As part of course HEL 401- Community Nutrition and Welfare, the Experiential Learning Program (ELP) under department of Human Development and Family Studies provided a dynamic platform to students for bridging academic knowledge with practical experience, specifically emphasizing Early Childhood Education and Community Development and Welfare. Our ELP team name “Aroham” symbolizes upliftment, progress, and holistic developmental values, with main focused on areas like Early Childhood Education (3–6year child) and Community Development. In this holistic programme the ELP team integrated activities like Day Care Programs, Developmental Activities, Extra-Curricular Activities (painting, craft-making, storytelling, and rhymes), Festival Celebrations, Assessment Activities, Counselling-cum-Brainstorming Sessions, Personality Development, and competitions at different schools. These activities nurtured cognitive, motor, and language skills, while promoting social interaction, emotional expression, and build confidence among children. A comprehensive assessment conducted across key developmental domains like physical, cognitive, language, and motor and evaluates holistic child growth. Beyond the ELP programme students engaged with the Community Development initiatives such as sustainable toy-making under UNICEF project under FSN, elderly health and nutrition programs, and Healthcare camps for women and elderly. The article was presented as part of the Aroham initiative, showcasing student’s active participation and insights gained through hands-on engagement. The article explored how experiential learning enhanced understanding, creativity, and real-world problem-solving.

Aroham, Brainstorming, Community Development, Community Nutrition and Welfare, Experiential Learning, Early Childhood Education, ELP, UNICEF

ELP is a practical, hands-on learning program designed to connect classroom knowledge with real-life experiences. In the department of Human Development and Family Studies, it helps students understand human development, family dynamics, community needs, and interventions through direct engagement, and to provide practical exposure to theories of human growth and development, with the main purpose being earning. 

 The objectives of ELP included:

• To develop skills for observing, assessing, and supporting individuals across life stages.

• To build competencies in communication, counseling, and interaction with children, adults, and families.

• To encourage problem-solving and critical thinking in real-life situations.

• To enhance professional confidence through fieldwork experience.

Activities under ELP focus on pre-school and school going children, the early stages of human development. Early childhood, especially the preschool years, refers to the period from 3-6 years of age. It is considered the most crucial stage of human development because rapid growth occurs in physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and language domains (Lal et al., 2023). 

Importantly, early childhood development is acknowledged as a national and international priority, forming the foundation for children’s long-term learning, well-being, and future success. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.2 emphasizes ensuring that all girls and boys have access to high-quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education so that they are ready for formal schooling by 2030. Globally, 69% of children attend organized learning one year before the official primary entry age, reflecting a slowly but steadily increasing commitment toward early learning opportunities (UNESCO, 2020).

Source: UNESCO, Global Education Monitoring Report (2020).

In India, universal, high-quality early learning is prioritized by policies like the National Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Framework and the National Education Policy- 2020 (Ministry of Education 2020; Samadder et al., 2024). These frameworks emphasize how crucial the early years are and stress the necessity of methodical, comprehensive evaluation procedures that uphold each child's right to the best possible development (Ministry of Education, 2020).

Despite global progress, significant gaps remain. The robustness of UNICEF’s Early Childhood Development Index is currently under review, with recent surveys from seven countries showing only small improvements in literacy-numeracy skills among 3 to 4 year olds (UNICEF, 2019; UNICEF, 2020). Moreover, relatively few countries participate in cross-national assessments of early childhood development. Even among low- and middle-income nations, national monitoring systems remain limited: only 8 of 34 reviewed countries had collected data across all four essential domains of school readiness - cognitive, linguistic, physical, and social-emotional (UNESCO, 2020).

A comprehensive assessment approach becomes essential for understanding each child’s unique progress. Assessing preschool children across physical, cognitive, and social, domains not only provide insight into their developmental trajectory but also enable educators and caregivers to design appropriate learning experiences, identify potential delays, and support individual needs.

