Until the recent past, a family outing in Chennai would typically mean a visit to the museum or planetarium, or the Guindy National Park.
Now, few families go to these places over the weekend or during summer holidays.
Although Birla Planetarium and Guindy National Park are still popular destinations for school excursions, they are not much sought after for family picnics as they are not well maintained.
According to a senior official at the planetarium, they offer a number of workshops and classes for children. Parents, however, do not see these as viable options since the park and the main auditorium are not in proper condition.
K. Udhaya, who took her daughter to the planetarium a month ago, said there are many interesting things to explore there but the sight of broken chairs in the main auditorium and the shoddy upkeep of the park are hardly encouraging.
P. Vineetha said her 14-year-old son was unable to appreciate the artefacts at the planetarium because there was nobody to explain their significance.
According to a senior staff member at the Government Museum in Egmore, there are no special programmes for children, lack of funding being the main reason.
At the sole aquarium in the city at Zoological Survey of India on Santhome High Road too, there are just about a couple of entries in the marine museum’s visitor register.
V. Jayanthini, former head of Child Guidance Clinic, said, parents are more focused on marks and the idea of an educational outing with the family is disappearing.
“For the overall development of the child, it is important they visit places like the museum, national parks, zoos and aquariums and discuss what they see with their parents and peers to develop social and environmental skills, as well as improve their knowledge,” she says.
