Through the project ‘Traditional Toys and Games’ the European partners intend to raise awareness of their own and others national language, history, geography and culture through play and games.
This real life context will awaken the pupils’ curiosity and interest for other cultures and language while providing a purposeful scenario to their work. Sharing facts, experiences and time with their European peers will enrich them physically, emotionally and mentally.
Project partners at the preparation meeting in England (January 2012)
Pupils in all partner countries will learn more about their own local history, with local community members and parents involved in each stage of the learning process. All stakeholders will have the opportunity to participate in various games, workshops and ICT activities.
Activities will include: researching the history of toys in their own and other countries, learning to play games/sports and to teach them to others, designing and manufacturing toys made from natural materials and mathematical games to support number skills. They will also address the requirements of others who have differing needs.
Through the project outcomes we hope our children will become more active, making better choices for a healthy lifestyle as well as developing leadership skills.
The nine partner schools will exchange information via post, a shared website, webchats, a blog, the internet and while participating in mobilities. Cooperation between children will play an important role and we hope to include them in as many mobilities as possible. They will develop a European spirit while learning to respect and value the diversity amongst them and develop language skills accordingly.
This real life context will awaken the pupils’ curiosity and interest for other cultures and language while providing a purposeful scenario to their work. Sharing facts, experiences and time with their European peers will enrich them physically, emotionally and mentally.
Project partners at the preparation meeting in England (January 2012)
Pupils in all partner countries will learn more about their own local history, with local community members and parents involved in each stage of the learning process. All stakeholders will have the opportunity to participate in various games, workshops and ICT activities.
Activities will include: researching the history of toys in their own and other countries, learning to play games/sports and to teach them to others, designing and manufacturing toys made from natural materials and mathematical games to support number skills. They will also address the requirements of others who have differing needs.
Through the project outcomes we hope our children will become more active, making better choices for a healthy lifestyle as well as developing leadership skills.
The nine partner schools will exchange information via post, a shared website, webchats, a blog, the internet and while participating in mobilities. Cooperation between children will play an important role and we hope to include them in as many mobilities as possible. They will develop a European spirit while learning to respect and value the diversity amongst them and develop language skills accordingly.
January 2012
September 2012
Around Europe Travel Brochure - As a starting point to learning about other countries and comparing them, children learn about their own country both locally and in other regions. They compile information (facts, graphs, photos) involving geography, history, land use, weather and local attractions. They will use ICT to combine text and graphics.
September 2012
Partnership Website Launched - On the launch day the website will go live informing all stakeholders and the wider community of our project objectives. Around Europe Travel Brochures will be collated and uploaded onto the site so pupils/teachers can visit. Students will listen to/learn the national song of partner countries which will also be recorded/uploaded by partner countries.
Ongoing 2012 - 2014
‘Passport to a Partner’ Day - After each mobility, partners will explore the history, geography, culture and cuisine of the chosen country in more detail culminating in a ‘Passport to a Partner’ day event. Parents and other community representatives will be invited to share in the children’s knowledge. Photos and information will be uploaded to the website so children can compare the events.
October 2012
European Kites - Children will design kites to represent their own country. They will learn about the origin/design of their countries flag and the flags of the partner schools. They will research and add appropriate symbols. They will produce a labelled drawing that explains each part/symbols. Kites will be manufactured using appropriate craft materials. One kite from each country will be taken to Spain in October. Kites will be flown together and displayed prominently in Spanish school. Photos of kites, designs and information about each kite will be uploaded to the website.
October 2012
Project Meeting in Spain
Pupils will share the kites designed in their countries. Mixed European teams will cooperate to design a flag to represent the European partnership. Kites will be flown during the mobility to Spain and pictures/information posted on Partnership Website. Pupils will share/exchange their countries mascots.
October 2012
Mascot Blog Created and first entry made - Each countries mascot will travel to partners for the duration of time between each visit. Children will learn how to upload text, photos and video onto the blog. Schools will monitor the progress of their own mascot while learning about the country and its customs.
