The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru. The redesigned crèche has been planned to provide children opportunities to play, explore, learn, rest, and interact socially.
| Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN
NIMHANS inaugurated ‘Aata Paata’ (play & lessons), a reimagined crèche for the young children of its staff, with a focus on creating a child-friendly environment that supports play, exploration and early development, in its campus in Bengaluru on August 31.The initiative is based on the premise that the spaces in which children grow and spend their formative years have an important role in their emotional well-being and development.Designed around play and explorationThe redesigned crèche has been planned to provide children opportunities to play, explore, learn, rest, and interact socially. Gentle lighting, child-friendly materials, and colours — features that encourage movement and active play — and opportunities for contact with nature and sensory exploration have been incorporated into the space.According to NIMHANS, early childhood care extends beyond supervision and nutrition, with children’s development influenced by play, movement, relationships and their interaction with their surroundings.The institute noted that the availability of safe and child-friendly spaces is becoming increasingly important in dense urban environments, where green spaces and opportunities for unstructured play are diminishing.A model for public institutionsThe project was conceptualised and designed by architect Bhavana Kumar of Kumar La Noce, with inputs from child mental health professionals at NIMHANS. The institute’s in-house engineering and structural teams provided technical support, while the initiative was guided by the NIMHANS administration led by its Director, Senior Professor Prabha S. Chandra.The crèche is intended to support both mothers and fathers working at NIMHANS by providing reliable childcare within the workplace.NIMHANS said the initiative seeks to demonstrate how public institutions can create child-centred and sustainable childcare environments for their workforce.The institute stated that mental health promotion begins early in life, and the environments created for children form an important part of their development. It hopes Aata Paata can serve as a model that other public institutions can adapt. Published - September 01, 2026 10:03 am IST
