When you step into the Dewan hall of Nani Ghar, a soft hum of anticipation swarms around the room. “Chuttiyan at Nani Ghar” began with children between the ages of 6-12 slowly gathering around the table, some clutching their bottles while others fidgeting in the hall out of curiosity. From afar- you view them as a collective blur of tiny, anxious bodies who are nervous, unsure and still strangers to the space and to each other. But what we didn’t realise at that moment was that by the end of the day, this same group would transform not into something new but into more of themselves.

These summer camp activities are rooted in the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) framework, which focuses on nurturing the emotional intelligence of these children helping them develop the ability to recognise, understand and identify their inner experiences and learn how to express them in healthier ways.

The first activity of the camp was about “my inner weather”; a gentle yet powerful metaphor to help children identify and understand their emotions. The main task of the day was Body Mapping which was initially deduced by children as drawing organs or body parts until we proceeded and they learned that this was about mapping emotions that are often hidden underneath. The atmosphere was both soft but purposeful.The facilitator, Miss Alishba wasn’t just working with children, she was working within them. 

We often forget how difficult it is especially in early childhood to recognise what we’re feeling let alone express it. “Sometimes I feel a cloud is raining inside me” when one child says these words, it hits you. Children are overwhelmed by emotions they cannot name and are subtly taught to keep it quiet. Expressing emotions loudly is discouraged or labelled as being dramatic. However, research shows that when children are supported in naming and expressing their feelings early in life, they are more likely to develop better coping skills and healthier relationships later in adulthood. Children here weren’t just playing with colours, they were finding ways to communicate what words often couldn’t. A child’s purple spiral around the gut became a message- "This is where my stubbornness lives.”

Teaching emotional expression is not just a psychological intervention, it's a cultural shift. The emphasis of body mapping wasn’t on fixing feelings but on understanding and honouring them.

The body mapping here worked as an insight building tool for the children; how each child located and described their inner world. Those fidgety, nervous little ones 3 hours ago were chirpier by the evening. It was not because they had learned something in an academic sense but because they had found parts of themselves that were always there; unnamed and unseen. You realise you’re learning with them, see how powerful SEL based activities can be when designed with care and love, and how a simple act of naming a feeling can shift a child’s posture and calm their body. Most importantly, how emotional expression is not something to be taught like a subject but is nurtured patiently like a seed as the child gently connects with their inner self, verbalising and visualizing his emotions with reflection.

As those body map sheets rolled up and tucked under arms, the children had something to take home, to share with parents and friends so others could understand the many feelings living inside them. This was only the first step from raw sensation to self awareness and what a tender beginning it was!

-Written by Barka Syed