Balasangama 2018

 Annual day long event of Balabharati

 Activities for Kids, Teenagers, Mothers, Fathers, Grand Parents

 Happening at 5 places in Bengaluru in 3rd and 4th week of Nov

 Reinforces the spirit of learning values (Samskar) in a group

environment

 Expression of learnings from the weekly Balabharati activity

Balasangama2018.blogspot.com
 Balasangama 2018

Photos from previous Balasangama programs

Jayanagar Prakhand Balasangama: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1z4xLDs6-eO5SgiSbNHkemU_3fKQCsgFZ

Mahalakshmipuram Prakhand Balasangama: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TgzKokaOn60WpSy2X6-64eNdH2Qgj6fz

Tippasandra Prakhand Balasangama: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1JW1B7C9DGyMiYLvHe3k3noCBx-FMThtW

Balasangama 2018
 Balasangama 2018
Age groups/standard for participating in competitions

Balabharati Age group:

5 years to 11 year age
( maximum up to currently 6th standard studying kids )

Kishore Bharati age group:

boys(Kishore) and girls(Kishori) studying in
7th standard to 10th standard
Balasangama2018.blogspot.com

Registration through
GOOGLE FORM available
under REGISTRATION menu
 Balasangama 2018 – KIDS Shloka recitation

 10 shlokas based on daily life activities to be recited by kids together in the inagural program
 Shloka script and audio available in BALASANGAMA blog ( sample as shown below)
 Practice in such a way that kids sing together in one voice with appropriate gaps for breath
 Link to Shloka page

Audio available in
Balasangama Blog

What unique experience samoohik shloka recitation brings.. Lets ponder !!!
 Balasangama 2018 – Geet spardha for kid
 Select Geet from
 BB Magazine
 Visit the appropriate page in Balasangama Blog  Geetganga.org website
 Any patriotic song sung in schools

 Instruments if any can be played by BB

kid only

 Bhava of the song as expressed by

children (valour/ Bhakti/ karuna etc)

 Song recitation with clarity of words

 Saanghikata ( chorus ) and participation

of children

 Laya / rhythm of everyone in group

(how well the group chorus is )

Examples of Geet can be CHANDAN HAI IS DESH KI MAATI, DESH HAME DETAA  May all kids be encouraged to
HAI SAB KUCH and many such songs published in magazine. paritipate
 Balasangama 2018 – Quiz spardha for kid
 Visit the QUIZ page in Balasangama Blog
What is unique about Balasangama QUIZ
vis-à-vis other quizzing opportunities !!!
!! Lets ponder !!
 Questions and Jan to October 2018 BB
Magazine available in BLOG
 Idea is to encourage kids to learn and
remember.
 Group learning opportunity for kids to
know about our country – culture –
heritage
 Opportunity for parents also to
familiarize themselves with Magazine
contents and help kids through Mock
Quiz

Sample questions: o Identify the spiritual personality - give the picture of a

o Who was the close aid of Kitturu Rani Chennamma who Mahapurush person whose image has come in the
continued to fight the British after Chennamma sacrificed Balabharati Magazine
her life:
 Balasangama 2018 – Ekatmata Procession
 Know about Ekatmata stotra : 170 +
mahapurush parichay
 Visit the Ekatmata procession page in Balasangama Blog
 Shloka will be assigned to each center.
Names of Mahapurush to be distributed
to kids
 Parents to help in preparing simple
constume and alankar that helps the
child to personify that character
 A tableau-like walk through on the
stage as the Ekatmata stotra is sung in
the background
What can be the good effects in
kids in dressing themselves up as
various Mahapurush ..
Lets ponder.

Thoughtful ASSOCIATION with the

vaues lived by them, INSPIRATION
 Balasangama 2018 – Kids Poster exhibition on
OUR BALABHARATI - OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD

 Kids to discuss as a team with shikshikas and ponder about “

How we can explain/show through pictures and phrases about our Balabharati
and what effect it is having in us and in our neighbourhood”
 Identify activities in Balabharati that can be depicted

 Identify events done by Balabharati

 Identify qualities learnt from Balabharati and how it can be expressed
 Encourage kids to discuss how they apply values learnt in Balabharati to the
Family/Society/Country
 This poster is am opportunity for free form expression by Kids as a team.