Through the course of the 'visit' children will cover a range of aspects of life e.g. favourite games, local places of interest, daily routines, topics in school, cuisine, school events, local personalities and people they admire etc.
November 2012
European Party Book - Children will research and share typical examples of party games and cuisine from their own culture. They will have the opportunity to prepare dishes and play the games, then designing the entries using ICT and art for the 'party book'. Children will share their work and cooperate in making the same dishes and games in Turkey mobility. Turkey will collate resources into the style of a recipe/party information book and upload to website.
November 2012
Project Meeting in Turkey – Pupils will participate in European ‘Tea’ Party enabling children/staff from mixed European teams to learn from each other when preparing traditional cuisine and party games.
December 2012
Museum Boxes of Childhood Memories - Pupils research via family, local people and museums, toys/games from local history. They create boxes of ‘Childhood Memories'. Exterior of box will show toys today and interior information, photos and models of toys from the past. Children will photograph boxes and create a multi-dimensional Powerpoint to be shared via the partnership website. Romania will collate powerpoints to create European Museum and upload to website.
January 2013
Project Meeting in Sardinia (Italy): Exhibition of 'Childhood Memory Boxes' enabling participants to compare history of toys in their country. Pupils work in mixed European teams to design a toys of the future that include similar values to those discovered e.g. to support learning, to treasure, to have fun, to share with friends.
March 2013
Penpal Partnership - Children will be linked in small groups with children from all partner countries. They will write letters and share information about themselves. As a starting point they will identify activities they participate in during playtime. Predominantly written in English, children will also utilise key words/phrases from all partnership languages. Later, after mobility children will have opportunity to speak to their penpals via webcam.
Around Europe Playing Card Games: Children will design/collect images/vocabulary to create a unique set of playing cards to represent each country e.g. shape of country, mascots, photo of capital city, unique regional dish, historic place, traditional costume, children’s writer. Belgium partner will collate and manufacture at shared cost prior to mobility in Greece.
Children research traditional family card games from their country and learn to play them. They will choose suitable games for a range of ages and produce packaging for a pack of cards. The packaging will explain how to play the games in simple terms so partner schools can learn also.
March 2013
Project Meeting in Greece: Letters to be collated and matched with children. Discuss next round of participant questionnaires. Agree differentiation of maths games.
Boxes of traditional playing card games will be exhanged. Pupils/teachers learn to play a selection of tradtional playing card games from each European partner. The pupils will then work in teams to invent new card games using the 'Around Europe' playing cards.
May 2013
Around Europe Board Games - Children will research traditional family board games from their own country. Children to design their own number/calculation game considering end-user e.g. age of player, multi-lingual. Differentiated maths skills will be agreed so a wide range of children in participating schools can utilise. Games will be themed to reflect child's choice of culture/history/geography of nation. Instructions/components produced. Games will be distributed throughout partnership and Italy will upload examples onto website with reflections of students.
May 2013
Project Meeting in Romania: Board Games Event - children/adults to test out numeracy games in mixed European groups. Children given opportunity to take games back to teach host families.
September 2013
Playground Games Calendar - Children use Bruegel’s painting to prompt work on playground games. Children will investigate art in their own countries that reflect the game choices of children in the past. They will research and learn to play traditional play ground games. Children will fashion traditional costumes from their region and have their pictures taken while playing the games. Videos will also be uploaded. Children will write simple information about the games and provide instructions of how to play using diagrams and key words that can be used throughout the partnership. Slovenia will collate the information to be produced as a calendar, with final month as a montage of European games played during the mobility in Slovenia (in the style of Bruegel).
September 2013
Project Meetingin the Lithuania: Children will bring regional dress and teach each other traditional playground games. Photos taken and collated to produce Breugal style montage for calendar.
September 2013
Playground Leaders Initiative. During mobility and in mixed European teams children agree on charter for playground leaders. They will design t-shirts, badges and their own European reward schemes that promotes positive relationships. Playtime Leader’s Initiative will then be introduced throughout partner schools with pupils taking on leadership and developing entrepreneurial skills. Children will share 'Good Friend Charter' created during mobility. They will hold interviews to establish a team of playground leaders and teach the leaders the games learnt from European partners. This Initiative will be disseminated throughout all partner schools. Children to develop web page to promote.
