Monday 21 December 2015
Sunday 20 December 2015
Tuesday 30 June 2015
Visiting an interacive exhibition “Elektro Baroque”
As part of the 9th
Varazdin museum ceremony and celebration of International Museum Day, the
Herzer Palace in Varazdin showed an exhibition Electro Baroque. At the
initiative of a parent we agreed to visit the exhibition with the children. The main reason for visiting the exhibition was to meet
the expectations of children, parents and preschool professionals who wanted
the children to see a variety of objects created by innovative, creative and
new way of using used modern electronic waste to create different works of art,
at the exhibition. During the child activities with
the exhibits they kept asking about the way these devices operate, what they
are made of, whether the same could be done at home or in the kindergarten. We agreed with the parents that we should continue
working with the children on the topic. We plan to
collect available electronic waste and we will try to get the desired
composition of electronic elements and we will try to find new use for them. At
the same time the children will express their ideas by drawing, verbally as
well as actively participating in developing prototypes of new devices.Activity report
Visual documentation
Math as a game
The kindergarten
Djecji svijet held an evening of mathematics, a manifestation that is organized
by the Croatian Mathematical Society. Parents prepared the workshop together
with the preschool educators, and the children took part in it. Math was
brought closer to children as a game, a form of fun, through the prepared
materials and activities.
It is especially important for preschoolers to
learn through exploration, games and fun. By providing a variety of materials
that supports children's natural curiosity, a kindergarten as an educational
community develops a variety of learning strategies and competences to
"learning how to learn". By providing a variety of learning methods,
together with adults and other children, we encourage divergent thinking,
providing a variety of possibilities for understanding the various solutions,
nurturing and encouraging various forms of creation.
Parents and teachers prepared a series of
materials designed for children to play with. The materials are selected in
such a way to allow the identification of mathematical relationships, the
separation of geometric figures in the images that are present every day in
kindergarten and the observation of natural materials (stone - agate) in order
to notice the rhythm of repeating the same lines that form the elliptical form
that naturally occurred during the formation of stones. Additionally provided
is mastering the proper use of the compass, where parents were models and
helped children in mastering the skill of handling a compass. Curve rulers are
intended for drawing curved lines of which may become usual or unusual and
unexpected shapes. We used our construct center that is equipped with materials
of various shapes to develop potential mathematical skills in a place of
natural games that the children are used to.
At the appointed time all interested parents
and educators gathered, who were free to choose materials involved in a variety
of math activities. In doing so, a number of activities have enabled the
understanding of quantitative or spatial relationships, identifying and naming
geometric shapes and bodies. A variety of stones has prompted parents and
children to express creativity by painting. Painting different types of lines
formed right visual works of art, the joint work of children and their parents.
Some parents and children were interested in solving the mathematical problems
using a variety of educational toys.
Thursday 4 June 2015
First common action
- Common activity (Spain and Croatia) carried out in public spaces for the “International Museum Day” May 18 2015 (Promoted by Spain)
Saturday 23 May 2015
Relations with the environment
Umbra-L . Interactive installation by artist Arturo Moya
Umbra-L” is an interactive and audiovisual installation that involves leisure, participative and communal reflection about identity, understood as a negotiation each other. The spectators are invited to use their shadows to build up a communal and alternative portrait about a secret society; unknown bodies which are free from the slavery of their own images and also project a strong otherness inside the shadow; micro-tales that generate a desire of being the other one at the environment.
Activity report
Visual documentation
Activity report
Visual documentation
- Drifting Poetry – A collaborative literary/poetic project shared between families, nearby institutions and Zaleo
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This Project is developed in different phases:
First phase:
We provide information to families about the project in which we tend to rescue the first murmurs that our parents or grandparents whispered to us and having the opportunity to share them with the other families and neighbors.
The coordinator at Zaleo suggests building up a “poetic container” to keep all lullabies as glass bottles. “Authenticated” this process of rescuing the lullaby by taking pictures or recording the audio in which you can sing or whisper the murmur.
