The Youth COSMO's Rootopia 2025: Where Children Rediscover Nature Through India's Heritage Games

The Youth COSMO's Rootopia 2025: Where Children Rediscover Nature Through India's Heritage Games

A first-of-its-kind festival reviving India's heritage games and folk traditions to spark mindful, intergenerational learning.

Pune - November 18, 2025: For the first time, The Youth COSMO announces Rootopia 2025: Paramparik Khel Utsav, a one-of-a-kind festival designed to reconnect children and families with nature through India's traditional games, folk rhythms, and shared community play.

To be held on Saturday, November 29, 2025, at the Pune International Centre, Rootopia 2025 invites children, parents, and educators for an evening of movement, music, and mindful joy. Rootopia reimagines how families experience heritage, culture, and learning-transforming play into a living classroom. From outdoor martial arts to traditional board games and earthy music, every zone is crafted to help children touch soil, move freely, and discover how play and ecology are deeply intertwined.

Mark your calendars here: https://www.theyouthcosmo.org/event-details/rootopia-paramparik-khel-utsav

Event Details -
Date: Saturday, November 29, 2025
Time: 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM IST
Venue: Pune International Centre, Panchwati - Pashan
Entry: Open to all ages (ideal for children 6+ and families)

"Rootopia is the beginning of a movement. We want families to rediscover what it means to play together; to touch soil, move freely, and find joy in simplicity. India's traditional games were never just play-they were lessons in agility, teamwork, and sustainability, long before technology shaped childhood. Rootopia revives that wisdom, where children connect with nature through movement, music, and mindful play, and parents rediscover the joy of learning alongside them", said Rima Bichu, Co-Founder of The Youth COSMO.

"At Two Brothers Organic Farms, everything begins with the soil; its health, its vitality, and its ability to sustain life. What Rootopia and The Youth COSMO are doing beautifully mirrors that same philosophy, nurturing a generation that values where things come from, that learns to listen to the land. Supporting Rootopia felt natural to us because it's not just about play, it's about sowing the seeds of awareness, curiosity, and respect for nature in young minds", said Satyajit Hange, Co-Founder, Two Brothers Organic Farms.

PLAYING FOR A ROOTED FUTURE
At the heart of Rootopia 2025 lies Paramparik Khel - India's living heritage of traditional games and sports that once kept communities agile, mindful, and connected. Designed by communities and shaped by the land itself, these games nurtured strategy, balance, and resilience long before screens or playgrounds existed-now reimagined to build awareness and connection with nature.

The festival features immersive experience zones that bring these traditions to life:

Outdoor Play Arena: A space where strength meets storytelling. This arena showcases heritage martial arts such as Lathi-Kathi from Maharashtra as well as Kalaripayattu from Kerala-one of the world's oldest martial arts, inspired by the movements of animals and the rhythms of nature. Children experience how ancient communities once trained for agility, protection, and harmony with their surroundings.

Traditional Board Games Lounge: A cosy, shaded nook for slow, strategic play. Families gather around cloth boards and seeds to play Pallanguzhi, Bagh Chal, Churanga, and Moksha Patam (the original Snakes & Ladders). In Bagh Chal, the timeless "tiger and goat" game, children learn balance, patience, and resourcefulness, mirroring the delicate relationship between predator, prey, and the ecosystem.

Cultural Corner - Tunes from Nature: Led by a Pune-based drum circle artist, among others, this space celebrates music crafted from nature itself. Children discover how bamboo, gourds, seeds, and clay come alive as sound, understanding how different natural materials create sound and rhythm which once shaped India's folk traditions.

Farmer's Corner - Taste, Talk, and Tradition: A wholesome zone that ties food, soil, and play together. Visitors meet local farmers, taste native snacks made with millets and jaggery, and hear stories from the soil.

The venue itself, the open-air amphitheatre at Pune International Centre, will reflect this earthy spirit with natural materials, bamboo, cloth, and minimal décor. The event will follow a near zero-waste, plastic-free approach, aligning with The Youth COSMO's ongoing commitment to sustainability and gamified learning as a pathway to environmental awareness.

Rootopia 2025 is supported by Two Brothers Organic Farms, Pune International Centre and a network of partners who share The Youth COSMO's vision of building eco-conscious learning ecosystems.

About The Youth COSMO - The Youth COSMO is a Pune-based social enterprise and collaborative learning ecosystem dedicated to nurturing environmentally conscious, thoughtful young citizens by weaving sustainability into mainstream education. Through nature-led learning programs, publications, and experiences like Rootopia, The Youth COSMO helps children (ages 6-16) form deep, emotional connections with the natural world. For more information visit: https://www.theyouthcosmo.org/event-details/rootopia-paramparik-khel-utsav

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The Youth COSMO is a Pune-based social enterprise and collaborative learning ecosystem dedicated to nurturing environmentally conscious, thoughtful young citizens by weaving sustainability into mainstream education. Through nature-led learning programs, publications, and experiences like Rootopia, The Youth COSMO helps children (ages 6-16) form deep, emotional connections with the natural world. For more information visit: https://www.theyouthcosmo.org/event-details/rootopia-paramparik-khel-utsav

This release was published on openPR.