Through physical assessment, a child’s height, weight, head circumference, mid-arm circumference, balance and overall physical well-being was examined while through cognitive assessment, the focus was mainly on growing motor abilities of pre-schoolers. During early childhood period, 90% of the children’s brain development had occurred through structured play-based activities, such as, shapes identification, sort by colour, size and shapes, recognize numbers 1-50, attention span, memory power, letters A-Z, phonics, answer questions. However, social development was focused on how young children interact with their peer groups and teachers and was examined on the basis of the children’s ability to share, cooperate, communicate feelings, form friendship, follow routines and handle conflicts. Language development focused at what extent children are rapidly learning verbal and nonverbal communication.

METHODOLOGY

To execute the components of the programme, the following methods were undertaken, guided primarily by the naturalistic observation method and checklist method.

Extended Day Care and Extra-Curricular Activities:

The implementation of the Extended Day Care and Extra-Curricular Activities Programme followed a structured and participatory approach. To begin with, promotional posters were developed and displayed to promote the activities planned under the Experiential Learning Programme. These posters included the objectives, schedule, and potential benefits of the activities.

Parent–teacher meetings were organized to facilitate direct interaction with parents. During these sessions, the goals of the programme were explained in detail, with an emphasis on how these activities would support children’s talent development, creativity, and overall growth. Parents were encouraged to engage actively and contribute to their children’s talent, growth and participation. The enrolment of children into the nursery school programme formed the next step, ensuring that participants were registered and grouped according to age and interest. This was followed by detailed schedules which were developed for the systematic conduction of all planned activities. These schedules ensured smooth execution, proper time management, and effective coordination among facilitators.

Counselling-cum-Brainstorming Sessions:

The counselling-cum-brainstorming was carried out through several steps. First, formal permission was obtained from the principals of the respective schools to conduct the sessions. After receiving approval, interactive sessions were held with school children to understand their needs, concerns, and areas where guidance was required. The objectives of the counselling sessions were clearly explained to the students to help them understand the purpose and expected outcomes. Interested students were then registered for participation with a nominal charge to ensure commitment while keeping the programme accessible. To promote the sessions further, posters and banners were designed and displayed within the schools. These materials highlighted the themes and benefits of the counselling activities. Finally, the interaction sessions were conducted as planned, providing a platform for guided discussions, problem-solving, and idea sharing among students.

COMPREHENSIVE DAYCARE PROGRAM: EMPLOYING EVIDENCE-BASED ACTIVITIES TO FOSTER HEALTHY CHILD DEVELOPMENT 

Our daycare program creates an atmosphere where children acquire vital skills for lifetime learning by integrating evidence-based activities across four crucial developmental domains: linguistic, physical, cognitive, and social-emotional.

Physical Development: Advanced motor skills like balances and coordination are developed through outdoor play activities including swings, slides and ball play. These exercises enhance hand-eye coordination, build stronger core muscles and support immunological and physical development (Sheridan, Howard & Alderson 2020). Young children who practice yoga see quantifiable gains in their social-emotional abilities. While breathing exercises teach vital self-regulation skills that help youngsters regulate emotions and lessen anxiety, specific positions like the butterfly pose stretch growing muscles and the tree pose builds balance and attention (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. Physical developmental activities.

Cognitive Development. Puzzle-solving exercises predict primary school arithmetic success and greatly improve spatial transformation abilities. Puzzle activity helps kids acquire the spatial reasoning skills necessary for mathematical thinking. Color, shape, and type matching and sorting exercises improve visual perception, cognitive abilities, and memory—all of which are essential for focus and problem-solving. As kids describe items and find similarities, these activities simultaneously promote language development (Piaget 1952) (Fig. 2).

Language Development: Daily greeting customs promote verbal engagement in significant circumstances and create emotional comfort through dependable social routines. Greetings in the morning foster children's self-expression and educate them to future social norms. Learning the alphabet is a key indicator of future reading and spelling proficiency. Instead of rote memorization, we use interactive, multimodal approaches to help kids identify letters, names, and sounds in interesting ways. Learning the names of fruits and vegetables expands vocabulary and creates cognitive links between language and the outside world. In addition to promoting good eating practices, this exercise stimulates the gustatory, tactile and visual senses for improved brain recall. Songs and rhymes foster phonological awareness, which is a necessary precondition for successful reading. Children playfully develop their memory and listening abilities while internalizing linguistic structure through rhythmic patterns and melodic repetition (Fig. 3).