Online vault
Visual documentation
Thursday 7 May 2015
The chess whorkshop
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All the activities developed must have this sequence, taking into account either the boy or girl individually or the team:
1. Legends about the backgrounds of chess
2. What is chess, what we need, how many players are, which the purpose is.
3. The board. How many squares do I have, which ones are white, which ones are black, the proper collocation of the board paying attention to the printed letters.
4. The pieces. What are their names, which are their colors, what is their collocation.
5. Pawns. How do they move, which is their collocation, how do they eat. Pawns race.
6. We insert the rest pieces on board by the same way. How do they move, how do they eat, what is their collocation: rook, bishop, qeen, kingand knight.
7. We will focus on the knight due to it is harder to move. We do some exercises on the floor, on the floor tiles, on the board…
8. We begin by choosing first only two pieces, then three, etc until we have played with all the pieces.
9. Once we know how to play we will concentrate in the strategy (controlling the middle of the board).
We also turn to other computer chess games that are so useful in case of playing in the rooms at any time.
The whole activities developed will be constantly supported by pupils´ parents who will play with their children
Activity report
Activity report
Monday 4 May 2015
Second mountain trip - Medvenica
Our second mountain trip happened on 25th of April 2015. 38 climbers (children, parents and staff of kindergarten „Djecji svijet“) successfully reached the top of Medvenica. The trip was organized as part of the special section "Cevo", branch of kindergarten "Children's World, led by guide Milan Turkalj.
Aim of the activity: Climbing to Medvednica (1033m). During the hike children will overcome various forms of natural movement, especially movement up and down the hill, and learn about surrounding wildlife. At the same time they will adapt to and deal with a variety of unforeseen and unexpected situations. During the trip, all participants will use the time to rest and relax, socialize, to know each other and provide mutual support and help, if needed.
The content of activity: Departure from kindergarten at 9:00 am. After a short rest during the journey, we reached the mountain hut Puntijarka, where we started the climb on easy walking trail through the woods to the top. On the hiking trail, the children's parents explained hiking trails labels. Children were using the magnifying glass to investigate curiosities and secrets of nature, and lingered by unusual natural phenomena (the visible roots of inverted trees). They enjoyed the walk through the last traces of snow in the woods, they mastered in different ways avoiding natural obstacles like destroyed trees, enjoyed the beauties of nature, and rejoiced when they obtained identity cards for membership in the hiking section. The return was at 19:00.
Activity report
Visual documentation
Activity report
Visual documentation
Visit to Entomological museum
At the initiative of one of our parents, we arranged a visit to the Entomological museum. One of our current small projects in kindergarten is on the subject of swamps so mention parent suggested that children should visit the museum where he works with his expert guidance so he can show the insects that live in wetlands and in our area.Aim: To provide children with quality source of information about the subject more closely investigated by a person who is an expert in the selected area. Give children an insight into the world of insects that live in wetlands in a quality manner and placed in the context in which they are found in nature. Provide an expert who knows the names of insects and their details.
The content of activity: visit to the museum began with an overview of the overall structure of the museum, from nocturnal insects, insect of the deciduous forests, bees and insects to wetlands. The emphasis was on insects that live in wetlands because of the current interests of children. The children also used museums audio technology and asked questions about their points of interest. On the way out we bought a multimedia interactive DVD which children will use in the kindergarten. Children also made lots of drawings of insects where they explain all the specific features of certain insects.
Activity report
Visual documentation
Activity report
Visual documentation
Thursday 30 April 2015
Reading Support
- Different activities surrounding the book “Platero and I” by J.R. Jiménez
- Whispers week
Activity report
Visual documentation
Visual documentation for whispers week
Video for whispers week
Online article
- “Forests as a meeting place” A participative art activity involving families and kids.
For the art workshop in the 4 year old group, we decided to look at some ideas for collages. We liked the result so much that we asked families to create something new with their children’s collages by writing something above the piece of art.
Activity report
Visual documentation
- Chain stories beginning with “My favourite animal is....”
For the didactic unit about animals and their characteristics, the activity My Favourite Animal gets underway.
Each child chooses the animal that they like most from the basket of animals that is played with in the symbolic games.
