PROJECT‘S “GREEN ISLAND“ PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF REALIZATION
Authors: Atraškevičienė Rima , Aužbikavičė Valentina , Balčiūnaitė-Čėsnienė Jurgita 
Published: January 2022

For several years pedagogues of Šiauliai nursery-kindergarten “Žiogelis” are paying attention to the children’s ecological education and its’ improvement in order to develop child’s love to nature, sense of responsibility and form valuable regulations. The children are trained to an active activity, i.e. notice the changes in the nearby environment, learn to analyse the accessible eco-systems, and try to search for the ways and methods of solution.
The general ideas of the “Green Island” are: children’s introduction with the specifics of various activities in the garden, conditions of growing of the plants and monitoring it’ changes during various seasons; the importance of people’s activity in order to grow something, general constructive children-parent-pedagogue activity, strengthening of interrelations, positive emotions, gathering of various experience and education of ecological consciousness of the children.
The purpose of the “Green Island” is to promote cognitive and experiential activity to the children in a natural environment of the kindergarten in order to develop their basics of ecological culture while forming positive attitude towards himself/herself, environment, and nature so that the children would care about the environmental protection now and in the future, as well as form their valuable regulations.
Being in a nature as a part of a daily life is very important to a complete development of a child. Children become enthusiastic naturalists when they are drawn into the practical activity, when they a monitor the growth of a plant from the smallest seed. They have a possibility to observe the growth, blossom and ripen of their plants. When the children become responsible for their own plants they gain unique knowledge about the cycle of the plants, they start to understand the law of nature and this experience gives them a lot of pleasure.
Based on a long-term experience of the institution while organising and performing cognitive and practical children’s activity in a non-traditional space, i.e. the “Green Island” we have noticed several things and we can state that children’s encouragement of cognitive and practical activities in a natural environment of a kindergarten while trying to educate basics of ecological culture forms positive attitude towards himself/herself, environment and nature now and in the future.
Successful organisation and development of ecological – environmental education and health strengthening is determined by favourable means and conditions to this education that directly turn on and encourage child’s activity in the nature, nearby environment (monitor, observe, experiment, clean, cherish, create, rest, move, take care of nature); initiates knowledge and skills of environment protection; develops working skills; forms cultural – hygienic skills; forms social skills.
Children’s working powers and skills are formed when pedagogues pay attention to the children’s age, needs and experience, when they help in a creative and purposeful manner.
The feeling of sociality was revealed when the children started looking after not only their own plants, but also when they watered their friends’ plants. Health is improved and strengthened by good working-healthy-tasty links.
Keywords: education, garden, practical activities outdoors, non-traditional spaces.