You already know it: Social, emotional, and "learning to learn" (so-called metacognitive learning) are not just pedagogical buzzwords - they are the foundation for successful development and harmonious everyday life with children.
With this project, you intentionally place these topics at the center of your pedagogical work.
And yes - you're probably already very familiar with the following core principles. But because they are so important to us, they appear right at the beginning of the introduction as a reminder. They are the common thread that holds everything together.
Placing the child at the center and aligning decisions with their well-being is a cornerstone of early childhood education and care.
This means: Every attitude, every measure, and every activity that concerns children should support their safety, well-being, and development.
This principle is not only pedagogically and ethically sound, but also legally anchored in Germany - in Article 3 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and under the concept of participation in § 8a para. 1 of the German Child and Youth Welfare Act (SGB VIII).
When you use the child's well-being as your compass, you create a space in which children feel safe, seen, respected, and empowered.
The project supports you with tried-and-tested methods to accompany each child individually and sensitively in a caring and developmentally supportive learning environment.
Appreciative engagement with diversity is essential. Children should develop pride in their own identity and, at the same time, learn to respect and understand others in their differences.
With the anti-bias approach, we reflect on our own unconscious biases in order to evolve, embrace diversity more fully, prevent exclusion, and enable genuine participation for all children. It all begins with our attitude: open, curious, and reflective. We look at our environment differently and pay increasing attention, for example, to using materials in which as many children as possible can see themselves - without clichés, without one-sidedness.
In the activities, you'll find carefully selected stories, images, and materials that reflect the diversity of family structures, cultural backgrounds, and life realities.
Social and emotional learning does not stop at the center's door.
Actively involve parents - with small take-home ideas, invitations to explore stories or activities together, or with parent evenings that convey SEL topics in a hands-on way.
When early childhood educators and parents work together, a strong bridge is built between home and daycare and that gives children orientation, security, and support.
For your introduction to SEL practice, two main components are available:
Our booklet supports you in integrating SEL (social and emotional learning) into everyday life in a situational and child-centered way.
The stories address central themes such as friendship, empathy, diversity, and collaborative problem-solving - engaging, age-appropriate, and close to children's real-world experiences.
By listening, telling, discussing, or role-playing, you strengthen social relationships, help children understand emotions, and support them in confidently managing challenges.
You can complement the stories with materials like hand puppets, picture cards, or play ideas - these spark imagination, bring the content to life, and invite participation.
All foundation and advanced activities offer various formats - playful exercises, role-plays, or targeted, child-friendly SEL techniques. Or you might launch into a project that spans multiple sessions.
Projects are particularly well suited to anchor SEL topics in daily life and make them personally meaningful for children.
Make SEL an experience in participation. You hold the overview of the methods - and you know the children in your group. Involve them actively in the process and let them choose among ideas. Let's be honest: not everything we adults find useful automatically appeals to children. Be open to what unfolds when you follow the children's ideas.
All activities are flexible: you can adapt them to your group's current stage, leave out individual elements, or rearrange them as needed.
Each activity stands on its own, is clearly structured, and marked with symbols - making it easy for you to navigate and plan effectively.
With each new activity, SEL becomes a more natural part of your educational routine - tangible, impactful, and full of life.
The foundation activities are the bedrock of SEL: They support body and sensory awareness as well as dealing with emotions.
Children learn to perceive themselves and others, express needs and feelings, and behave appropriately in social situations. Key skills like listening, perspective-taking, cooperation, and mindfulness are strengthened along the way.
To support age-appropriate and developmentally beneficial learning processes, we've put together a sequence for you. It might sound a bit technical at first, but don't worry, it's simply a practical guide that accompanies you through the next few weeks.
Here's a short overview:
With this sequence, you'll set many impactful SEL impulses over the course of three to four months - step by step and with lasting effect. Of course, you can always adjust the pace. If children dive deeper into a topic, it's even more valuable to pause and explore.
These symbols help guide you:
Some activities are especially suited for embedding into small puppet scenes - and who better than Kira and Miro to lead the way? They introduce the activity - ideally with the Magic Box. It's a multi-talented pedagogical tool. Inside are materials that kick off the topic in an exciting way. This has impact - motivating, engaging, and with a pinch of magic.
To make everything flow smoothly, we recommend the SEL three-phase structure:
The foundation activities lay the groundwork. The advanced activities are available to you flexibly. With them, children deepen their knowledge, practice constructive emotional management, improve self-regulation, develop social skills, dive further into learning to learn, and grow even stronger as a group.
Use your growing experience and confidence with the methods to choose what suits your group - always together with the children, of course.
With your attitude, your knowledge, and your commitment to the children, SEL comes to life. The methods and materials offer inspiration - but they only unfold their full impact through you. You guide children to feel safe and confident, to understand themselves and others better, to shape relationships, and to grow with optimism.
We wish you and the children an enriching journey - with hands, heart, mind, and lots of joy in discovery.
Financirano s strani Evropske unije. Izražena stališča in mnenja so zgolj stališča in mnenja avtorja(-ev) in ni nujno, da odražajo stališča in mnenja Evropske unije ali Evropske izvajalske agencije za izobraževanje in kulturo (EACEA). Zanje ne moreta biti odgovorna niti Evropska unija niti EACEA.
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