20 places for kids to see in Bangalore

Inspired by this article, this post is going to try to replicate the list for Bangalore (in time for the summer hols too).  My biases will show, be warned.  Said biases are organic, greeny things, old fashioned entertainment, edutainment, books, independent emphatically non-mainstream places.  And it’s about seeing, experiencing and doing, hopefully all fun.  It is not ranked in any order, please feel free to rank it for me or tell me strike some off, put some others on.  My kids are now 8 and 6.5 years old, a girl and boy respectively and these have worked for us at different ages.  We have been to almost all places – a few are from our wish list.

1.  Rangashankara for a kids’ play.  The age limit here is 5 years for kids’ plays and 8 years and above for all else.  Parents will need to take their calls on which shows.  The cafe is a must eat, esp. traditional Kannadiga food with a modern twist; akki rotti with dill being an example.  They have matinee shows some weekends and regular 7:30 pm shows.  They will not, repeat, will not admit late comers.  It does not matter who is at the end of the ticket or how loud that person protests.  This is because late entrants and walking around bothers the actors.  The venue’s acoustics are beautifully designed, so one can see the logic.  I can see logic even in halls with bad acoustics, but that is just another bias.  Punctuality.  Tickets are very modestly priced, normally between Rs. 50 – 250.  And there are shows everyday except Mondays.

2.  Vishveshvaraya Museum – My friend Akila came from the US and brought her kids here.  A combination of nostalgia and hands on science.  They have a new floor that’s dedicated to hands on science.  It is centrally located and costs like government facilities do – super inexpensive!  There is a modest canteen.  There is more about the exhibits and stuff in this article.

3.  National Gallery of Modern Art – I have waxed eloquent on this place in this post.  It is housed in an old mansion that was the Maharaja’s house.  Of course it is nothing on the one in Delhi but I am happy they are decentralizing.  There’s a shop where one can buy prints (some, not too much variety) for peanuts.  And the cafe is small and cute.  The bread omelet is a must taste.  There’s also an auditorium that is affordable for hosting events.  Again admission is for peanuts and you need comfortable shoes…there’s a lot of walking to do.  For little children, there’s a lot of space to run around.  If you are a Bangalore resident, sign up for the email list – they email you events as they happen.

4.  The Planetarium – Good for kids under 7.  There are nice shows, affordable and not too long for their abbreviated attention spans.  The park outside is very cool – try the parabola that you can whisper into on one end and the kids can hear you on the other.  I need these at strategic points at home – can save my throat and the neighbours’ ears.  They have summer programs, if this is commutable distance.

5.  Lal Bagh – The lung space for the city.  There’s a rock to climb on, a lake with a bridge to feed ducks and a ton of tours if one is so inclined – birding to meeting cool trees.  Can also just hang out, walk around and generally chill.  We have taken the kids’ cycles and once we figured out how to get it over the gate, the kids have merrily biked along.  Apparently games are not allowed now – rules change, so do check when you go along.

6.  Experience centers like Hippocampus or Kavade.  Books and traditional games.  And if you want to do it at home, look up point 8 for books and places like Kavade (they sell too) and Sutradhar.  Kreeda games work well and are available at major stores like Landmark.

7.  Book exhibition in December – It is a once a year event.  But we go nuts about it.  And go several times.  You will find posts on several book crazy Bangalorean blogs.  My post is here.  We have adventures on the way, though hopefully we will not repeat the pickpocketed phone episode this year.  If it happens again, I will know it is because husband wants an android phone!

8.  Kilo bookstore with Rs. 100 in their pocket: Kilo book stores are little book shops that sell used books.  They take consignments of books from abroad – libraries, schools and any books in good condition that are not needed.  These guys actually invest in containers of books, going to ports like Madras and Bombay, clearing them, sorting them out and sending them off in different directions.  My guess is that most cities have these places.  I am lucky to know two places in Bangalore.  One is Anand Book Distributors near Cool Joint in Jayanagar Shopping Complex, 4th block and the other is past the Crossword on Residency road.  A couple of posts of mine on my discoveries are here and here.  Besides the fact that I am a cheapo in general, preferring to pay less and get more (we buy too many books!), you get books here that you can’t find in other stores.  Out of print, with character, well-loved.  I always love to read the notes people inscribe in books.  They have boxes of books kind of categorized by age.  Imagine the fun of having some money to spend and books to pick.  As a kid I would have gone bonkers (I actually did!) and so love to see some loopy kids.  It also teaches choice – we refuse to up the amount we agree to before we step in.  And the kids have to figure out what to drop because they will pick more than they fit in to their budget.  Enough said, enjoy this one, folks!

9.  HAL Aerospace Museum – When one has little boys, they have to pick some stuff with cars or planes and place to run.  This one was where we took son and a group of his friends on a birthday that they loved.  On Old Airport Road, it is easily found, is affordable, has a small canteen and best of all, a simulator for the kids to fly a plane AND a toy store for return gifts that kids can pick.  For all budgets.  Don’t you love the government of India and her enterprises that think of the public?!