The families really like this activity and suggest that they participate too by making their own versions.
Communication and training meetings
- Welcome meeting for parents held in kindergarten Djecji svijet in September 2015 (Croatia)
- Welcome meeting 2015 (Spain)
The last 13rd of October 2015, the second welcome meeting for new families was organized as a part of our goals in this Project.
Apart from we have had the opportunity of knowing one each other, we explained who we were, what participation ways for families at school were or how to be involved in S.E.L.F. project, among other contents.
It was a nice and productive meeting where we felt that we were involved in a community project that could change our future model for Early Ages Education.
It was a nice and productive meeting where we felt that we were involved in a community project that could change our future model for Early Ages Education.
Visual documentation
- Welcome meeting for the new families in Zaleo (Spain).
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An encounter activity is thought to be designed for families whose children attend for the first time to our school, contributing to create a suitable atmosphere of coexistence and searching the benefit for families of knowing in advanced some aspects of the organization and participation in it. That encounter consists of several actions:
- First public appearance of all the staff that works at the school (teachers, management team, services personnel and cooking personnel).
- The management team summarizes our methodology, actions and leading workshops developed at the school and they present the SELF project, encouraging to take part in it.
- Former students’ parents speak for their experience about the education of their children at Zaleo.
- Families association introduce themselves and speak about the cooperation at the school through working commissions.
- In the room there are distributed computers which show photographs or videos of the workshops developed at Zaleo by the teachers.
- There are panels and corners of parents spread along the room with Families association working commissions.
- The dialogue is promoted among everybody, interacting with families, listening to their fears and solving doubts.
Document "Zaleo teachers":
- “
These encounters have supplied parents and teachers the suitable academic training according to the educational process and the personal development of boys and girls from the school.
At this respect, the activity has been assumed as:
· An encounter space to exchange experiences and reflections related to Zaleo educational community
· A way of learning along life
· Working in group or in small teams to provide the opportunity to express and communicate each other and reach the collective conclusions
· A way to mend wrong or unsuitable habits
· A tool to improve the educational quality among families and the school
- Poetic itinerary in Zaleo. “Platero’s Universe”. Saturday the 25th April.
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Music
- “The Zaleo Band” – The percussion group that accompanies us in the parties
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Video
- Live music days
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It consists of live musical performances, carried out by the families, school personnel and any others related to them.
We use an indoor or outdoor space, depending on the type of music and the weather.
Thanks to these activities, boys and girls would learn to love music, to feel it as something very closed, not only to hear it, but to see how the artists are part of their educational process. All these agents are their own relatives, families, friends; they also can play the instruments and receive information about them, etc.
Activity report
Visual documentation
Developing activities from the park workshops
- Dogs workshop
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The activity with each group is developed in the working timetable along a morning. The duration depends on the age of boys and girls and the sequence of routines.
As a result, we dedicate two different mornings: one for the 3 years old room in the timetable between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.; the other mornings is reserved for the 5 and 6 years old pupils from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
In addition, this association makes easier having smaller groups and a suitable adaptation to the level of communication and exchange of information at those ages.
Independently of the pupil´s age, the chosen groups and the duration, all the sessions are developed in a similar sequence of activities.
The first phase: in the facilities of the school (classrooms…). Information about dogs, characteristics, behavior, way of understanding them and mixing with them.
The second phase: in the park. Recognition of dogs. Our behavior. Interview with the owner and collecting information for our classroom file: name of the animal, age, breed, tastes and entertainment.
In all the activities of this sequence, the educational proposal comes from the father who is in charge of the proper action. He selects and presents the information from the session, proposes questions, collects doubts from boys and girls, offers answers and proposes different ways to act according to the different situations we can face with dogs in the park.
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Each activity developed by each group last 40 minutes. During that time, boys and girls build a rectangular wooden frame, paste it with glue, pin it with nails, cut out the hairnet by the same size than the frame and staple it. To make easy the autonomy and the safety of the whole actions, all children will use some wooden patterns designed by Javier at this carpenter´s workshop. These patterns consist of a frame size board fasten by some strips that allow pupils to use tools without harming their fingers.
