These are hard times for all, especially children. Keeping children engaged and happy during the extended lockdown period is of utmost importance. From online learning, indoor games, reading stories, screen activity, crafts, to name a few, children have a lot at their disposal to make time fly and feel at ease.
Playing a small part in ensuring young minds remain active is Niah’s Ark, a YouTube channel of Niah Sanjith, a four-year-old cuber from Thathampally in Alappuzha who first shot to fame after becoming the youngest cuber to solve three types of Rubik’s cube in 2019. Niah, who started the YouTube channel more than a year ago, is using much of the lockdown period to make and post videos of fun-filled learning, brainteasers, games and puzzles that improve creativity in kids.
“It is important to keep children engaged during the lockdown. In Niah's case, she loves to play board games and solve puzzles. We used to post videos on the YouTube channel and the number of uploads has increased in the last month or so. This way Niah remains engaged along with helping other children to acquire different kinds of skills,” says Tixy, mother of Niah, who shoots and uploads the videos.
22 videos
As of Thursday, her YouTube channel has 22 videos. The videos of different games and puzzles are focussed on improving concentration, spatial insights, mental rotation, reasoning, planning and observational skills in children.
The videos are accompanied by a description on the show, its positive impact and Niah’s own experience with the game. Dr. Tixy says her daughter has started to make a small income from the affiliated marketing in the YouTube videos.
In March 2019, Niah, then three years and 232 days, solved variants of puzzle — 3x3, 2x2, and Pyraminx in record time at a cubing competition organised by the World Cube Association. She then entered the India Book of Records and Asia Book of Records.
