Exams are usually associated with marks, rankings and the pressure to get the right answer. But for a group of Sri Lankan children, Munchee Tikiri Marie’s ‘Unusual Exam’ is designed to offer something very different a day where imagination, creativity, play and simply being a child matter more than coming first.

Held at Ape Gama in Battaramulla as part of Munchee Tikiri Marie’s World Children’s Day initiative, the experience brings together selected children from across the island for a series of activities built around the message “A Child, Not Just a Winner.”

Rather than testing how much children can remember from a textbook, the ‘Unusual Exam’ encourages them to paint, perform, create, explore technology, (පාට ලෝකය – Painting Zone, මැටි සෙල්ලම් – Clay Creation Zone, කලා පියස – Performing Arts Zone, නිදහස් වීම – The Do-Nothing Zone and ගැජට් පොඩ්ඩෝ – Innovation & Technology Zone) connect with others and even spend time doing nothing at all. The idea is intended to prompt a wider conversation among parents about the balance between academic achievement and the freedom children need to enjoy their childhood.

Education and academic success remain important, but the initiative asks whether children are sometimes defined too heavily by marks, examinations and class rankings. Its central message is that while adults prepare children for their future, they should also give them the time and space to think freely, experiment, play and discover what they enjoy today.

The experience is divided into several activity spaces, each designed to encourage a different aspect of children’s creativity, confidence and personal development. At the Colourful World painting area, children are free to draw and colour without worrying about whether their work is right or wrong. Ready-made outlines are available for those who want them, while blank spaces allow children to create entirely from their own imagination.

The Art Space gives children interested in dancing, singing, music and acting an opportunity to explore performing arts. Participants are also given the chance to engage with the Ranwala Balakaya, encouraging them to experience creative expression and discover talents they may not have had the opportunity to explore before.
Creativity takes a more hands on form at Clay Creations, where children work alongside an experienced clay artist to turn their ideas into three dimensional creations. There are no model answers or prescribed outcomes, reinforcing the idea that creativity does not always need to be judged against a fixed standard.

One of the more unusual elements is the Freedom to Be space. Instead of asking children to complete a task, it deliberately gives them permission to slow down, relax and spend time with their own thoughts. The concept reflects the wider message that childhood does not always have to revolve around productivity, competition or achievement.

Technology and imagination come together at the Gadget Playground, where children interested in innovation can experiment with ideas, collaborate with others and experience activities including digital drawing recognition and digital photography.

The World Children’s Day programme builds on Munchee Tikiri Marie’s long running association with initiatives aimed at children. Ceylon Biscuits Limited’s official history records the launch of the Munchee Tikiri Mole campaign in 1997, alongside the Tikiri Shishyadara scholarship programme, which was introduced to support children from lower-income families and help reduce school dropouts.

Munchee has also previously used World Children’s Day to promote creativity and imagination. In 2019, the brand held its main Children’s Day programme at Ape Gama in Battaramulla, where activities included the launch of a collaborative story project initiated with celebrated Sri Lankan children’s author Sybil Wettasinghe. That programme encouraged children to contribute their own writing, drawings and poetry.

The latest ‘Unusual Exam’ continues that emphasis on giving children opportunities beyond conventional classroom learning.

Its message is particularly directed at adults. Parents naturally want their children to perform well academically and build successful futures, but childhood development also involves curiosity, creativity, confidence, relationships, play and the freedom to make discoveries independently.

Through “A Child, Not Just a Winner,” Munchee Tikiri Marie is seeking to remind families that a child’s potential cannot always be measured by an examination result or a position in class.

For the children taking part at Ape Gama, there are no first, second or third places at the end of this unusual examination. Instead, the intended result is something less measurable but equally valuable new experiences, laughter, creativity and memories of being allowed to simply enjoy being children.

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