Teachers of the Bogoslav Šulek elementary school, Inga Lipovac, Melita Jagodić, Nada Vardić and Davorin Rupčić, went to Slovakia for the first mobility, as part of the project "Supporting positive mental health trough outdoor games and sports" . The aim of the project is to improve the long-term physical and mental health of students through the development of enthusiasm and motivation for the active participation in sports and outdoor games. We are witnesses of students spending more and more time in digital reality, which can negatively affect their physical and mental health. We promoted the benefits of outdoor games and sports and participated with hosts and other participants from Turkey, the UK, and through zoom, with partners from Italy and Germany in school activities and outdoor field classes. On the first day, we all presented our country, city and school, talked about our country's educational system and exchanged experiences. The hosts took us through the school classrooms, while each class prepared a warm welcome. The school has about two hundred students, twelve students per class, and within the school there are two kindergarten groups aged three to six. They are equipped with all didactic and methodological materials and modern technology. Outdoor courts for all sports have been arranged, and inside the school they have one space equipped with a wall for practicing rock climbing. Their school is located in the small picturesque town of Habovka, which is surrounded by the High Tatras, so climbing is one part of their field sports activities. We participated in field classes at one of the ski resorts, where their students attend the Ski School. We also visited the outdoor pools where they have organized a swimming school as part of the fieldwork, a visit to one of the caves in the area. A tour of the Orava Castle and the Orava Open-Air Museum were included. Zuberec, Žilinsky kraj, Habovka in Slovakia impressed us, and their ancient culture, art, architecture, traditional Slovak cuisine ... we came back enriched with new ideas, knowledge and experience.

Disemination activities

Sport is a very important factor in childhood because it affects child’s proper growth and development. Sports activities at an earlier child's age contribute to easier acquisition of motor skills and developmental quality of motor and functional abilities. Sport has a positive effect on psychological health as well as the balance between psychological and physical health. In addition to influencing the proper growth and development of children, playing sports affects the development of character traits, encourages teamwork as a way of acting in adulthood, and helps in building social skills in children. The great importance of sports is in the physical aspect, because it supports the proper development of bones, muscular system and respiratory system. Sports activities affect the direction of attention and concentration, the adoption of responsibility and discipline, which ultimately affects school success. It is important to note that besides helping with the choice of adequate sports for their children, parents are those who support child's interest in sports and help to achieve 2 main interests in children, and that is fun and development!

Davorin Rupčić

Encouraging and developing a love of sports in the classroom.

Nada Vardić

Today we play old games that encourage friendship, togetherness and teamwork.

Melita Jagodić