A bunch of children waited for their turns at kicking a ball into a mini goal. A set of balancing beams was also buzzing with another bunch.
Some danced to peppy songs on the centre stage. Some others just kept running on the sprawling greens.
The Heritage School on Saturday organised an outdoor programme, called Kolahol, to familiarise pre-primary children (pre-nursery, nursery and kindergarten), and their parents, with the institution, days before the resumption of physical classes.
Some of the children had a year of schooling before Covid struck. Many others have not had that chance. School, classrooms, playground, teachers, friends — everything was encapsulated inside a screen for them, and their parents, for the past two years.
On Saturday, the screen images came alive for the children. The physical company of other children mattered most for their wards, said almost every parent The Telegraph spoke to.
Aarav Roy, who turned four in January, was running on the race track along the playground with a couple of other children.
“Though rarely, we still stepped out during the pandemic. But he was confined because we thought taking him out would be too risky. For the first time in his life, he has seen so many children like him gathered at one place,” said mother Priyadarsana Roy.
On the weekends, Aarav’s maternal grandparents and some close relatives would visit the Roys’ apartment in South City to spend time with him.
“But that is not a substitute for spending time with friends. Today, we breathed a sigh of relief,” said father Abhik, a businessman.
Many children protested when a teacher at a stall asked them to stand in a queue. But upon seeing others waiting, they followed suit.
“My daughter does not know what waiting for your turn means. She has become stubborn over the past two years. But she waited in a queue today. Children learn social etiquettes much faster when they have other children around them,” said Komal Agarwal, mother of Dhriti, 4.
Several parents also said they hoped the resumption of physical classes would distract children from gadgets.
“I try to limit her screen time but cannot completely stop it. She would simply refuse to eat without the iPad,” said Komal.
Arpita Goyal, who runs a pre-school in Salt Lake, had come with son, Vyaan, 5. Vyaan had a year of physical classes before Covid struck.
“He loved the first year of school. But that seems ages ago now. I try to keep him engaged with puzzles and board games. He loves playing with cars. But none of these can make up for time spent with friends at school,” she said.
Seema Sapru, principal of the school, said physical love and its manifestation were important for little children.
“You have to show them that you love them,” she said.
“The children need to see their peers in person, apart from seeing them occasionally on the screen.”