In 2020, will a calendar become your child's new close friend?
Traditional calendars are boring to a young mind: religious observances, stock visuals, and dates, dates, dates. Something to be ignored.
What if the calendar was an invitation to days packed with fun, an adventure every month, and an invitation to discoveries of a lifetime? Give your child a calendar that will make today fun and the year memorable. 
Our Colours of India calendar features 12 iconic Indian shades
Each month is about a desi colour like "Basanti", "Morpankhi", and "Kapish". Some you knew already, and some that you'll discover.
It's astonishing what you can learn from one little colour. There are quirky stories ("Where did Khaki come from?"). There are tidbits of facts (like the one about denim jeans). You can go on a little treasure hunt ("find a flower this spring").
Each month's shade is accompanied by all of this. But that's not all: there are little secrets shyly peeking out on each page. Spot them, scan them with your phone, and unlock your bonus treat. It could be a game, a song, or a challenge. This is not just a calendar, but a "CALENDAR PLUS". A 21st century mix of online and offline. (You'll see why when you see it!) 
And what about the dates?
No, we haven't forgotten the most important purpose of a calendar. And we've made it even more fun. Each month is packed with days that a child would love to know about. Arguably the most important day in the year is Icecream-For-Breakfast Day? (Heard of it? Now you have.) The calendar marks important events, birthdays of legendary people, and quirky days (like days for left-handers and vegetarians). In all, there are 100 activities across the 12 months. We did say it was going to be a memorable year. A memorable year needs a memorable notebook With so much happening each month, wouldn't it be lovely to keep note of everything you did? A child can also use the calendar's space to log it all. Respond to the nudges and make a log of your 2020. Where can we get the calendar? Each calendar is priced at Rs 500/-. Customisations, such as putting a child's name on it, are available (for a nominal fee of Rs. 100/-). Have large orders in mind or other questions? Contact us via this page or write in to iconiq@iconiqindia.com
Also check out our "Languages of India" calendar
We also have a wall calendar that features the 12 most popular languages spoken in India. Each page features one language plus common and quirky phrases spoken in each of them. This calendar also comes with the quirky days feature, as you can see below. 
Who are we?
Iconiq India brings families and children closer to India, often in unusual ways. We have games, quizzes, stories, activities, courses, and merchandise for anyone discovering India through food, culture, language, sports, science, history, geography and much more. Iconiq India is a Choose To Thinq offering. The people behind it are ace quizzers, innovators, writers, and storytellers. Do join our mailing list and receive our weekly newsletter.
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 IndiQa 2019 is the annual Independence Day Quiz we sponsor for children all around the world interested in India. If you played it this year, did you check which questions you got right? (If not, check out the answers for NRI, Seniors and Junior quizzes). Prizes and winners are given below. ALL participants get a FREE 1+1 Month subscription of Iconiq 10, which you can use for yourself or gift to a friend.     We will send emails to all winners and runners-up with details on how to claim their prizes. If you were a participant but did not win, email us to inform which email address you nominate to receive the 1+1 month free subscription of Iconiq 10.
Iconiq 10 went LIVE! at the Litbug Fest in Pune. It was a joy to see parents and children in action, tackling the Iconiq India game with us and learning something new in the process. As kids explored the lengths and depths of India from languages to nature to food to sports, we learnt something too: that age is really no bar to using a question as a great prompt for discovery and discussion. We were floored by the responses that came in - enthusiastic raised arms and whoops of delight when they got something right. For some questions you could almost hear the brain machinery whirring as our host (and Iconiq India co-founder) Harish piled on clue after clue to gently encourage the children to find the answers. The LIVE! quiz also showed that the spirit of exploration is alive - sometimes we just need a trigger (like Iconiq 10!) to energise it. One of the questions at the quiz was:  While the guesses kept coming in, the answer had to be prodded for. Harish was able to masterfully demonstrate just the right amount of encouragement a curious grownup can provide: sticking around for the child who was trying to answer, prodding and questioning and connecting, till the "aha" moment happens and the answer reveals itself.
