First Steps Play School

Our school is located inside Sonu Palace on the main road in Shivaji Nagar. If you know Panchgani, you know it can get pretty chilly and misty up here. We started this play school because there weren't many spots for the little ones around this part of town. The building is an old one, Sonu Palace, so it has that familiar feel. We have a few rooms filled with toys and some small chairs that the kids use. It’s not a massive campus or anything. We just have the space we need. Most of the parents drop their kids off on their way to work or the market. Sometimes the kids get a bit rowdy, but that’s just how it is with that age group. We have some posters on the walls, and maybe a few drawings the children did last week. The main road is right outside, so it stays busy with cars and tourists going through Panchgani. We just try to keep things organized. It’s a bit of a climb up the stairs to get to us. Nothing too complicated, just a local school for the neighborhood families. We’ve had some of the same staff for a long time. It’s a simple setup. We don't use big fancy machines, just books and blocks and a lot of patience. Sometimes the windows rattle when the wind picks up. We have a small cupboard where we keep the snacks. We spend a lot of time wiping down tables and making sure everyone has their shoes on before they leave. It’s just a normal day.