Early Childhood Education (ECE) is one of the most powerful tools to reduce inequality and support children’s development, especially in countries like India where many families face poverty and disadvantage. India has had a long-standing public ECE program through the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), launched in 1975. Today, over 1.3 million Anganwadi Centres across the country enroll around 36 million children. Yet, despite this vast network, nearly half of India’s children still do not have access to ECE. As a result, India’s enrollment rates in pre-primary education remain lower than those of many other South Asian countries and fall below the global average.

Several factors influence whether children attend preschool, and these often relate to a family’s background and resources. One of the biggest reasons for children missing out on ECE is the education level of their parents. Parents with limited schooling are often unaware of how important early learning is. For example, those with only primary education may attribute non-attendance to cultural reasons, while more educated parents are more likely to point to practical or motivational barriers. Education also shapes aspirations, parents who have studied more are generally more aware of schooling options and expect more from their children’s learning. But even when parent education is the same, where a child lives matters. For instance, children in Murshidabad are less likely to attend preschool than those in Howrah, partly because of access issues like the nearest preschool being too far away.

At the heart of quality early education is play but sadly, many children in India have fewer opportunities to play. Play is not just fun; it is a vital part of how young children grow, learn, and understand the world. Through play, children develop motor skills, build relationships, learn to express emotions, and start thinking creatively. It helps them focus, explore cause and effect, and take risks in a safe way. Different kinds of play support different areas of development; physical, emotional, cognitive, and social. Symbolic or pretend play, in particular, helps children develop metacognition, self-regulation, and problem-solving skills that are essential for lifelong learning.

When children play freely especially in small groups and without adults leading, they show more creativity, deeper thinking, and better control over their actions. Play lets them experiment, ask questions, and create their own meanings. Even young children, as early as two years old, can explain what they’re learning through their play. When a child says they’re “learning how to make tea” while pretending in a sandpit, they are showing awareness of their learning process. This kind of meaning-making play helps children connect imagination to real-world understanding, challenging the idea that they can’t tell fantasy from reality. However, despite all this, many adults still see play as just a leisure activity. This mindset contributes to a “play deficit”, a lack of meaningful play which can limit a child’s ability to develop the skills they’ll need in the future.

In response to these gaps in both access and quality, programs like Learn. Play. Grow. by Sesame Workshop India are helping reimagine early childhood education in the country. Focused on children aged 3 to 8, the program creates joyful, play-based learning environments that support foundational literacy and numeracy, emotional well-being, health and nutrition, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), and school readiness. Through training, resources, and engaging physical and digital materials, Learn. Play. Grow. equips teachers and caregivers to better support young children at school, at home, and everywhere in between ensuring every child has the chance to grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.