Fig. 2. Children doing Cognitive development activities.

Fig. 3. Children doing Rhymes recitation.

Developing Social and Emotional Skills. Children learn to speak, share, take turns, and solve issues in a genuine way via group play activities. Children learn leadership, perspective-taking, and that teamwork produces better results than solo effort via cooperative play. Children may express their emotions and practice taking turns in secure environments during circle time interactions, which also foster social-emotional and linguistic development (Denham 2006). By reinforcing consistency, this planned sharing time fosters children's emotional awareness, empathy, and self-assurance (Fig. 4).

Fig. 4. Circle time interactions.

HOLOSTIC CHILD DEVELOPMENT WITH INTEGRATED ACTIVITIES

The early stages of life are a crucial time for the development of several interrelated aspects, such as language, social, emotional, and mental abilities. To promote holistic child development, we developed an activity-based program that incorporates yoga, dance, painting, handicrafts, and role-playing. The results show that this integrated strategy effectively addresses all aspects of early childhood development, including improved peer interactions, greater mental agility, broader linguistic expression and enhanced emotional regulation.

Yoga has become a potent tool for helping kids acquire emotional control while enhancing their physical talents. Children gained awareness of their bodies and emotions during structured yoga sessions that included postures (asanas), breathing methods (pranayama), and guided relaxation. Children's emotional recognition improved as a result of this physical awareness; they were able to recognize when they were excited or nervous and use breathing exercises to control their reactions. Additionally, children's attention spans, muscle strength, coordination, and balance were enhanced by yoga; these results improve academic preparation (Fig. 5).

Fig. 5. Children doing Yoga activities.

Dance and movement exercises have been shown to be incredibly beneficial for integrated development, improving social interaction, motor development, and mental involvement all at once. Early childhood dance programs have been shown to have major favorable benefits on social-emotional development, cognitive growth (recall, spatial analysis, serial thoughts), and physical growth (posture, integration, and gross motor abilities). Children who were hesitant or quiet were especially drawn to dancing, which offered a different way of communication, as speaking was difficult for them. 

Painting exercises significantly improved fine motor, emotional and cognitive skills. It accelerated the development of fine motor skills by strengthening the tiny hand muscles and the brain connections that enable fine motor control. Kids who had trouble expressing their sentiments orally frequently used color and images to convey complicated emotions. Children's language development flourished organically as they talked about their paintings, describing color selections and creative choices (Fig. 6).

  Fig. 6. Dancing Activities.

Fig. 7. Children doing painting activities.

Children's spatial thinking, planning skills, and real problem-solving were stimulated by crafting activities such as boat and animal faces. Children experienced folding and assembling pieces of paper while facing actual difficulties when their first attempts failed to provide the intended outcomes. This practical interaction challenged greater resilience and mental agility. Children's physical creations gave them a sense of success and increased their self-esteem.

Children engaged in deep perspective-taking during dramatic play by assuming various roles and characters, which helps them build a theory of mind—the aptitude to understand that others have diverse ideas, opinions, and emotions. Children learned how to communicate, construct roles and storylines, and settle disputes in low-risk situations through theatrical activity. Children who were nervous about medical procedures regularly acted out doctor-patient situations, using play to absorb their experiences (Fig. 7).

Integrated Outcomes and Observations. By the end of our three-month session, every enrolled kid had shown quantifiable developmental advances. Children showed a considerable improvement in their capacity to recognize and express emotions; use coping mechanisms acquired via yoga, and overcome emotional dysregulation with little assistance from adults. Prosocial behaviors—helping, sharing, and cooperating—markedly rose while behavioral events declined. As dramatic play produced organic potential for long-term collaboration, peer involvement increased and disputes reduced. Through cooperative role-playing situations, children who had previously been alone during unstructured play found social entrance points. Cognitively, kids showed enhanced capacity for thought, more adaptability in addressing problems, and more self-assurance when taking on new tasks. Expanded vocabulary, improved verbal communication, and increased self-assurance in expressing were all signs of language development, especially in kids who didn't speak much at first (Fig. 8).

Fig. 8. Children doing crafts activities.

