Local piloting of pedagogical sequences with gamified activities in Serbia was carried out with the help of 13 teachers from 5 kindergartens.
Project stories, photos and interviews with teachers showed that all three topics: air pollution, ocean pollution and deforestation were represented. However, the children were slightly more interested in the topic of deforestation.
The approach fostered by the teachers was reflected in performing as many outdoor activities as possible, so the children visited local parks, nature reserves, ponds. Together with local environmental organisations, she planted trees and plants, but also took care of the plants in the kindergarten garden.
Teachers also shared memorable moments from piloting:
- A visit by a biologist and an introduction to the ecosystem of the ponds and swamps, the flora and fauna of the ponds, posters, microscopic material… The children were delighted with everything they saw.
- Playing the game “Ocean”. The children were very excited and first they put all the toys in one corner of the room with a note that it was garbage and that the window was polluted. Then they began to clean it with fishing rods, which they used to remove the “waste” and put it in boxes.
- Dandelion Day celebration and masquerade: children were dressed in yellow and green and spent the day outside observing dandelions and getting to know their characteristics
What is very important is that teachers have noticed changes in the environmental awareness of children. The children were inspired by the activities they did in the kindergarten, so they passed on their experiences to their parents, thus including them in environmental activities (cleaning the kindergarten yard). Interest in the garden planted during one of the activities did not wane, but the children continued to nurture and water the planted flowers. Also, the children became quite independent and were able to independently assess whether their actions will contribute or harm the preservation of the environment.
What is a wonderful result of this piloting is that the children’s desire for these topics and new interests were born, which served as inspiration for teachers for new environmental topics for the new school year. All teachers noted that they will continue to use pedagogical sequences with gamified activities in the future, of course with the necessary modifications based on the children’s interests.
This is an indicator that the piloting of the activities within GreenGUARDens project was very successful, and more importantly – that the development of environmental awareness among children, which is most important to develop from the earliest years, has begun.