Implementation of project activities was intensively carried out throughout the last summer. Visitors of both Adutiškis and Švenčionėliai children day care centres were able to not only enjoy all the provided services – both centres also offered a variety of activities and entertainment: creative activities, hiking and sightseeing tours, sports competitions, campaigns and other events. During these activities, children have broadened their horizons of knowledge on their native land, learned the subtleties of interpersonal communication, trained their minds, athletic skills, developed their creative imagination and so on.
In addition, at the beginning of July of this year, communities of Adutiškis and Švenčionėliai children day care centres received wonderful news: both centres received support from sponsors who dedicated their funds to support the carried out activities, therefore visitors of the children day care centres were provided with meals during organized events. The project manager – Kaltanėnai education and tourism centre – is very grateful to its sponsors for their goodwill and the provided much-needed support to children: JSC ,,Fortum Švenčionių energija“, JSC ,,Švenčionių vaistažolių fabrika“, R. Maliavkos firm ,,Rek“ and JSC RTS BALTIC.
Another reason why the summer of 2015 was very special and fun to the visitors of both children day care centres is that, in August, they had an opportunity to participate in the activities of two camps, organized in Kaltanėnai education and tourism centre by Public Institution ,,Geras vėjas“. Each of them provided an opportunity for visitors of Adutiškis and Švenčionėliai children day care centres to learn about the surrounding areas, Eastern Aukštaitija and Lithuania by traveling, meeting specialists from various fields and participating in active, interesting and meaningful activities.
At the beginning of August, camp ,,Pažinkime Lietuvą“ was held which presented the ethnographic regions of Lithuania. The opening of the camp also coincided with the promotional event of the Project ,,Development of Children Day Care Centre Activities in Švenčionys District Municipalit“. Representatives of Švenčionys district municipality administration, coordinators of Adutiškis and Švenčionėliai children day care centres, sponsors of the day care centres and other guests who participated in the event shared their thoughts on the relevance of the implementation of the project and congratulated children on the opening of the first camp. After the promotional event and after receiving maps of Lithuanian ethnographic regions and their travel journals, campers began their three-day excursion through the regions of Lithuania Minor and Žemaitija. During the three-day excursion, participants of the project learned about famous objects of Panemuniai Regional Park and Curonian Spit National Park: Nemunas, Vilkija town, mounds, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Veliuona, Nida, Juodkrantė, Nida Holy Virgin Mary Church of Christian Aid, the Curonian Lagoon, the Baltic Sea, Parnidis dune, Hill of the Witches, etc. Campers also explored Klaipėda and Palanga cities, Naisiai (Šiauliai district) town (this year, it was announced to be the Little Capital of Culture of Lithuania). During the excursion, children also got the chance to see Jurbarkas and Šilutė towns, as well as many other towns of Lithuania Minor, and write down their most memorable moments in their travel journals.
After only a single week, nearly in the middle of August, a healthy lifestyle and physical activity promotion camp ,,Sveikatos gurkšnis“ was started in Kaltanėnai education and tourism centre. The aim of this camp was to draw the attention of children to the relevance of healthy lifestyle and its huge effect on well-being, therefore activities on various health topics were organized and practical physical activity promotion sessions were held, so that the campers would not only gain theoretical knowledge, but would also be able to test it practically. The young campers were able to enjoy good weather, while organizers of camp activities tried to provide plenty of fun activities, so that the days spent camping would leave the children with a lot of beautiful memories. Thus, in addition to participating in artistic activities, actively exercising in the mornings and playing sports, campers also took a two-day tourist trip by boat across three lakes of Aukštaitija National Park. A cheerful ,,Forest part“ was also organized which brought a lot of joy to the campers. On the last day of camping, children went on an educational excursion across Zarasai region: they visited Šlyninka watermill and participated in an educational bread baking programme. After that, the young campers travelled to Zarasai where they explored the town centre and the unique layout of its streets, they visited the town’s modern beach and crossed the cognitive path, spiralling through Zarasai Lake path that leads towards the observation wheel.
Even though summer has ended, the activities of the project still continue – activities that meet the needs of children are still being organized in both children day care centres, and there will also be other camps in Kaltanėnai education and tourism centre which will take place in autumn.
For more information about the project, please call (8 387) 44368 or send an e-mail to kaltanenu.utc@gmail.com [1]