Whats unique about the poster . . . Made by all kids in one Sheet.. A poster in which many have contributed.. Many
idea. Many colours. Exhibited in Balasangama along with others’ posters. See poster photos from previous
Balasangama exhibitions.
 Balasangama 2018
SKITs on ‘VALUES’ themes
 Can be chosen from any one of
 Balabharati for FAMILY VALUES
 Balabharati for Patriotism
 Balabharati for “CONCERN FOR SOCIETY”
 Balabharati for Positive Health
 Balabharati for Environment

 Values that are typically taught at home & neighbourhood ( can be imagined as in a joint family type environment

 Helps to understand how Balabharati activity can act as a platform to communicate these values to kids through
their own parents, with mainly mothers involved a shikshikas.

 Let the SKIT content be centered around KIDS point of view, what they need to learn, how they need to relate
with the people in their lives, what they need to know about our value system at this age

 The SKIT is a depiction of daily life filled with expressions of values. Let there be simplicity in dressing
up/costumes. Let us avoid hiring costumes from outside. Lets do with whatever items are available at home.
 Balasangama 2018
SKITs on ‘VALUES’ themes - How to Prepare
 Possible points for discussion among parents about the values
 What is the significance of them
 How it gets expressed
 How it is relevant for their future
 From where they can learn these values
 Going through the Balabharati magazine ( may be of the last 10 months )
 Trying to classify the topics according to the above values ( list of topics given in next slide)
 Identifying the various events conducted in our BB center
 Discuss how the content and activities of Balabharati also encourage kids to practice/express the same in Home,
School etc.
 Many Values are taught at school. We can also think how Balabharati helps to encourage and nurture/practice
values in their home and nieghbourhood
 Identify experiences where these values get expressed and creates a happy and satisfying feeling in all in the
family and neighbourhood.
 Let the TAKE AWAY from the skit spell out clearly HOW BALABHARATI ACTIVITY helps kids to imbibe these values
 SKITs on ‘VALUES’ themes - How to Prepare
 Here is a list of THEMES covered in BALABHARATI MAGAZINE thus far

 Can identify TOPICS related to the VALUE THEME chosen at your center for the SKIT
 Can list out ACTIVITIES done at your center and try to classify them by VALUE THEME chosen by your center for the SKIT
 SKITs on ‘VALUES’ themes – Eg: Balabharati for Environment

A typical FLOW of the SKIT could be as follows for a sample titled “Balabharati for Environment”
 Part 1 :
 How important ENVIRONMENT is to us.
 How we related with it. What role does it play in our life
 How in our culture/way of life, we understand and appreciate this relationship
 Part 2:
 What is the reality today
 How environment is getting affected by unreasonable acts of human
 How we have deviated from our way of life which cared for the environment
 Where did we start forgetting our duty and relationship with the society
 How nature reacts and how we experience it today
 Part 3:
 In what ways are we re-learning the values related to ENVIRONMENTthrough Balabharati
 Schools do teach such values, but Balabharati helps to encourage and practice the same in home and
home neighbourhood. Any such examples in our kids lives.
 Through events and programs by Balabharati, how kids expressed these values, individually as well as
collectively. ( Eg. A BB kid giving sampling as return gift in Birth day parties )
 FINAL TAKE AWAY message
 SKITs on ‘VALUES’ themes – Eg: Balabharati for Environment

