4th Edition Of Pune Children's Festival To Begin On December 11 At Sarasbaug

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will host the fourth edition of the Pune Children’s Festival from December 11 to 14 at Sarasbaug, with a special focus on encouraging children to spend less time on screens and more time engaging in play-based activities.

The festival, which has recorded an annual footfall of over one lakh parents and children, has become a key event in the city’s cultural calendar. This year’s theme, “Less Screen, More Play,” also highlights the importance of parental well-being, an aspect organisers say is critical yet often overlooked in child development.

PMC officials said the early years of childhood play a vital role in cognitive, social and motor skill development. To promote awareness around these formative years, the festival will bring together more than 30 organisations working in child development. The event will feature games, learning activities, storytelling sessions, workshops and interactive discussions aimed at creating an enjoyable and informative experience for families.

A new attraction this year is the Care Pavilion, designed to help parents reflect on their own mental and emotional well-being. Organisers noted that Pune’s rapidly growing urban environment places increasing demands on digital-age parents, making conversations around self-care more relevant than ever.

Pune is also recognised as a Deep Dive City and an Urban 95 Lighthouse City under the Nurturing Neighbourhoods 2.0 initiative, supported by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the Van Leer Foundation and WRI India. Under this programme, efforts are underway to integrate child- and parent-friendly approaches into ongoing and upcoming development projects across the city. Initiatives such as parent-child gatherings in local parks have helped promote outdoor activity and reduce screen dependency among young children.

PMC has urged families to participate in the four-day festival and make the most of the activities planned at Sarasbaug.