WORKSHOP ON COUNSELING AND BRAINSTORMING: FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION AND LIFE

 "Foundations of Learning and Life" counseling and brainstorming sessions give elementary and high school students vital tools for all-around growth (Bredekamp, 2017). In order to promote emotional resilience and useful life skills, these sessions combine interactive brainstorming with counseling support to address healthy habits and discipline, safety and awareness, learning by doing, language development and stress management (Ginsburg, 2007).

For optimum involvement, age-appropriate brainstorming and counseling strategies are used in workshops that are organized around five main pillars. Good Habits and Discipline: Using round-robin idea sharing, brainstorming sessions examine everyday practices including goal-setting and time management.  Through role-playing exercises, counseling activities assist students develop persistent behaviors that enhance their ability to concentrate in class (Rao & Pearce 2018). Safety and Awareness: Creative problem-solving exercises, such as "What If" scenarios for emergency responses, are conducted after group conversations identify personal and digital safety threats.  Peer mediation increases awareness of boundary-setting and peer pressure. Learning by Doing: In order to process emotions and strengthen trial-and-error resilience, experiential learning activities like building models or team tasks are paired with reflective counseling circles. Language Development: Story-building activities and brainstorming games improve communication abilities.

Execution and Effects. The 60 to 90 minute sessions begin with a needs assessment, move on to the production of divergent ideas, and conclude with action plans. While high school students deal with real-life applications like test stress, primary pupils use games. According to research, these programs improve academic performance by 10–25% and improve emotional control. Surveys on stress levels and the adoption of new habits can be used to monitor progress, and teacher training can help overcome obstacles. These classes produce self-disciplined, conscious, and self-assured students who are prepared for the demands of life.

CHILDREN’S TALENT FIESTA: USING COMPETITIONS TO UNLEASH CREATIVITY

Through organized competitions in painting, drawing, story writing, dancing, and singing, the Children Talent Fiesta provides both primary and secondary schools with a dynamic platform to foster students' artistic talents.  These activities foster self-assurance, self-control, and peer cooperation—all crucial pillars for a child's overall development—while honoring a variety of artistic expressions.

Painting and Drawing: Using watercolors, crayons, or sketches on "children's day" students produce creative works of art. Through timed sessions with rounds of peer criticism, these develop fine motor abilities and visual inventiveness. 

Story Writing: Students write 200–500 word short stories. Warm-up brainstorming sessions promote the production of ideas, which are then followed by editing circles to improve language skills and polish narratives.

Dancing: To lively music, solo and group performances feature folk, classical, or modern forms.  Workshops encourage physical fitness and emotional release by teaching rhythm and expression.

Singing: Solo performances of popular, folk, or patriotic songs are featured in vocal competitions.

Advantages for the Development of Students

 According to research, these talent fiestas increase academic confidence and emotional control by 10% to 25%. This is because creative outlets lower stress and increase cognitive flexibility. Critical thinking is improved by painting and drawing, literacy is improved by narrative writing, and social skills and discipline are developed through performing arts. Participants report increased motivation and self-esteem, and quieter pupils become more visible as a result of encouraging evaluations that prioritize effort over perfection.

Arrangement and Execution

 Planning includes 5 teachers for judging and venue setup (stage/auditorium). Counseling components are incorporated into sessions, such as breathing exercises for anxiety before to an event. These formats are validated for long-term talent growth by high-value research. By using rehearsals to overcome obstacles like stage fear, schools monitor their impact through participation rates and follow-up skill surveys.

ACTIVITIES FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Community development initiatives that combine student involvement with practical social benefits include healthcare camps, nutrition and health programs for the elderly and sustainable toy-making.

At Purnea Anganwadi Center, we used natural and repurposed materials to make imaginative toys, learning useful skills and producing reasonably priced playthings for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The toy-making courses foster environmental awareness and an entrepreneurial spirit. Through practical production, we learn about resource efficiency, waste reduction, and sustainable product design.

In adopted village of Darbhanga & Sitamarhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra, elderly community members are taught about age-appropriate dietary changes, balanced diets, and micronutrient requirements through nutrition programs that address prevalent health issues, such as diabetes, hypertension, and osteoporosis. 

