Introducing Indian culture to children in a fun and innovative manner

At Chittam, the mission is to take ancient Indian culture and wisdom to our children in relatable and fun ways. We believe this is essential for our children as they navigate today's demanding and chaotic world.

Not only does Indian culture—its folklore, art forms, and values—provide an endless source of joy and inspiration for our children, but it also provides them the strength and clarity that they require to be successful in whatever they choose to do.

Parents today realize the need for imparting this rootedness to their children. But parents face a hard time doing so amid all the other attractive toys and digital content that children have access to. Chittam fills this gap by packaging Indian culture in ways that children—and parents—find engaging. Our board games, card games, and activity books bring grandparents, parents, and children together, to create fun, educative, and digital screen-free periods of time every day.

Charanya Kumar, Founder & CEO of Chittam shares her inspirational journey in this interview. Read on

What is your background, and what led you to start Chittam?

I grew up in a very rooted family in Chennai, which is where I developed my deep love for our culture and values. I then spent more than a decade around the globe, pursuing two master's degrees and a career as a business executive for multinational technology companies. This exposure to the world only deepened my appreciation for our culture—my grounding in our Indic culture helped me navigate and bounce back from many difficulties I faced in life with strength and calmness. It also opened my eyes to the possibilities of—and the need for—packaging our culture in attractive ways for our current and future generations.

I returned to India in 2017 and worked with organizations in the education space, such as The Nudge and Hippocampus. I saw, firsthand, the difficulties children were facing with the various demands of the modern world. “Stress” and “depression” were becoming common terms used by schoolchildren. This reinforced, in my mind, the need for Chittam—our Itihasas and Puranas were, and continue to be, a deep source of strength for me, and I strongly felt that we need to equip our children with this strength as well.

How do games built over our Itihasas and Puranas help children?

Our Itihasas and Puranas are first and foremost an endless source of joy and imagination. Have we not spent hours and hours sitting at our grandmothers' feet, lost in the worlds that they narrated? These are stories that children will carry with them for their lives, and we need to tell these stories to them when they are young.

Playing these games also develops a sense of rootedness, identity, and pride in our children, which we believe are important in today's increasingly homogenized world. A sense of self-assurance and confidence is an important starting point for our children to grow and take on the world, and Chittam's games seek to instill these roots in them.

Indian scriptures and epics are full of shades of gray. Exposing children to these at a young age, helps them form an image of the real world they will be living in, thereby equipping them to face it. The stories subtly show the consequences of different actions and nudge them to make the right choices. When we take these values to children through fun games, they stick to them, and these values guide them every step of their growing up.

How important is playing such games for a growing child?

Parents these days are looking for innovative ways to develop creativity, imagination, and gross and fine motor skills in their children. But there are very few options for doing this in ways that are rooted in our culture. Which is exactly what Chittam seeks to do. The games also bring together families across generations, enabling memorable experiences that will have a long-lasting impact on children.

What age groups are your toys aimed at?

We have a range of games for children between the ages of 2 and 16. Most of our games and activity kits are meant to be played with the whole family. We believe spending quality time together is vital for young ones' development, and we want to provide meaningful non-digital ways of coming together as a family.

Are the materials used child-friendly?

Yes, absolutely. We work with local artisans for crafting all our games and activity kits, and we use only child-friendly and eco-friendly cloth, paper, and cardboard. We make our products from materials that are non-toxic, free of sharp edges, and free of small parts.

Where are the current games you offer, and where can parents purchase them?

These are the first set of games we have launched:

• Sarathiis an interactive activity book that transports children—and their parents and grandparents—to the world of Lord Krishna. It contains crosswords, riddles, art challenges, stories, and a lot more.
• Bommalattamis a unique puppetry kit to learn about the history of Indian puppetry and to narrate stories of the valorous heroes of the Mahabharata. The kit consists of a mini puppet theater and handcrafted puppets of the Pandavas and Draupadi.
• Bharata Vilasis a twist on the traditional rummy card game that introduces children to the various foods, monuments, weaves, and dance forms of all Indian states. As part of the gameplay, children (and parents) will gain a deeper appreciation of the culture of their fellow Indians.
• Suprabathamis an introspective activity kit that introduces children to 60 successful Indian personalities, from across fields, who are rooted in our culture. The gameplay is simple—every morning, at home or in classrooms, children pick up a card, read an anecdote from the personality's life, and reflect on the questions asked.
• Neivedyais an activity kit that introduces toddlers to the various food offerings associated with our gods, and the legends, folklore, and rituals associated with them. The kit includes a book of delightfully quirky poems, a coloring book, jigsaw puzzles, and a throwing activity.