A Some hints for each part

 Part 1
 Environment to mean Air , water, earth etc
 Earth as MOTHER and we are children of her ( Vedic mantra – Putroaham pruthivya )
 Tulsi, trees worshipped Rivers considered sacred.
 How our heath and happy life depends on ENV.. For example… air to breathe comes from trees which
give oxygen.
 Part 2
 Todays scenario – excessive use of plastic
 Forgotten our relationship with nature. Exploitation – pollution
 Not giving back to nature much - - so many trees cut – but how may we plant ?
 ..and so on ..
 Part 3
 Learning through articles, crafts in Balabharati about the importance of caring for Environment
 Reinforcing and practicing what is learnt at school through BB activity in the neighborhood
 Organized events of BB like tree planting, clay Ganesha making
 How BALABAHRATI encourages to live the values learnt.
 SKITs on ‘VALUES’ themes- some hints
Family values:
• All members in family dining together
• Kids taking care of each other/elders
• Kids helping parents in household chores
• Kids being organized in maintaining their things
• Kids involving in festival celebrations at home
• Kids connect with native place/roots/mother tongue
• … and many more such points can be imagined !!
Environment:
 100% adherence to waste segregation at home
 No food wastage/avoid plastic bags
 Responsible usage of water at home
 Kitchen Gardening/ manusre from kitchen waste
 Worship of Nature in daily life (Sun, Tulsi, Trees )
..and many more can be thought of in each category
Positive health
• Daily vyayam at home/Surya Namaskar
• Readiness to try home remedies for common ailments
• Eating organic food/encouraged to eat veg and fruits
• Importance of physical activity/khel/walking
• Yoga/practising silence/meditation, Bhajans
• Shloka / chants to energize and develop spirit of surrender
• ..and many more such points can be imagined !!
Patriotism:
• Grand parents telling stories of our Nation's heroes to kids
• Having photos of Mahapurush/leaders at home
• Celebrating National Days/festivals at neighbourhood
• Children involving in Swach Bharat Abhiyan
• Celebrating festivals by involving less privileged people- kids
Concern for society:
• Kids helping mother to set a side a portion of rice everyday for
MUSHTI DAAN ( anna seva )
• Kids keeping water in a container for birds to come and drink
• Kids treating maid servants with respect and conversing
• Kids donating books/toys/clothes to less priviledged
 SKITs on ‘VALUES’ themes- some hints

We can also collect and add to the skit

Quotes by famous persons,

Stories/Incidents from Ramayana/Mahabharata, Puranas,

Moral stories

Inspirational incidents in lives of great people

Any practical experience that happened in our families/center/neighbourhood

 Activity Ways to involve Parents and Grandparents in Preparation

Children Quiz Competition a) Fathers can be assigned magazines of few months and conduct mock Quiz in BB sessions.
b) Mock Quiz can be conducted in BB time or by rotation in houses in various children. Takes usually 15 min to conduct a quiz
based on one magazine.

Children Skit Competition
a) Parents or Grandparents can be asked to write skit script in parallel and meet and finalize the content.
b) Some can be assigned for dialogue writing.
c) Some parents can be asked to record the video of practice and also attend to encourage the children.
d) Some mothers can be asked to bring home-made prasadam at the end of each practice session :-)
e) Costumes can be planned by parents with support from a dedicated team identified for it

Ekatmata Stotra Procession a) Each mother can be asked to prepare costume for her own child or few children.
b) Bring placard making material (A4 paper, cardboard, Pen, Stick, Glue etc.) And/or co-ordinate placard marking.
c) Telling about personalities of Ekatmata-Stotram to the children.

Poster making “Our BB our neighborhood” a) One mother who is good at arts and crafts can be asked to sit with children and help them by giving ideas.
b) If poster making is done in stages, can be done by rotation in houses of various children.

Khel Spardha for mothers and fathers a) Once the list of games is available, they can be assigned to few fathers and mothers.
b) Some parents can be asked to arrange snacks and tea after the sessions :-)
c) Taking video of the sessions and recording the time taken to play the game and encouraging the team to improve :-)

Opportunity to bring together parents also. It takes a VILLAGE to raise a child

Opportunity to involve all parents/elders – famous African proverb
Opportunity to represent the apartment as a team
Opportunity to share our skills/abilities in nurturing values in kids
Opportunity for kids to learn from many in the neighbourhood.
 Balasangama 2018 – few additional points to note

 There are activities at Balasangama for Kishore ( Boys of 7th std to 10th std ) and Kishori ( girls of 7th std to
10th std ). Further details in balasangama blog will be updated soon.

 There is a separate interactive session for grand parents.

 Fathers can volunteer to help in various aspects of organizing Balasangama. Fathers interested to
volunteer may contact our center Palak.

 Registration form is available in the balasangama blog for each Prakhand.

 Our Prakhand Name is available in the yellow Balasangama brochure.

Balasangama2018.blogspot.com

|| Shubham ||