Some answers showed how the next generation is slowly replacing iconic stuff of the past with new icons of their own (guesses of Virat Kohli over Sachin Tendulkar), while some revealed the parental influence that still permeates in their life, through foggy guesses (a hesitant answer of 'Mera Baccha Hai Japani?' instead of 'Mera Joota Hai Japani', showing the perfect example of how memories cross over across generations!). Kids took home some fab Iconiq India memorabilia for their efforts, along with heaps of chocolates of course. And we took away some useful ideas on how Iconiq 10 can be used in your home. Next up: we will give you a lowdown on how you can use Iconiq 10 with the kids.  Every year in March, the Indian Premier League cricket tournament begins. With its cross between quick, entertaining cricket to music, dance, Bollywood masti, high-end prizes and world-class players, it's a riveting couple of months that make it doubly exciting for young cricket enthusiasts. As we like to say in Iconiq, however, never let a good day go without picking up something new. So as we gear up for IPL 2019, here's a printable poster that's perfect for the kids' room, fridge or even school notice board. The A4 poster will introduce you to all the venues of the IPL, making them memorable with some behind-the-scenes trivia. Just enter your email below and download the high-res PDF. Then just print, play and pin it up. 
Sowmya Rajendran is the winner of Sahitya Akademi's Bal Sahitya Puraskar and the author of incredible books such as the Mayil series, The Rulebreakers' Club series, Ashwathy and the Boot of God and the young-reader favourites Suddenly Cow and The Pleasant Rakshasa. Her writing has enthralled readers of all ages with her witty, endearing stories that are poignant, funny, yet very contemporary.
As a mum to a curious 7-year-old, we thought we'd ask her for her favourite picks for the summer holidays that capture the essence of India in its myriad forms. (She wouldn't put her own books on the list, but we recommend them whole-heartedly and are bound to feature in most must-read lists you will find featured on this blog). So here are five books that Sowmya generously picked for you and your kids. All are quintessentially Indian, about India, and truly Iconiq.
The Why-Why Girl by Mahasweta Devi
Salim Mamoo and Me by Zai Whitaker
Timmi In Tangles by Shals Mahajan
The Mahabharatha: A Child's View by Samhita Arni
A Kite Called Korika by Sarada Kolluru
Do you like these picks? Have you read any of them? What do you think?
Leave your comments below! What a delight to see children from all across India take part in our Republic Day Quiz (and a few non-competing over-12s too!) Remember, if you liked this little quiz, there's always Iconiq 10 to look forward to every week, where you will get an Indian-themed game delivered right to your Inbox to play with friends, family or events. You can try it for a month for free! So without much ado, here goes: Winners of Republicana 2019The three winners (by lucky draw) are (in no order): Mrindangam G, Barun C, Basushree M [Congrats! We’ll be in touch with you over email for your prizes] For those who missed out, worry not - at Iconiq, there's a game or a contest around at every corner. Sign up to our mailing list, and you will stay updated. And now for the answers:1. Which of these words DO NOT appear in the Indian national anthem?
