Play and Learning Hubs

Spaces that help children forget what has happened at home, learn and develop
in a non-formal environment and integrate into a new community

In cooperation with UNICEF, Škola dokorán – Wide Open School n.o. has launched the
Play and Learning Hubs Project. It aims at connecting Ukrainian and Slovak children
and enhancing inclusion among them. It is also a space where parents can spend time
with their children. It provides a nurturing, educational and safe environment where they
can play, make new friends, work on various creative projects and do their homework.

Škola dokorán – Wide Open School n. o. – is an open non-profit organisation focusing on
community development and life-long learning. Its ambition is to create conditions enabling
all families, particularly those with young children, to live in an adequate and respectful
environment, to have access to quality education and social services and to rely on an open
and competent administration which meets their needs.
“Our organisation is active on local, national and international level,” says Miroslav
Sklenka, the director of Škola dokorán. “It is an active member of the international network
of the International Step by Step Association (ISSA) located in the Netherlands, to date
consisting of more than 100 member organisations from almost all continents, which
implements numerous projects aimed at increasing quality of care and education for young
children, their families and caregivers. After the outbreak of the war in Ukraine UNICEF
contacted our colleagues from ISSA, asking if there are any activities focusing on young
children being implemented in the neighbouring countries. As our organisation is the only
fully-fledged member of this network in Slovakia, cooperating with leading early childhood
experts and with access to all learning materials and methodologies, we were automatically
chosen for interviews which led to the implementation of the Play and Learning Hubs
Project.”
Previously, play and learning hubs were mostly used in pre-school and elementary school
environment, where they were attended by children from Slovak, Romani and Hungarian
communities.

However, as the coordinator of the project in Slovakia Miroslav Balon points out, they can be
tailored to basically any group: “The main goal is to create a stimulating and inclusive space
for children. It is very important, both for us and for the youngest ones, to be allowed to be
there with their parents as well. They learn in a non-formal environment.”
Although the name might suggest it is mostly children who spend their time in the play and
learning hubs, this is not entirely true.
The creators of the project have not forgotten the adults who are regularly offered workshops
on different topics.
“Music, art or creative workshops… Intergenerational learning, group sport activities or
lectures on psychological support, prevention of violence against children or prevention of
human trafficking. It means we always provide the community with what it currently needs,”
says Miroslav Balon.
They also invite legal, medical and migration experts or specialists focusing on development
of parenting skills. These hubs are currently located in six locations throughout Slovakia:
Tatranská Lomnica, Spišská Nová Ves, Poprad, Žilina, Prešov and Košice.
“We are surprised how quickly children adapt to our society even though their situation
has been extremely difficult – they just have to be treated the right way,” says Miroslav
Balon, adding: “A number of Ukrainian children who started the school year in Slovak
elementary schools had difficulties integrating in the community and stopped attending
school in Slovakia, preferring the Ukrainian online instruction instead. In the locations
of our play and learning hubs, there have been zero cases like this. This is what we
consider to be one of the biggest contributions of the programme.”
The integration activities for Slovak, Ukrainian and Romani children have already been
implemented during the summer holidays in July and August. For example more than 400
children participated in the summer camp in Žilina alone. The area of Vysoké Tatry also
provides ideal conditions for day trips. Lucia Prokešová works as a coordinator in the
Tatranská Lomnica Play Hub. “Children have recently visited a dairy farm where they
learned about dairy production. In Spišský Hrhov, they were shown how bread is baked and
how honey is collected. We also visited the Museum of the Tatra National Park. Children
were, naturally, very interested in what to do if they happen to encounter a bear.”

In all of these events, children were accompanied by their parents. In this way they not only
participated in the learning process but also had a nice time with their children full of
memorable moments. Most hiking trips and outings in Tatranská Lomnica are organized

during the weekends. However, the play and learning hub workers are equally busy on
weekdays. With the support from UNICEF, they have organized e.g. dance classes or even
a drama club.
According to Peter Strážik from Škola dokorán, education is a significant part of the play and
learning hubs: “The play and learning hubs are attended by many schoolchildren who have
to master the basics of the Slovak language to be able to integrate into Slovak classrooms.
For this purpose, qualified teachers in play and learning hubs help both children and their
parents to learn Slovak.”
This is based on the above-mentioned non-formal approach to education: “By means of game-
based activities we teach children names of colours, fruits and vegetables and make them
repeat after us,” says Lucia Prokešová. “Sometimes the youngest children, about two years of
age, do not understand. What I mean is they understand all we say, but do not comprehend
why we use words for an apple or a pear other than those they are familiar with.”

