Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday, 25 May wrote a personal letter to children across the state as summer vacations began, urging them to use the break to learn new skills, strengthen family ties by visiting grandparents, and deepen their connection with nature. The letter, addressed to both children and parents, reflects a broader push by the Yogi government to blend cultural values with experiential learning during school holidays.

Key Message to Children

In his letter, CM Yogi described summer vacations as a 'time of joy, excitement, and new exploration,' encouraging adolescents and young adults to learn a new language or acquire a practical skill. He specifically mentioned nurturing interests such as 'befriending good books, photography, painting, culinary arts, music, and gardening' as productive ways to spend the holidays.

The Chief Minister framed these pursuits as essential to what he called the 'holistic development of personality,' arguing that habits and life experiences formed during vacations leave a lasting imprint on a child's character.

Reconnecting with Grandparents and Cultural Roots

Addressing parents directly, CM Yogi expressed concern that children are 'gradually drifting away' from the tradition of spending time with grandparents. He earnestly urged families to take children to both their maternal and paternal grandparents' homes so that they may gain 'a firsthand understanding of their cultural values and traditions.'

'Most of us, during our childhoods, had the privilege of listening to stories narrated by our grandparents,' he wrote, underscoring the intergenerational knowledge that he said risks being lost in an increasingly screen-dominated childhood. This appeal comes amid growing national conversations about the erosion of joint family structures in urban India.

Nature, Environment, and Plastic-Free Summers

CM Yogi also called on parents to involve children in planting saplings and caring for plants, arguing that environmental sensitivity begins only when children 'truly grasp the significance of soil, trees, and water.' He specifically recommended visits to Dudhwa National Park, Chuka Beach, and Katarniya Ghat Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh as destinations that offer an immersive experience of nature and biodiversity.

The Chief Minister additionally urged families to pledge plastic-free summers — avoiding single-use plastic while travelling or on picnics, and instead opting for cloth or jute bags. 'It is these small efforts that lay the foundation for significant changes in the future,' he wrote.

What This Signals

The letter is notable for its tone: personal, parental, and culturally rooted, rather than policy-driven. It arrives as Uttar Pradesh — India's most populous state — grapples with rising screen time among children and weakening rural-urban family networks. By invoking nature tourism within the state, CM Yogi also subtly promotes UP's eco-tourism destinations at a time when the state government has been actively developing its wildlife and heritage circuits.

How families across urban and rural UP respond to this appeal will depend largely on economic realities — not all parents can afford travel — but the letter's emphasis on low-cost, high-value activities like gardening and grandparent visits makes it broadly accessible.