a. Gujarat b. Karnataka c. Himachal d. Bharat Answer: Karnataka 2. Totapuri, Langda, Malgova, Pairi are all varieties of which fruit, which is the national fruit of India? Answer: Mango (The earliest name given to Mango is ‘amraphal’ which later morphed to different names given in different languages.) 3. Which of these three word phrases can you find in the Constitution of India, the Constitution of USA and a TV show on NDTV? a. The Big Fight b. We, the People c. The Great Republic d. Brothers and Sisters Answer: We, the people (The preamble to the Indian constitution begins with: “We, the people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a…..” It’s a declaration saying we accept this constitution.) 4. This picture shows a unique display by the BSF jawans in the Republic Day parade. In ‘BSF’, SF stands for Security Force. What does B stand for? Answer: Border (The BSF has over 2 lakh personnel and is the world’s largest border guarding force.) 5. When Indian astronaut Rakesh Sharma was asked by Indira Gandhi how India looked from space, he replied using the words of a song which is also one of the marching songs of the Indian Army. What song? Answer: Saare Jahan Se Achcha (Also known as Taranah-e-Hindi, the song is in Urdu. It became an anthem against the British.) We have new stuff coming up all the time. The best way to keep track is to sign up for our mailing list. There are a million interesting things about India, from which we handpick and curate ones that are lesser-known and of much interest to kids. Now here's how you can see such interesting tidbits everyday in an easy, non-intrusive way. 1. Add the number below to your Phone's contact list. 2. Ping us with your name, city and age of kid(s) (to help us choose info that's relevant to you) 3. See trivia, quiz questions as our WhatsApp status. 4. Since this is a non-group, no one else will see the answers or messages you send to this number, except for us. It's FREE, so try it out.   How much do your children know about the Republic Day? Get them to play the 5-min Republicana Quiz to unlock bonus quizzes (and even win some prizes!)
Here are the rules:
So FIVE QUESTIONS ON INDIA are all that stands between you and the prizes. Are you ready? B V Harish Kumar(Harish is a co-founder of IconiqIndia and a father to a 12-year-old and a 9 year-old.)    I have drawn many life-lessons for myself from sports, films and books. I also use these as triggers for conversations I want to have with our kids on certain topics. For example, when I'm watching Lagaan, it's much easier for me to explain to my 9 year-old about how the British exploited Indians before 1947 and yet, there were some Britons who were kind - so there's no need to paint everyone with the same brush. Having such a conversation without the backdrop of the film may not be that effective.
The kids’ first priority is to watch/listen to something new but they also enjoy the hand-picked recommendations from when we were young because they know we would have chosen well. There are so many new films, songs, books, shows that are coming out every day that you are always trying to play catch up. You cannot be on top of the game. You have to depend on curated lists. While there is merit in allowing the kids to discover their own tastes and letting them find the gems of yesteryear on their own, we can also help them save time by pointing them to the ones they must sample – those iconic films, songs, books. I use these films as triggers for conversations that I want to have with kids about topics like religion, beliefs, good vs. bad, principles, sports, India-Pakistan partition, unemployment etc. Of course, if every film is treated as a reflection exercise and converted into an essay-writing competition, kids will see through it. But there are films that are made well and get the viewers to ask questions. Some of them are uncomfortable but they are important because without the backdrop of these films, some of those conversations can be very boring or theoretical. I tried to make a list of films that I try to find time for, or at the minimum, talk to the kids about. We are yet to watch all of them. Most of the films in my list are Hindi films like Sholay, Lagaan, Mr. India, Gol Maal and a stray Sonar Kella in Bengali. I'm trying to crowd-source a more comprehensive list by adding more lesser known films to this list - both in Hindi and other Indian languages. The main criteria is that they should be age-appropriate for kids of ages 5-13 years and can be triggers for conversations about India, life and the world around them. Please add to this list or share it with other parents who can contribute. 
"Oye! Arre! Akka! Bhaiyya! Aiyo!” The Indian mind seems particularly receptive to languages. Indian children are the best examples of this: they find playmates easily on the playground, irrespective of what language they speak, and they pick up phrases from them. India is diverse and children come across speakers of different languages everywhere they go - be it on a long flight, the local park, or in their school. For 2019, why not give them some quintessentially Indian lingo to learn, from the top-12 most widely spoken languages of India? Hearing them trying to speak these will bring a smile on your face, and start a conversation with their elders and neighbours. So here’s our 2019 Calendar. Each month is dedicated to one language: a collection of useful and fun phrases along with their English translations. (This is a Wall Calendar of size 21 x 28 cm - take a look here. Currently ships only in India.) |
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Photo used under Creative Commons from kdinuraj
