An Art & Craft in Integral Education programme was conducted with 100 teacher trainees of the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), Lawspet, in Puducherry in which there was active participation of 30 teachers and 70 teachers attended as observers. The session conducted on July 14, 2018, was focused on how to develop an aesthetically rich and age-specific environment in school wherein children themselves become more inquisitive and volitionally come forward to learn. In the session teachers were also given an experience of integral development via Arts & Craft.

The session started with indoor games which help in developing alertness, concentration, awareness, eye-ear coordination, gross motor skills, quick response, etc. All craft activities were divided into two groups – one which could be taken up by children and the other by teachers to create the necessary environment for learning.

During reflection the teachers realized that these activities could help promote a sense of beauty in everyday life and develop intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. They also remarked that such processes could be instrumental in enhancing the senses and faculties such as fine motor skills, imagination, observation, sharing, attention and concentration span, etc.

The session was conducted by Art in Education Enthusiasts Kiran and Hrishikesh – both practitioners in the field of Integral Education.