CHENNAI: Cholamandal Artists Village in Injambakkam always exudes warmth and tranquillity. But, on Wednesday, the generally quiet place was buzzing with activity as children scurried about trying to decipher the clues for a treasure hunt that was organised as part of ‘Deepbluestories’, a five-day summer camp for children between the ages of eight to 14.
The third day of the camp started off with children painting the pots that they had made using white cement on the first day, in addition to continuing with the ongoing weaving exercise. The children explored the contemporary art gallery at Cholamandal Artists Village and got a chance to engage with the works of several renowned artists.
In the evening, post a sumptuous lunch that consisted of pizza, the children were divided into groups and embarked on a treasure hunt in the area. The heat did not deter them and they were rewarded handsomely after with marshmallows, chocolate and lime juice.
“On the other days, a number of other exciting activities including block painting, a visit to a horse sanctuary, gardening, experiencing the laws of the ocean at the beach, surfing, kite flying and more were conducted,” said Deepti Chavan and Subash TS , founders of Deepbluestories.
“My favourite part of the camp so far has been the visit to the horse sanctuary,” said 12-year-old Kritikka Srinivasan. “I really liked feeding the horses carrots. It was a lot of fun! The treasure hunt too was enjoyable.” For nine-year-old Daksh Moorthy, weaving was what he looked forward to the most. “Weaving is the most fun. Making doormats and tablemats is very exciting. The treasure hunt made us work as a team and we were rewarded with delicious food in the end!”
A break from the regular humdrum of academics, this camp provided the children with an opportunity to do something different and hone new skills and interests.
“There was a pony at the horse sanctuary that really liked me. I would definitely like to go back... I also enjoyed the kite-flying activity because it was just fun and gave us a chance to interact with the local community. I have made a lot of new friends too and I can’t wait for when we go surfing because I thoroughly enjoyed that last year too,” 13-year-old Adia Mahesh narrated with glee.
(The camp will conclude on May 24)