October 2013
CD/DVD of Traditional Singing Games: Children will research and learn how to play traditional singing games including skipping, dancing and movement and research the origin/history of them. They will provide instructions, lyrics with basic description of words and history of games/rhymes for the CD sleeve
November 2013
Project meeting in United Kingdom: Pupils will present a show of traditional singing games providing opportunity for other pupils, parents and visitors to learn afterwards. CDs with all the traditional singing games will be shared between partners.
Playground Leaders Initiative. During mobility and in mixed European teams children agree on charter for playground leaders. They will design t-shirts, badges and their own European reward schemes that promotes positive relationships. Playtime Leader’s Initiative will then be introduced throughout partner schools with pupils taking on leadership and developing entrepreneurial skills. Children will share 'Good Friend Charter' created during mobility. They will hold interviews to establish a team of playground leaders and teach the leaders the games learnt from European partners. This Initiative will be disseminated throughout all partner schools. Children to develop web page to promote.
March 2014
Treasured Toy For a Friend in Need: Children will research traditional treasured soft toys/dolls from their local history. Partner schools will make individual links with schools,institutions or charities in their community that have children with differing needs e.g. sight, hearing. Children will design toys for a chosen child with a disability. Schools will produce a library of photo montage books with key words, historical photos, designs and pictures of their product will be produced for each partner.
March 2014
Project Meeting in Slovenia: Partners will agree which treasured toys from the 'Friend in Need' topic will be manufactured and by which country. Slovenia will host a 'treasured toys picnic' where children can bring their own 'treasured' toys to school. Children play a range of games e.g. hunt for the mascot, I am guessing game.
April 2014
In Your Shoes – Competitive Games Diary: Children investigate traditional competitive games/activities including those that are conducted within a natural environment. They will consider how these can be adapted for people with differing needs.When possible, children will also learn a range of more contemporary games developed through Europe e.g wheelchair basketball, blind cricket and gain the chance to play these sports.Children will record their experiences in writing and by uploading a video blog. Games will be shared and experienced by partner school where possible prior to the sporting celebration in Belgium.
May 2014
Fairground Fundraising Stall: In preparation for the end of project celebration and to promote entrepreneurial skills the children will research and manufacture traditional fairground games unique to their country e.g. for England a tombola or coconut shy. The children will have the opportunity to play these games in their own school raising funds for a chosen cause.One stall will be chosen for inclusion in the celebration event during the mobility to Belgium. Instructions and materials needed will be sent to Belgium so resources can be prepared (at shared cost if necessary).
May 2014
Project Meeting in Belgium: Belgium will host celebration event including summer fair and sports. Children will work together to manufacture the stalls/games of their partner countries. During the celebration they will compete in mixed European teams across a range of sports studied and have the opportunity to play fair games.
June 2014
Comenius Week Event in partner schools. Exhibition/celebration of Comenius project in each partner country. Local schools, organisations, community leaders, parents and local resident invited to learn about European project.
Around Europe Travel Brochure - As a starting point to learning about other countries and comparing them, children learn about their own country both locally and in other regions. They compile information (facts, graphs, photos) involving geography, history, land use, weather and local attractions. They will use ICT to combine text and graphics.
September 2012
Partnership Website Launched - On the launch day the website will go live informing all stakeholders and the wider community of our project objectives. Around Europe Travel Brochures will be collated and uploaded onto the site so pupils/teachers can visit. Students will listen to/learn the national song of partner countries which will also be recorded/uploaded by partner countries.
Ongoing 2012 - 2014
‘Passport to a Partner’ Day - After each mobility, partners will explore the history, geography, culture and cuisine of the chosen country in more detail culminating in a ‘Passport to a Partner’ day event. Parents and other community representatives will be invited to share in the children’s knowledge. Photos and information will be uploaded to the website so children can compare the events.
