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.
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.
