Children have long enjoyed a special status in the family and the community in India, where traditional teaching techniques include song, dance, play, and storytelling. In India, play-oriented, child-centered approaches to teaching and learning, which are common in the United States, Canada, Europe, and elsewhere, are the exception to the norm (Prochner 2002). Creating interactive environments is further complicated by the lack of appropriate buildings and materials, as well as the lack of trained educators who have strong literacy skills. Despite these challenges, many children attend Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) preschools, and with 128 million preschool-age children in India (Registrar General 2001), opportunities for harnessing children's love of learning abound. Galli Galli Sim Sim (GGSS), which means Sesame Street in Hindi, is an initiative that combines the power of television with educational outreach to help Indian children better prepare for school and life. Over the past four years, GGSS has developed 14 educational kits containing colorful and entertaining teaching and learning materials, such as story-books, posters, and puzzles. To date, the most popular and effective GGSS teaching and learning tool is the Story Pond--a five-by-five-foot vinyl floor sheet illustrated with a pond filled with stepping stones. Each stone features an Indian person, a mode of transportation, a geographic feature (such as a mountain), an animal, or an object such as an item of clothing or food. The name Story Pond comes from its goal--to encourage children to tell a story while hopping from stone to stone. Storytelling allows children to explore different and exciting worlds and supports social development, helping children learn to make decisions, overcome fears, and express themselves creatively (IGNOU 2006). The Story Pond engages children's love of learning and is an example of how an inexpensive educational tool can have wide appeal, use, and impact.