Elderly populations are empowered with information about chronic illness management, good aging practices, and preventive health measures through healthcare awareness camps run in collaboration with medical practitioners. In addition to distributing health material and conducting blood pressure checks, we also lead counseling sessions on medication adherence and lifestyle changes. Our empathy, communication skills, and understanding of the health inequities affecting disadvantaged populations are all enhanced by these interactions.

INCOME EARNED: The total income of Experiential Learning Program was Rs. 50039 with a total expenditure of Rs. 9958 and a profit of Rs. 40081.

                                                             Table 1: Overall, Balance Sheet of ELP.

Graph 1: Income, Expenditure and profit.

DEVELOPMENTAL ASSESSMENT

Overall assessment in early childhood refers to a comprehensive evaluation of a child’s growth and development across multiple domains. It considers physical health and wellbeing, cognitive abilities, fine and gross motor skills, language and communication development, and socio-emotional maturity. Such an assessment helps in understanding each child’s strengths and needs, ensuring that appropriate support, guidance, and learning experiences are provided for holistic development. Assessments conducted in five domains include:

Physical Assessment: It examines a child’s overall growth, health, strength and bodily functions and helps to identify whether the child is achieving age-appropriate physical milestones and maintaining general well-being.

The physical assessment of the children was conducted using anthropometric measurements based on age-appropriate developmental standards. The assessment included height, weight, head circumference and mid-arm circumference. Overall, the results indicate that most children fall within the normal developmental range for their age group. Height and weight measurements showed consistent growth patterns, while head and mid-arm circumferences reflected healthy nutritional and physical status. In conclusion, the physical assessment findings show positive and age-appropriate physical development, with children demonstrating healthy growth and overall good physical fitness.

Cognitive assessment: It evaluates a child’s thinking abilities like memory, problem-solving, attention and understanding of concepts that help determine how children process information and apply learning in everyday situations.

Data shows (Table 2) that most students recognize color, shape, size and letter A-Z as the highest mastery (100%), indicating strong early conceptual understanding. Children demonstrated significant growth in memory (75%), attention span (80%), shape identification (85%) and early numeracy concepts (85%). Activities such as puzzles, sorting, and number recognition strengthened conceptual understanding and analytical thinking. Most children performed at developing to achieved levels across all indicators. Overall, cognitive development showed consistent and meaningful improvement.

Table 2: Cognitive Assessment of nursery children.

                                                                                                                                                            N=20                                                                     

Socio-emotional assessment: It evaluates a child’s ability to understand and manage emotions, form interpersonal relationships and interact with peers. It determines how well the child adapts to social environments, expresses feelings and builds positive connections with others.

Table 3 revealed that the social participation parameter is the highest, i.e., 80% indicating increased socialization among the children. Children showed improved peer bonding (75%), self-control (60%) and emotional stability (70%). Overall, socio-emotional development showed strong positive progress.

Language Assessment: It examines a child’s ability to understand, use and express language through literacy skills. It identifies how effectively the child communicates and comprehends information in different situations.

            Table 3: Socio-emotional Assessment of nursery children.               

                                                                                                                                               N=20

Table 4: Language Assessment of nursery children.                                                                                             

                                                                                                                 (N=20)                                                                   

Data shows (Table 4) that most of the students show their ability to follow instructions i.e, 90%. Rhymes sessions boosted sentence formation and comprehension skills (75%). Many children developed their vocabulary (68%) and showed increased confidence in clarity of speech (85%). Overall, language development showed a positive response.

Motor Assessment: It evaluates a child’s fine and gross motor skills, including coordination, balance, hand-eye control and overall movement abilities. It helps determine whether the child is developing age-appropriate physical competencies required for daily activities.

Data in Table 5 revealed that the maximum number of children were able to jump with feet, i.e, 100% while they showed positive progress in standing on one foot (60%), walks in a straight line (90%) and hops on one foot (60%). Assessment included jumping, balancing, hopping, and participation in outdoor play. Most children showed good balance, coordination, and body control during playground activities. Yoga poses such as tree pose and butterfly pose helped improve stability and flexibility. Children demonstrated increasing confidence in movements requiring agility and strength.   

          Table 5: Motor Assessment (Gross motor) of nursery children.              

