After returning to Bengaluru, a shared concern on the lack of recreational spaces for children in the city brought Vidya, Mona, Kiran and Shilpa together.
The four ladies established The Bumble Bee Studio, where everything is about “sunshine and buzziness”. The Bumble Bee Studio is a recreational space for children where learning happens through fun and play. The studio is not a crèche or a play school, but a place for children to play, explore, interact and socialise in a safe and exciting environment.
“When I returned to Bangalore, I was troubled by the lack of such a space in the city,” says Vidya, who spent much of her life in New York. “All of us have seen such spaces in our travels overseas, but something like this was definitely missing in our own city,” she says.
In the urban India scenario, where nuclear families are fast on the rise and the former familial support system is no longer existent, a space like The Bumble Bee Studio fills that void. “Children in the city seem to be growing up without friends or family, unlike us who always had our cousins around,” says Vidya.
“Moreover, where does one go with children to a place that isn’t a mall or a park?” asks Kiran. “Parks are usually overrun with older children and hygiene is a big concern too,” she adds.
The Bumble Bee Studio, on the other hand, functions as a centre for children between the ages of 0 to seven years, where safety, hygiene, non-academic learning and the development of cognitive, physical and social skills are given importance.
A huge, sprawling space with both an indoor and outdoor play area, the studio is the ideal place for both parents and children. Children are expected to be accompanied by an adult, although play assistants are constantly at hand, engaging with the children. Attached to the studio is a kiosk, where parents can make use of the free wi-fi and also keep an eye on their children inside the studio via the CCTV.
The play area, safe for both infants and toddlers, has been designed with safe nooks and corners for children to play peekaboo. A lot of climbing, tumbling, rolling and jumping is assured. The absence of sharp edges or points makes the studio a safe haven, where particular emphasis has been paid to stimulate the tactile sensation.
“For toddlers who hold on to the wall and walk, a number of tactile sensations have been integrated into the design,” says Mona. The outdoor area promises a lot of fun as well, with a water spray park and sand pit. “This area is particularly popular in the summers,” says Vidya.
A big audio visual room has been host to movie afternoons on slow weekdays. Birthday parties, dance classes, painting competitions and mother and toddler programs have also been organised in the studio’s activity room. “We also want the studio to be an engaging space for mothers and organise yoga and Pilates classes for new mums here,” informs Vidya. Bright, sunny and vibrant, the design and interiors of the studio seem to suggest, “Get busy at play”.
“There is no pressure of academic learning here. Instead, children learn from the space and through their interactions, movement and tactile sensations,” says Kiran.
“Members can spend as long as they like and we are closed for only five days in a calendar year,” smiles Vidya.
Membership is available on a quarterly and annual basis with several add-ons. Discounts are available to parents for birthday party celebrations and members are also get free access to parties hosted at The Bumble Bee Studio. For more information, log on to: >www.thebumblebeestudio.in