Play and learning hubs help parents with time-management

Even though the hubs enable adults to play and spend time with their children, they do not
necessarily need to do it all the time, especially if they have other duties. Jiliana Daničenková
from Zaporizhzhia Oblast, who arrived in Slovakia in March and settled down in Prešov,
appreciates this: “Until recently I used to pick up my daughter Mária from school at 12
o’clock, which was very difficult as I had many obligations. My life has turned into
a hamster wheel of appointments with different authorities when I was trying to get my
documents done, one by one. Of course, I had to take Mária everywhere with me.”

Ever since a play and learning hub was established at the Joint School of Taras
Ševčenko with Ukrainian Language of Instruction in Prešov, she has had more time and
can dedicate her full attention to her job. She knows that her child is well taken care of
and that she can pick her up at 4 pm.
Viera Teťunová fled from Kharkiv with her daughter Saška in the first days of the war in
Ukraine: “We’ve got used to Prešov. We’ve made new friends, a new network. Saška is much
better at Slovak than I am. The other day I didn’t understand what the shop assistant was
telling me, but luckily my little girl took care of it. Let’s see how long this whole situation
takes. Naturally, spoken Slovak won’t be enough in the future and we’ll also need to learn
your grammar.”
The women find it extremely hard to talk about their painful memories from Ukraine. Both of

them want to go back home, even if they have no idea at the moment when it will be possible.
Miroslav Balon has talked to many parents: “Yes, there are many who want to go back, but it
depends. These are mostly parents from Western Ukraine. People from the Eastern part have
a different attitude. Many of them have lost their homes and realize they’ll probably stay and
settle down here. These families deal with completely different challenges. They are provided
with individual assistance here in the play and learning hub as well. There are also many
parents who’ve arrived from the neighbouring city of Uzhhorod. The reason was simple –
their children had been hearing alarm sirens warning of possible air raids too often. It was
stressful for them, so they decided to come to Slovakia to protect their children.”
Alexandra Biková and her four children have found their safe second home in Tatranská
Lomnica. “We are very happy to be in Slovakia. The play and learning hub has helped
children forget the war misery. Meeting their friends here is very comforting to them.”
Several Ukrainians have used their temporary residence in Vysoké Tatry as a work opportunity
and got employed in tourism. Only after the play and learning hub was launched, they were
able to dedicate their full attention to their new jobs. The project thus indirectly makes it easier
for parents to get back up on their feet. Incidentally, one of the upcoming courses will focus on
financial education.

Children will keep on playing no matter what

One of the advantages of the play and learning hubs is that children can borrow toys and take
them home just like in a library. The programme of different hubs is adapted to the individual
needs of their attendees. Projects focusing on play and learning hubs are implemented in eight
European countries. It is not a coincidence that play and learning hub concept is used to
support Ukrainian children. Viera Teťunová, the mother of little Saška, says sometimes she
literally has to carry her daughter out of the play hub, if she does not want her to stay and play
there overnight. “Saška wants to be a doctor and spends her time dressing up in a white coat
and playing with the stethoscope. Even though she could take the toy home, she would not have
any friends there to examine.”
Boys, on the other hand, love the popular building blocks, which thanks to UNICEF were
provided by Lego. Many other educational toys were purchased in the play and learning hubs
and financed by UNICEF. Robert and Klim Biko are twins. They are good at constructing
buildings and cars. They also enjoy attending the hub because of their new friends. Thanks to
them, they do not feel so lonely anymore.

The activities in the hubs are also adapted to the season. Nikola Stachová, a coordinator of
the play and learning hub in Prešov, was surprised that many children love autumn:
“Children and their mums were collecting leaves, chestnuts and nuts and we glued them to
paper. Even the youngest children took part. We had a lot of fun! All their works were then
put on display on the wall. We did not plan to score them, but children secretly did it
among themselves anyway.”
They often need to think hard about the new topics to prepare for the visitors, because
sometimes the children are sad and withdrawn. However, new stimuli can free them of
dark thoughts.
“We also play the role of ‘psychologists’. Trainings we have participated in, were very
beneficial in this sense,” says Nikola Stachová. “Sometimes it is not easy. For example,
situations where children argue over a toy can be solved quickly. However, many of them
miss their fathers who stayed behind in Ukraine. In such cases, we hear them out, comfort
them and cheer them up, even if it isn’t always easy. We can’t even imagine what they’ve
been going through.”
Tears are not forbidden here – quite the opposite. Laughter is allowed, too, and is continuously
present along with children’s screams and creativity.
Lucia Prokešová concludes: “You witness emotions at all times here. Joy, grief, anger,
happiness… The important thing is that children are always happy to come back. We never
force anyone to participate in an activity. If they want, they can join in. If not, it’s up to
them. Just recently, a boy who is generally very naughty has broken out in tears during
a trip and rushed to find his mum. We often don’t realize why such things happen, but then
we remember that we have absolutely no idea what traumas they’ve been carrying with
them. None of us can completely identify with their situation, but we are here to help them.
And their faces show us that we’re doing it right. The play and learning hub is an ideal
environment for that.”