Summer fun @ Gulmohar Days!

Day Care Update and Notice

Dear parents,

Its been a busy summer at Gulmohar Days. The month of April saw us busy with a myriad workshops. I am happy that all our day care kids enrolled in the activities and took maximum advantage of the sessions in progress. My heartfelt thanks to all the parents who dropped by or wrote to us with feedback on the workshops. Thank you for all your positive comments. It does great things for our morale!

This month we have encouraged the children to participate in group activities. There has been a lot of craft, cricket, water play, basket ball, carom, snakes and ladders, ludo and scrabble. And a fair amount of reading as well. The kids must be regaling you with these stories every day.

We are now gearing up for the new academic year. Please do indicate if your child will be continuing with us in the day care and if there will be any change in his/her timings with us. We would like to confirm the number of day care enrollments in the next few days since a number of our Pre-school Montessori children too would like to avail of the day care facility from June. Also, parents please keep us updated in case of a change in your residence address and telephone numbers. It is an absolute must that in the interest of the safety of your child, our records remain updated.

We have some routine maintenance work on the premises to take care of towards the end of the month. Therefore, on the 30th and 31st of the month, day care will commence only after 12.30 pm. Thanking you for your understanding and co-operation on this.
Wishing you all the best for the remainder of the holiday and the very best to the kids as they don bright new uniforms and start a fresh year of school in a few days.

Intrinsic Motivation and Montessori

Our Art workshop in the News!

Hi all

Catch the latest on the Art workshop at Gulmohar days in this special feature about us in the Mid-Day. you can follow this linkto read online: http://epaper-beta.mid-day.com/epaperhome.aspx?issue=11052011&edd=pune

TIMELESS TALES OF ART Shree Lahiri AT THE TIMELESS TALES WORKSHOP, ORGANISED BY GULMOHAR DAYS, KIDS CAN LEARN, PLAY AND BRING TO LIFE THEIR FAVOURITE CHARACTERS ON CANVAS Kids will be trailing fairy tales, reading interesting stories and exploring their creativity at the workshop organised by Gulmohar Days. The four- day workshop called Timeless Tales hopes to give kids a fun encounter with art and literature. “ We try to organise workshops that are different from the normal drawing classes or summer camps that we see around. In our workshops, we try to combine literature with art,” says Nandini Nair, founder of Gulmohar Days. The workshop is for kids, who are above 8 years. At the workshop, kids will read a story by Hans Christian Anderson and a by Oscar Wilde. “ After the reading, there will be a discussion, so they will learn to understand the emotions behind the story,” says Nair. The kids will then be given a paragraph from the story, which they have to bring to life on canvas. “ They read it and try to find the primary emotion in that paragraph. Then, each child attempts to bring it to life in his or her own way,” explains Nair. “ In fact, at the end of the workshop, we manage to make a complete illustrated book with the children’s creations,” she adds. Besides painting on canvas with acrylics, the kids will also learn to make collages at the workshop. Nair says she started Gulmohar Days as a centre for children with a children’s library, day care centre, activity centre and a Montessori school. “ I have been an educator for the past 13 years. Having done my Masters in American and Commonwealth Literature, I have been teaching at the school and college level. A few years ago, I felt the need to break away from its monotony and create a place where kids of all ages can meet, learn from each other, meet mentors of the highest quality and be given enough creative freedom to explore their inner thoughts and talents. I wanted it to be a place without syllabi, curriculum and classrooms. Something like a commuity centre. That’s really how Gulmohar Days was conceived,” Nair reveals. Apart from art workshops, they have many other creative activities which children can be a part of. They can choose from the children’s library, art or drama class, the Montessori programme, a yoga session or they can just simple come and play carrom and chess. “ I always wanted a place where a child could spend an hour or two without having to smell French Fries, be coerced into buying something or be bombarded with Bollywood music. Gulmohar Days is a place that treats every child with the dignity he/ she deserves,” Nair signs off. ON May 16 to May 19 TIME 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm AT Gulmohar Days, Lane 13, Kalyani Nagar. CALL 9890530248

Our Science and G.K workshop comes to a close!

Dear Parents,

We have had a fabulous 2 weeks with the kids who were part of our science and GK workshop. I am sure they must have come and chatted with you all about the numerous new things they have learnt.  From volcanoes that erupted with vinegar and soda, to insects with compound eyes to their favourite new word "Archipelago", it was all in all a fun workshop. Most heartwarming was their interest in building their own world maps. I hope all their efforts now decorate soft boards and fridge doors at home!!
We look forward to hearing from you. Is there something your child particularly enjoyed? Anything we should include the next time around? Please do write in to us. Your feedback is valuable and will shape future programmes. For the many who could not enroll this time, we promise to do another one in December. Enjoy the pictures below that capture your darlings in action.

