200 stalls spring up selling kites of all shapes and sizes. It is a tradition to fly the kites on 15 August, which is Independence day. The most popular kites are the tricolour, which range in price from Rs 15 to Rs 100. Check out Jawahar Kite House or Bishen Chand and Sons, the latter around since the 1930s.

  >Lal Kuan Market, Old Delhi

  Timings: Closed on Sun

  Leap Years School and Activity Centre

  There’s no better way to discover Delhi than by foot. Leap Years School and Activity Centre organizes walks for children ages 4 to 14 through the city’s historical past. Areas covered include Old Delhi, Purana Qila, Tughlaqabad and Sanjay Van. Kids are dropped off and picked up from the school.

  >23 Green Avenue, Vasant Kunj

  Tel: 011 2689 1223

  Timings: Call for timings as activities vary

  Entry: Rs 300 including a small snack

  Mast Monkeys Hobby Classes

  Mast Monkeys Fun and Learning Hobby Classes has a full menu of activities for children from ages 18 months to 18 years old. Activities are geared for specific ages and skill levels. From creating beautiful rangolis, creative writing, arts and crafts, theatre, puppetry, gardening, Bollywood dance and kathak, music and sing-alongs, yoga, tae-kwan-do and magic workshops taught by actual magicians, there are limitless possibilities for the kids. Parents can pay a monthly membership or a drop-in fee.

  >B-518 New Friends Colony

  Tel: Malavida Kaura at 98100 15723

  Timings: Varies, call and mention the activities you are interested in

  Entry: Rs 300 for an activity or Rs 2,000 per month

  National Philatelic Museum

  For laypersons, the National Philatelic Museum, also known as the stamp museum, has an extensive collection of rare stamps. A real treat for stamp enthusiasts is the first stamp issued in India by the Sindh Dak in 1854. There is a lot of information about India’s postal history and all of the stamps issued thus far by the government are on display. There is also a large collection of foreign stamps, first day covers and special cancelations. A sales counter which sells stamps from around the globe can help budding collectors get started.

  >Department of Post, In Dak Bhavan, Sardar Patel Chowk on Parliament Street or Sansad Marg

  Tel: 011 2303 6447

  Timings: Mon to Fri 10 am to 5 pm

  Nearest Metro: Patel Chowk

  Nearby places to eat: Hotel The Park, Hotel Le Meridien, Imperial Hotel, Hotel Inter-Continental, Parikrama Revolving Restaurant, Gaylord, El Rodeo, Bercos, Zen Restaurant, Delhi Darbar, Nizam’s Kathi Kebabs and Standard Restaurant. For snacks and fast foods: Bengali Market (sweets and chat), Kake da hotel (Indian food), Wenger’s, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Domino’s Pizza, Nirula’s, Ruby Tuesday, Sona Rupa, Starbeans, Barista, Café Coffee Day and innumerable roadside food stalls.

  National Rail Museum

  Fun for everyone who has ever ridden a train and those who have not, the National Rail Museum has long retired locomotives from the mid-19th and 20th centuries from all over India. Take a ride on a working train for Rs 10 to see all the trains, and then decide what you want to revisit on foot later. The indoor gallery has models of trains from the Raj era to more recent times, life-like models of English railway officials, crockery, maps and a section for the blind. The Joy Express is also a favourite. The model station sells chips and juice. Green lawns to run on and a bookshop round out the experience.

  >Chanakyapuri

  Tel: 011 2688 0804

  Timings: Tue to Sun 9:30 am to 7:30 pm (April to Sept); Closed on national holidays.

  Entry: Rs 10 for adults; Rs 3 for children. Admission is free on Tue for children under 12.

  Sangeet Natak Akademi

  Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, Do. Sangeet Natak Akademi is a music lover’s delight. India’s first National Academy for music, dance and drama also has a fabulous musical instruments collection. The main gallery of the museum has over 200 musical instruments and an extensive audio-visual archive where kids can listen to various music styles.

  >Rabindra Bhavan, Feroze Shah Road

  Tel: 011 2338 7246

  Metro: Central Secretariat

  Timings: Tue to Sun 9:30 am to 6 pm

  Web: www.sangeetnatak.org

  Yoga

  Om. Om. Om. Yoga isn’t just for adults as one can tell from looking at kids who have now actively taken up the exercise regime. Yoga classes for children emphasize breathing and channeling energy to attain calmness. Children should wear comfortable clothing, carry a water bottle and go to the class on an empty stomach.

