The meeting at the Bolesławiec kindergarten was wonderfully prepared by teachers Beata Grabas-Jaśkiewicz, Elżbieta Klich, Iwona Witczak, Mariola Swoboda and Dorota Berestecka. First, the teachers introduced the children to the story of Matylda the hunchback, who set off with her friends on an extraordinary journey to a witch who grants all wishes. They then invited the author of the fairy tale to conduct a workshop.
During the meeting with Grażyna Hanaf, the children spoke mainly about their dreams. They also learned where fairy tales come from and how they are written. They talked about what they wished for and wondered whether dreams were easy to make come true.
To involve the preschoolers more fully and make the meeting more enjoyable, Grażyna Hanaf used a hand puppet—a friendly cow. While playing, the children were more willing to answer questions and stayed focused on the subject for longer. The puppet made it easier for them to open up because it was their partner. Funny and somewhat clumsy, making children laugh with its remarks, making gaffes like children do and enjoying fooling around, it was an excellent companion for the youngsters.
Both groups prepared wonderful gifts for the author. The younger children wrote their own therapeutic fairy tale about Bury the Bear, who convinced all the children that bears can be different colors, because what matters is whether they are good and friendly. The older children created beautiful, wonderfully colorful drawings for the fairy tale “Garbuska”.
Therapeutic fairy-tale workshops at your school
I will be happy to visit your school and meet the children, conducting workshops addressing such topics as the power of parental love, the values that guide us in life, dreams and how to make them come true, and ways of expressing emotions. The workshops are well suited to children aged 6–15. I offer two workshops, based on the fairy tales Garbuska and Dziewczynka Skrzynka. You can choose a fairy tale for your class. The meeting lasts up to one and a half hours and consists of several games and activities. To prepare, all you need is paper, pastel crayons, the children’s names, and an openness to an interesting, thought-provoking meeting with a fairy tale. The workshops are free of charge. Contact me via the form.
“Garbuska Workshop” program
- Welcome and introduction by the author. A conversation about how fairy tales are created. Reading an excerpt from the fairy tale “Garbuska”
- First activity: Do you know your name? The names of the fairy-tale characters were carefully selected, so during the activity the children learn the meanings of their own names. It is one of the favorite activities—not only among children.
- Second activity: “The Colors of Emotions.” On white sheets of paper, the children use colored crayons to paint the colors of feelings—in the form of a blot, dot, undefined shape or mandala. An example task for the children: Think and choose the color that you believe love has, and paint the sheet in that color.
- Third activity: A dream-writing workshop. Following the instructions, the children write their dream or wish on a sheet of paper, and then we talk about making wishes come true.
- Autographs, signing copies of the fairy tale, conversations and questions about the characters and story of “Garbuska”.
Where Fear Lives—workshops based on the fairy tale “Dziewczynka-skrzynka”
- Welcome and introduction by the author. A short conversation about fear and anxieties. Do we like being afraid? When is fear unpleasant? Is fear necessary? How does it manifest in our bodies—where does it live?
- Getting acquainted with an excerpt from the fairy tale “Dziewczynka-skrzynka”
- After explaining how fear works, there is an art activity. Large sheets of kraft paper are needed—about 10 per class. The children divide into groups; one person from each group lies down on the gray paper while the others trace their outline. The resulting “person” is covered with drawings of fears. The children “tattoo” the figure with spiders, mice, clowns, broken bones, drunk people and… math tests, representing what they fear most. Each fear “lives” in a different part of the body. This simple activity helps children understand that fears are born in our minds, while physical reactions are felt in different parts of the body—most often in the stomach, which can hurt from fear, but also in sweaty palms, stiff legs or shivers running down the back when the threat is still invisible.