Those of you who are part of our Craft Workshop, see you next week. There will be no more summer camps for this age group in the month of May. All our efforts are now on launching our Montessori pre-school programme from June. Wish us luck!!

Painting his Volcano made of Plaster of Paris

Are we as tall as the skeleton?

Hard at work, tracing out the continents

Its okay if we want to relax as we work!

Food Pyramid and a cookery lesson!!

We made our very own World Map!!

Making new Friends!

Learning about Natural Disasters

Things that dissolve!!

Islands, lakes, Isthmus, strait...the list goes on!

So can you spot the Archipelago? Your child can!!

Building the Skeleton! learning how to work in a group.

Timeless Tales: Art workshop for kids ages 8 & above

Hi everyone,

We have had a fabulous April with all our workshops running full and the kids thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Looking to close enrollments for the Art workshop called Timeless Tales to be held in May as part of Summer Sparkle 2011. Please find details below:

Workshop: Timeless Tales ( Art Workshop)

Description: A unique workshop that combines art techniques with a reading of classics by Hans Christian Anderson and Oscar Wilde. The reading of each story would be followed by a session that requires each child to come up with with a piece of art using mixed media. Collage techniques, painting, gluing etc will be taught and encouraged. Each Child will therefore have 2 complete artworks to take home at the end of the 4 day workshop.

Dates: May 16, 17, 18, 19

Timings: 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm

Material such as paints, paper, glue etc would be provided.. Would be great if the kids could bring in their own brushes.

Last Date to register: Enrollments close this Saturday, the 23rd of April. We can accommodate only a total of 12 kids in the group. Please send us an email on gulmohardays@gmail.com or call us on 9890530248 to register.

Summer Sparkle 2011, our summer camp, starts tomorrow!!

Hi everyone,

Looking forward to a month of hectic activity at Gulmohar Days!

Couple of reminders to all parents:

1. Every child must bring in their own bottle of drinking water. Please label the bottles to avoid any mix-up. Almost everyone seems to have a barbie, dora or ben-ten bottle!!!

2. Kids who have signed up for the Craft and Eureka: Science and Gk workshop may bring along a snack. Pls do keep the snack simple...biscuits, sandwiches, fruit and the like. Either label the lunch box or the bag in which they carry their water and lunch.

3. Children who have signed up for the Fun and Fitness class must wear comfortable clothes. No jeans allowed. Track pants, T shirts would be ideal. Also carry along a Yoga Mat. Important: pls do not snack or eat heavy before the yoga class.

4. All kids in the Scrabble Club must carry a pencil box with essentials like pencils, eraser etc.

5. Small request to mommies who have little girls who love to dress up. Please avoid fancy hair bands, clips, bracelets, belts etc. They not only distract the kids from the session, but so many of them leave them behind, accidentally lose them or they might break....we have to use every trick in the book to console the kids and wipe away those tears!

6. For our younger kids, pls ensure they wear clothes that they can handle if they should use the toilet. Simple tracks, shorts, skirts and frocks work best. Anything with a zillion zips, stubborn buttons and tight belt must be avoided!!

7. Kids who have signed up for free play and will spend more than one hour at the centre may carry a snack along.

8. All kids who have signed up for the Dance & drama workshop need to bring only their enthusiasm along!! This workshop promises to be a great musical!

We are looking forward to some fun sessions this summer! See you all in the coming weeks!

Exclusively for the Mommies @ Gulmohar Days!!

Here's a little gift to help all our lovely, dedicated moms keep cool and pretty this summer!!

Lakme Salon offers discount vouchers this summer exclusively for moms @ Gulmohar Days. So if your child is registered with us, don't forget to stop by and pick up your voucher that gives you a discount on all services at the Kalyani Nagar Lakme salon. 

This is our way of saying Thank You to all you wonderful moms for your continued support and encouragement!!

Our "Pichkaari Party" to celebrate Holi!!

The Holi Party for the kids of our Story Club was an absolute success! We started with the legend of the demon Holika and how she was vanquished. And boy did we celebrate the victory of good over evil!! The kids had come armed with their water guns....all colours, shapes, sizes. At the end of it all we were one happy bunch, drenched to the skin but with huge smiles plastered on our faces!!
Enjoy the pictures!