October 2012
European Kites - Children will design kites to represent their own country. They will learn about the origin/design of their countries flag and the flags of the partner schools. They will research and add appropriate symbols. They will produce a labelled drawing that explains each part/symbols. Kites will be manufactured using appropriate craft materials. One kite from each country will be taken to Spain in October. Kites will be flown together and displayed prominently in Spanish school. Photos of kites, designs and information about each kite will be uploaded to the website.
October 2012
Project Meeting in Spain
Pupils will share the kites designed in their countries. Mixed European teams will cooperate to design a flag to represent the European partnership. Kites will be flown during the mobility to Spain and pictures/information posted on Partnership Website. Pupils will share/exchange their countries mascots.
October 2012
Mascot Blog Created and first entry made - Each countries mascot will travel to partners for the duration of time between each visit. Children will learn how to upload text, photos and video onto the blog. Schools will monitor the progress of their own mascot while learning about the country and its customs.
Through the course of the 'visit' children will cover a range of aspects of life e.g. favourite games, local places of interest, daily routines, topics in school, cuisine, school events, local personalities and people they admire etc.
November 2012
European Party Book - Children will research and share typical examples of party games and cuisine from their own culture. They will have the opportunity to prepare dishes and play the games, then designing the entries using ICT and art for the 'party book'. Children will share their work and cooperate in making the same dishes and games in Turkey mobility. Turkey will collate resources into the style of a recipe/party information book and upload to website.
November 2012
Project Meeting in Turkey – Pupils will participate in European ‘Tea’ Party enabling children/staff from mixed European teams to learn from each other when preparing traditional cuisine and party games.
December 2012
Museum Boxes of Childhood Memories - Pupils research via family, local people and museums, toys/games from local history. They create boxes of ‘Childhood Memories'. Exterior of box will show toys today and interior information, photos and models of toys from the past. Children will photograph boxes and create a multi-dimensional Powerpoint to be shared via the partnership website. Romania will collate powerpoints to create European Museum and upload to website.
January 2013
Project Meeting in Sardinia (Italy): Exhibition of 'Childhood Memory Boxes' enabling participants to compare history of toys in their country. Pupils work in mixed European teams to design a toys of the future that include similar values to those discovered e.g. to support learning, to treasure, to have fun, to share with friends.
March 2013
Penpal Partnership - Children will be linked in small groups with children from all partner countries. They will write letters and share information about themselves. As a starting point they will identify activities they participate in during playtime. Predominantly written in English, children will also utilise key words/phrases from all partnership languages. Later, after mobility children will have opportunity to speak to their penpals via webcam.
Around Europe Playing Card Games: Children will design/collect images/vocabulary to create a unique set of playing cards to represent each country e.g. shape of country, mascots, photo of capital city, unique regional dish, historic place, traditional costume, children’s writer. Belgium partner will collate and manufacture at shared cost prior to mobility in Greece.
Children research traditional family card games from their country and learn to play them. They will choose suitable games for a range of ages and produce packaging for a pack of cards. The packaging will explain how to play the games in simple terms so partner schools can learn also.
March 2013
Project Meeting in Greece: Letters to be collated and matched with children. Discuss next round of participant questionnaires. Agree differentiation of maths games.
Boxes of traditional playing card games will be exhanged. Pupils/teachers learn to play a selection of tradtional playing card games from each European partner. The pupils will then work in teams to invent new card games using the 'Around Europe' playing cards.
May 2013
Around Europe Board Games - Children will research traditional family board games from their own country. Children to design their own number/calculation game considering end-user e.g. age of player, multi-lingual. Differentiated maths skills will be agreed so a wide range of children in participating schools can utilise. Games will be themed to reflect child's choice of culture/history/geography of nation. Instructions/components produced. Games will be distributed throughout partnership and Italy will upload examples onto website with reflections of students.
May 2013
Project Meeting in Romania: Board Games Event - children/adults to test out numeracy games in mixed European groups. Children given opportunity to take games back to teach host families.
