While having these free-flowing conversations, the children would often talk about stories they had come across, which prompted Jain to suggest that they try writing their own. The group of six-to-eight-year-olds then started ideating in January. After months of peer-to-peer feedback and guidance from their mentors, six short plays were written by the kids, which have been compiled and released in the form of an e-book titled Children’s Playbook. It comprises six, easy-to-read scripts with stories ranging from a girl and her mother saving their village from an evil fairy, to three little alien pigs destroying a farm. “Very rarely do we ask children what they would want in a story. Every child came up with a plot that is connected to them in some way. For instance, one child who was fascinated by the paranormal wrote about a friendly ghost,” Jain shares.

Faith and Michelle Pinto

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Each play comes with a little note about the writer and their self-portrait, created by the young playwrights themselves. Jain tells us that they put out the e-book for kids, parents, families and educators to advocate the idea of reading together. “Reading is a social activity. Get your family members or friends together and read these plays aloud. It can be a great bonding exercise, as well as a starting point to explore the performing arts,” she signs off. 

Log on to: @thoughtproject.in on Instagram to access the e-book

A creative escape

Eight-year-old Malad resident Faith Pinto, who gave the Children’s Playbook a shot, tells us that she quite enjoyed reading the plays aloud. “I liked Animal Adventure, The Princess and Her Teacher, and The Living Lanterns,” shares the grade 4 student. Her mother, Michelle, tells us that her daughter read most of the stories in one sitting. “The stories were easy to understand, enjoyable and very imaginative,” Faith points out.