                                                                                                                                                      N=20                                                                                     

        Table 6: Motor Assessment (Fine motor) of nursery children.            

                                                                                                                                                                    N=20                                                                 

Data in Table 6 shows that the maximum numbers of children were able to complete puzzles and stack blocks (8-10) i.e., 100%, whereas they showed positive progress in other activities like holding pencil properly (80%) and eating independently (85%). These skills were assessed through drawing, holding crayons, paper folding and craft activities. Children showed improvement in hand–eye coordination, grip strength, and finger control. Activities like puzzle building and craft work enhanced precision and bilateral hand use. Most children achieved age-appropriate fine motor milestones. 

Children displayed progress in both fine and gross motor skills through regular engagement in play, yoga, and hands-on activities. Improved balance, coordination, and awareness were observed during outdoor play and structured movement tasks. Fine motor tasks such as drawing and craft work strengthened their motor skills. Overall, motor development showed consistent positive growth across the group.

OUTCOMES:

Predictable And Organized Routine

 Daily routines that are predictable give children emotional stability and lower anxiety, allowing them to focus their cognitive energies on learning. Children who attend organized, high-quality childcare facilities have better behavior control, increased social skills, and superior cognitive outcomes.

Our comprehensive childcare program is based on research showing that integrated verbal, physical, cognitive and social-emotional activities in a stable, caring environment promote the best early childhood development. Every thoughtfully chosen activity is supported by research showing its positive effects on development, fostering an environment in which kids acquire the resilience, competences, and abilities that provide the groundwork for both academic achievement and long-term wellbeing.

CONCLUSION

Early childhood is a transformative period where physical, cognitive, social-emotional, and language abilities rapidly unfold, laying the foundation for lifelong learning and wellbeing. Through our Experiential Learning Programme (ELP) and integrated daycare approach, we observed that a structured yet flexible environment—rich in play-based, creative, and evidence-based activities—significantly enhances holistic growth in young children. Yoga, dance, painting, storytelling, dramatic play, and cognitive tasks collectively nurtured emotional regulation, communication, problem-solving, physical strength, and peer cooperation. The counseling workshops, brainstorming sessions, and Children’s Talent Fiesta further strengthened students’ confidence, discipline, creativity, and real-life readiness. Naturalistic observation approach involved observing children and participants in their real-life settings without interference, allowing for an authentic understanding of their behaviour, needs, interests, and responses to the programme activities. Insights gathered through continuous naturalistic observation helped refine the planning, implementation, and evaluation of each component, ensuring that the programme aligned closely with the participants’ actual developmental patterns.

By combining academic, emotional, and social skill-building, these programs empowered children and adolescents to express themselves, manage stress, and engage actively in learning. Additionally, community development initiatives fostered social responsibility, empathy, and practical understanding of societal needs. Overall, our findings reaffirm that child development thrives when learning is experiential, inclusive, and rooted in real-life interactions. A thoughtful blend of structured routines and creative exploration enables children to develop resilience, curiosity, and confidence—qualities that prepare them not only for school success but also for meaningful participation in family, community, and society. This holistic approach serves as a model for educators, caregivers, and institutions committed to nurturing the full potential of every child.

This report is helpful for students or others in acquiring useful knowledge about child development, family requirements, and community dynamics that can be applied to creative enterprises such as low-cost daycare facilities, mobile crèches, or early learning-focused digital learning platforms. They are well-positioned to develop businesses that tackle urgent social challenges including parental awareness campaigns, inclusive education for children with special needs, and access to high-quality preschool education by fusing academic knowledge with practical expertise. In addition to creating opportunities for sustainable business models, partnerships with non-governmental organizations, and government-sponsored projects, this pathway not only promotes social impact by uplifting communities but also empowers graduates to become social entrepreneurs who combine education, welfare, and innovation into worthwhile businesses.

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Monika, Sambrita Saha, Sultana Sabnur, Pranav Kumar, Shruti Singh, Santosh Kumar, Veena Shahi, Anamika Lata and Sudhanand Prasad Lal (2026). Holistic approach through Experiential Learning Program (ELP) in ECCE: A Comprehensive Report. International Journal on Emerging Technologies, 17(1): 01-10.