How a Pune school turned a Christmas celebration into real-world learning
By Ketaki Latkar
Pune, 1st January 2026: At H3 (The Head Heart Hands Learning Foundation), an experience-led, Waldorf-inspired school in the city, the annual Christmas celebration went beyond festivity to become a hands-on learning exercise rooted in real-world application.
Designed as part of a Grade 6 Business Mathematics block, the event challenged the idea that numbers exist only on paper. Students planned, created, priced, sold, managed accounts, and reflected on outcomes—applying mathematical concepts through lived experience.
The process placed students in roles of real responsibility, where decisions carried consequences and calculations required ethical consideration. While outcomes and profit were part of the brief, the focus remained on collaboration, fairness, and thoughtful execution.
“Through experiences like these, children don’t just excel at academics, they also develop emotional intelligence, confidence, and a sense of belonging. When learning is rooted in real work and real relationships, it stays with them for life,” said Sumana Sethuraman, Grade 6 teacher at H3.
Sharing his experience, Vismay Chaudhari, one of the participating students, said, “Before the event, we planned everything carefully, and when the day came, it ran so smoothly that I didn’t even realise when it was time to pack up. When you plan well and work together, even mammoth tasks become easy and fun.”
The celebration offered a glimpse of how experience-led education can build academic understanding alongside confidence and life skills that endure beyond the classroom.
