Play Children Play Erasmus Project

Project Title

Play Children Play

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Health and wellbeing; Cultural heritage/European Year of Cultural Heritage; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning

Project Summary

Using games in class is never a bad idea, especially with young learners. a Game is great way of learning about yourself, others and surroundings. Games are universally known to all children, instinctive and important part of growing up and forming of children´s personality. They are also natural way of learning. Therefore games are one of the most efficient way for children to learn any subject/skill/knowledge in a funny and productive way. Through games any child (gifted or child with difficulties in learning or behavior) can express him/herself and everyone have the same possibility of success.
In time of ICT technologies when children have better skills than their parents, traditional and board games are being forgotten. That way one part of tradition, way of life, customs and beliefs are inevitably stopping to exist. Everyone should know where they come from and what do they have to offer to the rest of the world. Excessive usage of ICT technologies is leading to state of children being successful in that area, but lacking social and emotional skills which is lately very common. This is concerning everyone who work in a field of education and this become a ground of our project.
There are several objectives of this project. One is to improve social inclusion by giving children opportunities to learn new outdoor and board games. It is important to nurture children’s imagination through outdoor games and create an atmosphere where every child can feel approved and successful. Using outdoor games where children only through cooperation and friendly communication can get to the solution has immense influence on social inclusion. Furthermore, grandparents and parents involvement to the project will create an atmosphere where all kind of communication is warmer and more open-minded. It will also improve the co-operation and communication between school, family and local community. Second objective is to teach children that knowing their culture through games that have been played by their grandparents, matters. By preserving them, they preserve one part of country’s history. Respecting one’s culture leads to respecting others countries cultures and their citizens. That is important thing for children to learn. Another objective is to give pupils positive experiences of an international co-operation. Children will learn both playing games of different countries and gain knowledge and information on other countries. Every part of the project regarding timetable, photographs, data and results will be published on e-Twinning page, school page and appropriate media.
There are four participating schools from four countries: Finland (applicant organisation); Belgium, Spain and Croatia (partners). There are going to be between 10 and 20 staff (teachers and school staff: principal and deputy head teacher and others) and up to 4 pupils included in mobilities. Other teachers, school staff, parents, grandparents and school children will participate in game research, conducting games trial and making of any important material connected to the project.
First mobility is planned for October 2019 in Finland, without pupils mobility. It is intended to set timetable, make evaluation forms, inform all participants on working in e-Twinning and prepare activities for time to come (e.g. how to gather information on traditional games etc). Participants will get to know Finnish schools, attend on their classes and inform their children and staff of culture of countries other participants come from.
Second mobility is planned for April 2020 in Croatia and third for October 2020 in Spain, including pupils mobility. It is intended to evaluate games that have been tried and played in other countries. Children will try board games, as well as outdoor games and give opinion on them comparing them to their own. Host school staff will introduce their traditional games, present their culture, cuisine, language, school system as well as participating in classes. Children will try Kahoot quizzes as well as evaluate those from other countries, and teachers will give review, impressions, opinion and plans for further activities.
Final meeting is planed for April 2021 without pupils mobility. Participants will give lectures, share gathered data and results of children’s and parents’ evaluation forms. Participants will summarize all the activities, fill in the final report and arrange making a booklet on games.
By the end of the project children will have certain knowledge on other countries and learn games that had been presented by others. Learning traditional games is connected to preserving cultural heritage as non material good of each country and playing them by involving movement benefits health and wellbeing of each participant. Pupils will enrich their life experience by making new friends and learning in real time and surroundings. Another valuable result for generations to come is are games collected and written down.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 66310 Eur

Project Coordinator

Kurikankulman koulu & Country: FI

Project Partners

• Vrije Basisschool Beke
• Osnovna skola Dr, Stjepan Ilijasevic
• CEIP ANTONIO DE NEBRIJA