But how many of us have noticed the small bookshop in there? After we enter the park, we only need to take a few steps and at our left side, and there is a small hut-like place. It is called Kathmandu Children’s Club, and although small, there are many interesting items there.[break]
Storybooks
The Club has so many books. The books available will be of interest to both girls and boys. It has Cinderella, and Snow White, it has Robin Hood and also Freak the Mighty. The books available there are also for sale; so, if you really like the books you can always buy them.
Coloring books
There are lots of color-me books available there – color-me on vegetables, on fruits and also on animals. Also, there is a magic color-me book. What you need to do is just sketch anything on the book and it will turn into a beautiful drawing. There’s another book which is magical. In this book, you only need to use a brush and water to paint a colorful picture.
Toys
Though not as much as books, you will definitely find some toys here. A few cars and guns are for sale. But there are a lot of puzzles that you can have, and the puzzles are on cartoons and beautiful scenery, and also on educational stuffs like parts of the body.
CDs and DVDs
There are also a lot of CDs and DVDs at the store. You will find of movies like Hanuman, Eloise, and also Bleach. There are also DVDs on your favorite TV shows like Hannah Montana and Naruto. There are also CDs which have nursery rhymes and also the BBC’s Charlie and Lola.
Stationery
If you like colorful pencils, erasers and sharpeners, you have a lot to choose from here. There are erasers that have ABCs on them and cartoon-painted pencils. Also you can buy really cute notebooks and extremely colorful pencil boxes.
How it began?
Sangita and Sunita Karki are the two sisters behind the whole concept. Around a year ago, both sisters worked at a bookshop in Thamel. They, however, were not happy there for there was nothing for little kids at the bookshop. So what they decided was they were going to open their own bookshop and have the kinds of items which would be of interest to kids. Although they began just with the sum of Rs 5,000, today, they have a club of their own. The two sisters now, along with the Club, take orders from various schools and supply books to them.
“We want children to develop their reading habit,” says Sangita. She believes that in today’s time where little kids are only surrounded with gadgets, books can prove immensely helpful in developing the intellect of the child.
The place has a small but efficient number of books for parents too.
“The idea is to not let the parents get bored while their children read,” Sunita says, adding “Also, when parents stay with their kids, they are more likely to read some more.”
So, the next time you visit the Fun Park and are tired after playing so many games, head straight to the Club and read your favorite books, or begin sketching and coloring. There is also an option of becoming a member at the Club. The membership fee at the Club is Rs 350. Once you are a member, you don’t have to pay the entrance fee at the gate, and you can read any book you like, and for as long as you wish to. Moreover, you can also take home the book and keep it for a whole month.
The Club is open everyday from 11 am to 7 pm.
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