Activity report
Visual documentation
- Making recycled paper
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The activity is developed by 24 boys and girls who are 4 years old, and 16 pupils from the 5 years old group. It is realized in the working timetable. This activity is scheduled following a sequence.
First phase, preparing recycled paper (basically, newspapers): tearing, cutting up and soaking. To hold this process we try not to alter the daily timetable. The time dedicated lasts 30 minutes approximately. There is also a person in charge of the activity who is the Outdoor Classroom teacher.
Second phase, workshop activity: producing paper´s plaster and then use it to make recycled paper. The process must be easy and handy for everyone: choosing and getting ready the stretchers, selecting the color for the plaster, straining, pouring out and stretching to get dry. For these sessions in particular we dedicate 3 mornings, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Each session involved 8 boys and girls according to their classrooms: 3 groups who are 4; 2 groups who are 5. The maximum duration of every session consists of 1 hour and a half.
All the activities are thought by the father that is an expert in the matter. He chooses and explains the information to carry out the activity, suggests certain questions, tries to response all the children´s enquires and proposes different ways to act while we are doing the activity.
At last, we collect dry paper. Once again the Outdoor Classroom teacher is responsible for being controlling pupils´ tasks. As a result, this recycled paper will be used according to the teachers or the school schedule.
Whereas the activity is in progress, we encourage children to take pictures of all the process. Anyway, there is an adult who is photographing each moment as well.
Visual documentation- Building a bird feeder
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The activity is developed with the 16 pupils that belong to the 5 years old room. It is realized in the working timetable, along the morning, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The activities take place according to a sequence:
The first phase: in the facilities of the school (classrooms…). Building up feeding boxes for birds workshop. The pupils are divided in 4 groups of 4 students each one. We keep on using this division previously made for another activity always considering the 5 years old group, having a unique goal: being responsible and looking after one area of the park. Three different types of feeding boxes are proposed. Then, each group constructs one of them. While we are building up the feeding boxes, we listen to a recorded audio focused on birds ‘warble. The approximate duration of the whole activity is from 11´30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The second phase: in the park. The installation of feeding boxes in the trees from each area of the park we have been using with the groups. All together, we get around all the areas and chose the most suitable trees to place our finished feeding boxes helping us with a ladder. This process lasts from 11´30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Whereas the action is in progress, we permit children, who have interest, to take photos of the activity. In all the activities of this sequence, the educational proposal comes from the father who is in charge of the proper action. He selects and presents the information from the session, proposes questions, collects doubts from boys and girls, offers answers and proposes different ways to act according to the different situations we can face at the workshop or in the park.
Night of Books
April 23 is the World Book and Copyright Day, proclaimed in 1996 at the General Assembly of UNESCO. Marking the day UNESCO invites readers, authors, translators, publishers, teachers, librarians, public institutions, non-profit organizations and the private sector to promote the books, reading and publishing, with copyright protection. In Croatia, the Night of Books is held since 2012. http://nocknjige.hr/
Goal of the activity: The aim of the activities was to become actively involved in the event Night of Books. Since the night of the book takes place on 23rd of April to mark World Book Day and Copyright Day with this activity we wanted to put the emphasis on the authors of literary works. Since children in kindergarten often make picture books themselves, which are later used in the work, they got a chance to learn directly from the author about the process of making the book, from the idea to the illustration. Also, the author of the book is mother of two boys from our kindergarten.
The content of activities: The author, who is a mother of two boys from kindergarten “Djecji svijet”, presented to children her picture books and children were able to shuffle through them by themselves. She brought the empty sheath of the picture book which is still in preparation, a kind of "skeleton" for inserting text and illustrations. Children were able to ask questions to the author. Most of the questions were about where she gets the ideas for the themes of the books. Talking and reviewing the author's works was followed by reading the picture books. The author left the choice of picture books that will be read to the children.