September 2013
Playground Games Calendar - Children use Bruegel’s painting to prompt work on playground games. Children will investigate art in their own countries that reflect the game choices of children in the past. They will research and learn to play traditional play ground games. Children will fashion traditional costumes from their region and have their pictures taken while playing the games. Videos will also be uploaded. Children will write simple information about the games and provide instructions of how to play using diagrams and key words that can be used throughout the partnership. Slovenia will collate the information to be produced as a calendar, with final month as a montage of European games played during the mobility in Slovenia (in the style of Bruegel).
September 2013
Project Meetingin the Lithuania: Children will bring regional dress and teach each other traditional playground games. Photos taken and collated to produce Breugal style montage for calendar.
September 2013
Playground Leaders Initiative. During mobility and in mixed European teams children agree on charter for playground leaders. They will design t-shirts, badges and their own European reward schemes that promotes positive relationships. Playtime Leader’s Initiative will then be introduced throughout partner schools with pupils taking on leadership and developing entrepreneurial skills. Children will share 'Good Friend Charter' created during mobility. They will hold interviews to establish a team of playground leaders and teach the leaders the games learnt from European partners. This Initiative will be disseminated throughout all partner schools. Children to develop web page to promote.
October 2013
CD/DVD of Traditional Singing Games: Children will research and learn how to play traditional singing games including skipping, dancing and movement and research the origin/history of them. They will provide instructions, lyrics with basic description of words and history of games/rhymes for the CD sleeve
November 2013
Project meeting in United Kingdom: Pupils will present a show of traditional singing games providing opportunity for other pupils, parents and visitors to learn afterwards. CDs with all the traditional singing games will be shared between partners.
Playground Leaders Initiative. During mobility and in mixed European teams children agree on charter for playground leaders. They will design t-shirts, badges and their own European reward schemes that promotes positive relationships. Playtime Leader’s Initiative will then be introduced throughout partner schools with pupils taking on leadership and developing entrepreneurial skills. Children will share 'Good Friend Charter' created during mobility. They will hold interviews to establish a team of playground leaders and teach the leaders the games learnt from European partners. This Initiative will be disseminated throughout all partner schools. Children to develop web page to promote.
March 2014
Treasured Toy For a Friend in Need: Children will research traditional treasured soft toys/dolls from their local history. Partner schools will make individual links with schools,institutions or charities in their community that have children with differing needs e.g. sight, hearing. Children will design toys for a chosen child with a disability. Schools will produce a library of photo montage books with key words, historical photos, designs and pictures of their product will be produced for each partner.
March 2014
Project Meeting in Slovenia: Partners will agree which treasured toys from the 'Friend in Need' topic will be manufactured and by which country. Slovenia will host a 'treasured toys picnic' where children can bring their own 'treasured' toys to school. Children play a range of games e.g. hunt for the mascot, I am guessing game.
April 2014
In Your Shoes – Competitive Games Diary: Children investigate traditional competitive games/activities including those that are conducted within a natural environment. They will consider how these can be adapted for people with differing needs.When possible, children will also learn a range of more contemporary games developed through Europe e.g wheelchair basketball, blind cricket and gain the chance to play these sports.Children will record their experiences in writing and by uploading a video blog. Games will be shared and experienced by partner school where possible prior to the sporting celebration in Belgium.
May 2014
Fairground Fundraising Stall: In preparation for the end of project celebration and to promote entrepreneurial skills the children will research and manufacture traditional fairground games unique to their country e.g. for England a tombola or coconut shy. The children will have the opportunity to play these games in their own school raising funds for a chosen cause.One stall will be chosen for inclusion in the celebration event during the mobility to Belgium. Instructions and materials needed will be sent to Belgium so resources can be prepared (at shared cost if necessary).
May 2014
Project Meeting in Belgium: Belgium will host celebration event including summer fair and sports. Children will work together to manufacture the stalls/games of their partner countries. During the celebration they will compete in mixed European teams across a range of sports studied and have the opportunity to play fair games.
June 2014
Comenius Week Event in partner schools. Exhibition/celebration of Comenius project in each partner country. Local schools, organisations, community leaders, parents and local resident invited to learn about European project.