10. Our Native Village, Hessarghatta/Jain Farms, Bagalur – Places where you have fun stuff like pottery, bullock cart rides, et al and stuff for adults.  These are definitely day trips and a night’s stay means you are not super stressed out after getting back!  This one has two of my biases in one – organic and old fashioned.

11.  Navadarshanam, Gumalapuram – I love this place.  You need to call ahead and will be fed satvik, organic food.  They make their own electricity, have mudblock buildings that are breezy and lovely and are the best of organic/eco-friendly that I know.  Now, there is also a pottery place close by to check out.  We have not been here in a while – monsoon’s lovely.

12.  Coles Park – Bangalore is full of parks.  There’s actually a city planning requirement that there should be a dedicated space for a park that then gets developed for walking, kids, et al.  Most places, it is a hamster wheel type place for people to walk around and around in a smallish round.  Hey, at least it’s there.  Coles Park is special in that Kinkini, an NGO working with differently abled children has had a say and there are spaces for special kids to play.  Wheelchair friendly and all.  For a lot of moms of differently abled kids, this is a huge thing.  Their kids rarely get to meet other kids because of their needing help for everything.  Inclusive.  It is lovely to see all kinds of children playing happily with each other, even if it has to be engineered a bit by parents.

13.  Chitra Kala Parishat/Venkatappa Gallery for art – CKP is a staple. They have the Dastkar exhibition that is very cool and several during the year.  There are folk dances – the kids still hum naga songs from a dance when they were tiny and can still recognize Dappu (an Andhra folk performance – dance and balance!).  There’s an art gallery part, a space for quality exhibitions, et al.  Venkatappa Art Gallery is a trip for this summer, shall update after we go.

14.  Tipu’s Fort – So close yet so far.  Bangalore’s best kept secret.  Do discover it.  It is near City Market but you will not believe the space and the beauty of it once you get there.  Nice gardens and some cool Tipu things.  A temple and a Islamic architecture…we were tolerant once.

15.  Bull Temple – Another place to take the kids.  A big bull carved out of a single rock, it is a temple dedicated to Nandi.  Linked to the Kadalekai Parase (ground nut fair).  The temple is said to have appeased a marauding bull from destroying the groundnut crop.  Interfaith and just general fun.  I like places like this because it is traditional Bangalore.  The Basavangudis and Gandhi Bazaars still have what has been eaten up in Koramangala and Indiranagar….the character of Bangalore.  The down to earth attitudes in these places exemplifies Bangalore to me.  Oh and don’t miss the metal plate on the bull’s head, to stop it from growing!

16.  Bangalore Palace – We mean to go here.  This summer it shall be.

17.  St. Mary’s Church, Shivajinagar and the flower market in the early mornings at Russell market nearby.

18.  Ulsoor Lake – Gardens and boating, walking tracks for general chill out.  Nothing major to see but fun with the kids and their pithy sayings.  And hot, hot peanuts dry roasted and served in examination answer sheets!  We read the answers for fun.  That’s okay, you can say it.  Nerds.  There’s a gurudwara nearby and it is a stop on our interfaith journey.

19.  Bangalore Habba – Habba means festival in Kannada.  Padmini Ravi and Nandini Alva started it off and it’s caught on like wildfire.  From Jazz to sufi, yakshagana to odissi, classical to pop, music, dance, art and activities just overwhelm.  And all for free!  Yes, you got it right! Can you tell I love my city?

20. Chitre Santhe – The last Sunday in January.  A must for all, especially children with an interest in art.  It is organized by Chitra Kala Parishat, there’s a part of Kumara Krupa Road that is closed off to traffic to house all kinds of artists.  Prices range from Rs. 1.5k and up.  They have their own and some copies of famous paintings.  My post on this year’s Santhe is here.

Almost made it but I was too tired to type it all up: The Fireflies Concert every January (or thereabouts), the Fireflies area off Kanakapura road to bike around and drop in for lunch (call ahead), the train ride at Cubbon Park (it can be a bit iffy, the train seems to break down a lot), ISRO activities for kids (there’s something at the ISRO facility on Old Airport Road but not clear on what now – for kids over 9 – 10 years) and the RamaNavami concerts by the Sree Ramaseva Mandali at Fort High School Grounds.  The 2011 concerts start on the 4th of April and go up to the 5th of May.  Ooh, one more – taking the bus that goes around Bangalore – you get on and get off at the same spot or hop off for lunch and make it back after.  Volvo buses, A/C comfort and comfortable seats.

And best of all, hanging at home with the kids, cooking, naps, swimming and reading.  The Easy Library Readathon‘s on from April 12th and daughter wanted to sign up.  I love not working because there’s no tension, no summer camps, no having to ensure the kids are occupied because I have to be at work.  When I get doubtful about this kind of stay at home thing, I hold onto this big advantage!

Let’s swap favourites?  Do tell me yours.