Activity report
Visual documentation
Activity report
Visual documentation
Travelogue – India
The girl Maya Diana, from kindergarten „Djecji svijet“, with her mother Natasha was absent from kindergarten two months due to travel to India where her father lives. During her stay, she sent many postcards to her friends in kindergarten about unusual places she has wiseted. Upon returning, her friends in kindergarten constantly questioned where she was and what she saw there. Maya shared that she had learned a new skill of Indian dancing and she wanted to show her dance sequence. During her stay in India Maya Diana has even starred in a film, which was also covered by the media in our city. Noticing the interest of children, we agreed with Maya's mom Natasha that she will prepare for interested children travel itinerary with photos and videos from the entire course of the trip.
Aim: Getting information about the individual interests of children of India and Indian culture, dance, traditional clothes through direct communication with persons from the direct experience and knowledge of the subject.
The content of activities: At the beginning Maya Diana performed her dance sequence which she rehearsed in India. Then her mom Natasha showed children footage of dance workshops and photos from their travel. Children asked questions and Maya Diana and her mother readily responded. Children were also impressed with the recording of their flight, in which Maya Diana sends greetings to all friends from kindergarten. Activity flowed in pleasant conversation and ended with a joint dance of all those involved with new dance moves that Maya Diana tought them.
Activity report
Visual documentation
Activity report
Visual documentation
FIRST MOUNTAIN TRIP - KALNIK
On Saturday, 3rd of March, 20 new members in the section "Cevo" - a branch of the kindergarten "Children's World" from Varazdin took part in the trip to Kalnik, of which 9 children, 3 employees and 8 parents, together with the tour leader Milan Turkalj. After accommodation and refreshments we went to the top of Kalnik through lookout. During the hike participants were introduced with the objectives and activities of the project S.E.L.F.
GOAL of socializing with children, parents and family members was to spend time together in nature in order to familiarize children with a sense of comfort and a special mood that allows such a stay. In addition, we wanted to enable children to experience staying in nature which is unpredictable and a full of new experiences and experiences in which we can react in different ways, with the aim of gaining mutual trust as well as the development of self-esteem for overcoming mountain ascents and various obstacles in your way. Adults were a safe support for the children.
Before the climb all the new members got “hikers baptism” after which they were presented with their own hiking card.
At the top we took photos, stamped our hiking cards and enjoyed the view. We saw Varazdin, Cevo, Ivancica, and a bit of Medvednica hills as well as the views of the villages under Kalnik.
Before returning to Varazdin we made the climb to the old town of Kalnik, where participants were able to see the exercise of rock climbing alpinists from Zagreb and mountaineers from Mursko Sredisce who had a course of mountaineering school.
Thursday 9 April 2015
Educative proposals
- Washing up bowl workshop
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A mother from the 2-3 year old class suggests to the class teacher the possibility of repeating an activity that she had done at home with her daughter. Allowing her to play with different types of plastic bowls and experiment with their possibilities.
Activity report
Visual documentation
Video
- “Ant” project. The construction of an ant’s nest
- Song: “Ines´s little ant”
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Antonio, the father of a 3-4 years old child kept in contact with the teachers to offer them an ant´s nest that he had previously made. We had the opportunity to leave it at the classroom (with a colony of ants inside). He will be in charge of its maintenance and to present it to boys and girls.
Activity reportVisual documentation
- Light table created by the families in the class meeting / Light table workshop
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The need to incorporate a Light table into the classroom is discussed. The classroom tutor makes one in the trimester teacher-parent meetings.
The tutor prepares all materials in this meeting and families are set to work in two groups to create the light table. One of the groups creates the Light table, and in the other group the families think of ideas of how to use it in class activities.
Once finished, we evaluate every way it could be used as a classroom tool. The group really enjoyed the experience of investigating and using this resource. They were offered the possibility of a weekly workshop where families were responsible for implementing it, obviously using the support of the tutor. This workshop started off very enthusiastically.
Visual documentation
Video
- Patio and school vegetable patch
- Movables whorkshop
Activity report
Visual documentation
- Multisensory spaces
The family presents a visual space to work with light and darkness. The action is focused on a tent with a hose of light indoors while the rest of the classroom is completely dark. Basically, the hose is switch on and switch off most of the time. They enter and leave the tent. They touch the hose of light. Additionally, there is a subspace to project colours of lights on the floor.
