Children designed their sunglasses and played with colours while some others chose to jump on the trampoline during a day-long carnival curated for them. While the children played, parents shared their experiences.
Baby’s Day Out, an initiative of Neotia Bhagirathi Women & Child Care Centre (Park Street and New Town), celebrated childhood.
Children between five months to five years filled up PC Chandra Gardens on Sunday. The stalls were busy and the rides were full.
“The Covid pandemic taught us that life is about celebration while you can. A child coming into the family is the most important day of the parent’s life We wanted to celebrate with the parents this day of their lives,” said Madhu Neotia, advisor, Ambuja Neotia.
She said that it is about giving a “face” to the children, connecting with their parents and celebrating with them the fact that they were born in their hospital, said Neotia.
The event made a comeback after 10 years and the group plans to have it every year. “It’s a memory for them and parents wanted us to restart this because they wanted to connect with other children born in the same place as them,” said Neotia.
More than 2,500 children registered for the carnival.
The venue was transformed into a miniature wonderland with Disney characters to give children a joyous morning and afternoon.
Sandeep Thakur’s two-and-half-year-old son hopped from one stall to another, making friends on the way.
“It’s a unique concept and with so many stalls children have many options. I am having a hard time trying to keep my child in one stall because he wants to try out each stall,” said Thakur.
For Payel Pradhan and her son, it was a different Sunday than the usual one going to a mall. “Here my son could enjoy in the open air and try out rides as well,” she said.
“It’s one of the ways we can reconnect with people who have touched our lives, being born in our hospitals and their families. It’s a great way to reconnect with everyone, celebrate their parenthood and celebrate them as wonderful families,” said Parthiv Neotia, executive director, Ambuja Neotia Healthcare.
“We have a strong social initiative programme called Rainbow where we support the health, nutrition and wellness of underprivileged children and because of these patrons who came to our hospitals we can support these underprivileged children,” he said.