  Laughter Yoga

  Regulars are mainly the retired set and stay-at-home wives, but that doesn’t mean young people won’t enjoy an early morning laughing session. The sessions begin around 6 to 6:30 am every day in various parks around the city. Kids will get a kick out of the ‘mobile laugh’ and the politically incorrect ‘Chinese laugh’. Lots of self-appreciation with calls of ‘very good’ after each phase. Soon pretend laughter will turn into real belly-jiggling giggles. Check the Web for a club nearest to your location.

  >Laughter Club of Delhi

  Tel: 011 2721 7164; call for timings and locations

  Web: www.laughteryoga.org

  Mother and Child Yoga

  Keep fit together in a fun interactive hour of movement, stretching and breathing.

  >Mast Monkeys Fun and Learning Hobby Classes

  B-518 New Friends Colony

  Tel: Malavika Kaura 98100 15723

  Timings: 9 am to 10 am

  Entry: Rs 650 per month, call for drop-in rates

  Sivananda

  What a great way for kids to spend a Sunday morning before heading to a fabulous brunch. Children learn the 5 pillars of Sivananda Yoga—asana (proper exercise); pranayam (proper breathing); shavasan (proper relaxation); diet and meditation.

  > Sector 6, behind DAV School, Dwarka

  Tel: 011 4556 6015

  Timings: Sun 10 am to 11:30 am

  Nearest Metro: Dwarka Sector 11

  Entry: Rs 50 per class

  >A-41, Kailash Colony

  Tel: 011 2924 086; 011 2923 0962

  Entry: Rs 50 per class for kids ages 6 to 10

  Timings: Sun 10 am to noon

  Web: www.sivananda.org/delhi

  Weekend Club

  The weekend might actually end up being a proper weekend after all. Sure the kids will still get up at 6 am, though you have to drag them out of bed on school days. Kids can be dropped off at the Weekend Club at Select Citywalk Mall to participate in activities from pottery and T-shirt making, body art, jewellery designing to bouncy castles and a toy train. Live music, though a bit on the LOUD side, plays throughout. Food stalls are in the area selling the typical fare. The activities are appropriate for kids ages 2 and older, though tweens and teens will probably turn their nos
es up at this sort of thing.

  >Kids Fountain Terrace, Level 2, Select Citywalk Mall Press Enclave Road, Saket

  Tel: 99991 19414 (Harpeet Suri)

  Timings: Sat and Sun noon to 10 pm

  Entry: Activities are priced between Rs 50 and Rs 150

  Yoga Studio

  Parents and children alike who have never tried yoga, have become converts due to the excellent instruction by teacher Seema Sondhi at Yoga Studio. Children as young as 18 months are encouraged to improve flexibility and breathing. Some activities involve parent and child or sometimes just the child. Yoga mats are provided. Ideal for children from 18 months old.

  >D-43 Hauz Khas

  Tel: Seema Sondhi 98111 31368

  Timings: Sat 10 am onwards

  Entry: Rs 500 per session; price includes ice cream or another treat for the child.

  Web: www.theyogastudio.info

  Yogalife Studio

  The aim of the classes is to increase energy levels in children and instill calmness through meditation and breathing exercises. The asanas will improve flexibility, and laughter yoga, which is also part of the class, is a fun way to boost immunity and just put the kids in a good mood. Ideal for children ages 6 to 13.

  >C-366 Defence Colony

  Tel: Manoj 98118 63332

  Timings: Conducted per demand, call for timings

  Entry: Rs 250 per class

  Web: www.yogalifestudio.org

  Email: [email protected]

  PLAYGROUND PARADISE

  No. 1: All the entertainment fit for kings, queens, princes

  and princesses at Ambience Mall in Gurgaon.

  When the weather is great in Delhi and a nice breeze is kissing the air, it’s time to get out and get moving to discover the gems in the city that will put a smile on your face and a skip in your step. From well-maintained sports complexes that offer everything from swimming to tennis to teeing off at internationally renowned golf courses; catching the latest flick at movie theatres; enjoying the 3 big Bs of bowling, bungee jumping and ballooning; horse-back riding; going to swimming pools and water parks and getting the thrill of your life at various amusement parks, give museums a rest for the day and rediscover your inner child with your children.