Psychomotricity
- Pilates session within the psychomotor workshop for children aged 4 and 5 years
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While the Pilates session are in progress, it is crucial to insist on the importance of mental concentration, relaxation, body and spinal column vertebral position, breathing, balance and flexibility. At each session they worked all the elements.
Each session started and ended with some routines thought to improve the personal comfort when you behave: we needed comfortable clothes, floor mats and all children took off their shoes.
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Thursday 12 March 2015
Together with children and parents in nature
Interested groups of parents and teachers from kindergarten will spend joint time with children in the activities of hiking. Mountaineering section is organized under the title "Cevo" as a branch of mountaineering association MIV from Varazdin. This section can join all of the children from kindergarten „Djecji svijet“ and members of their family, and all the staff from the kindergarten. The hiking activity is launched as a common interest of parents and professionals from the kindergarten, to enable children to spend more time in nature. Moto of the activity is : „Children who play outside are happier and can learn better.“ (http://roditeljstvo.com/vijesti/svi-u-prirodu) During this outdoor activities children will learn, with help from their parents, teachers and mountain guide, about the nature of their area, wildlife, historical and cultural sights, stories and legends related to the specific locations, traditional and social games. The experience with these trips will be the starting point of the project activities that the children together with parents and educators will carry out in the kindergarten. The first trip is planned for Saturday, 07/03/2015. on Kalnik.
Activities in family surroundings
During February, workshops were held with parents and children in order to make a variety of instruments from unformed material. The instruments were made to use in the children’s parade of masks during Carnival. During the workshop, parents suggested going with costumed children to visit one family from the kindergarten. The aim of the visit was for children to socialize in the natural family environment, in the yard, and the preparation of donuts - a traditional food of the carnival. The parents initiative was accepted by the kindergartens teachers and the visit was realized. During their stay in the yard children have acquired new practical experiences in practical life activities. Socializing with family members through three generations: grandmother, parents and children; playing together with a pet and participation in the preparation and serving of donuts were of special importance for the children. Also, special experience for children was playing in the snow realizing that you can cool your tea faster if you put it in the snow. The whole activity was independently organized by parents. The activity was conducted according to the principles of participatory methods by which everyone is actively involved in line with their abilities. Preparation of activity was carried out by parents and professional kindergarten team, activity was conducted by members of the family, and children were actively involved in all stages of implementation of the activity itself.
Activity report
Visual documentation
Activity report
Visual documentation
Sunday 1 March 2015
Stage proposals
- The play “The dragon Botijo” written and starring families.
- Dramatic representations carried out by parents from the project titled “What a big mouth you have”
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Activity report
Visual documentation
Video "Pelopatapico"
Video "El gruffalo"
Video "El agua salada viene de..."
Video "Garbanza y Garbancita"
Visual documentation
Video
Video "Pelopatapico"
Video "El gruffalo"
Video "El agua salada viene de..."
Video "Garbanza y Garbancita"
- Making puppets for the drama play workshop
According to the development of the dramatic game workshop we thought about the necessity to make our puppets to work dramatization, the language and creativity. Owing to be an activity that requires an individual attention per pupil, we considered to take into account families as educational agents which offer us their knowledge and help.
There were two previous meetings with two mothers to explain them which is the main purpose of the activity, the development of this one, which will be their roles and days and timetables.
The school expert is in charge of providing spaces, groups and material to develop the activity.
Once we had finished to make puppets, two mothers were invited (at the time dedicated to the workshop) to see a short performance in a small puppet´s theatre. Each child had time to introduce his/her puppet and to tell us their names and the name of their dummies while they sang or told us a story.
Activity reportVisual documentation
Video
- Dances from Cameroon
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Annie came to her daughter’s class to familiarise the children with lullabies and nursery rhymes from her home country, Cameroon. The enthusiasm that was generated amongst the children and families was so great, that she was invited to dance in front of the whole school so we could get to know the bands that are currently fashionable in Cameroon.
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