A Day of Discovery and Playful Learning: Fortified Churches in the Classroom
On the morning of February 21, 2024, our extraordinary program began with a warm welcome from teacher Dana Crișan and her enthusiastic team of students. The classroom was quickly transformed into a dynamic learning circle with six interactive stations. In small groups of two or three, the students explored the theme of fortified churches in a playful and engaging way.
Each station offered a unique activity: from playing card games like Quartet and Memory, to matching fortified churches to their locations on a map, to pairing floor plans with the corresponding churches and sorting architectural terms. The variety of tasks ensured excitement and diversity. With 10 to 15 minutes allocated per station, there was ample time for focused work without any rush. The students appeared genuinely satisfied with this pace.
What stood out most was the motivation and curiosity with which each child approached their tasks. While comparing their results, participants often experienced “aha” moments, followed by laughter at their own mistakes. Instead of frustration, the atmosphere was relaxed and joyful, marked by teamwork and enthusiasm.
Prepared vocabulary aids made technical terms accessible, and students did not hesitate to ask further questions when needed. The exchange of ideas was lively yet never disruptive – it reflected a sincere interest in the topic. Even beyond the games, students asked thematic questions, which were addressed with enthusiasm.
Teacher Dana Crișan expressed her delight: “It’s wonderful to see my students so deeply engaged and motivated. I will definitely incorporate these games into my lessons every year.” The students also gave positive feedback about the activities and showed great interest in the subjects covered.
This special day demonstrated how effective playful learning can be – and how much joy it brings to discover new things together.
The same program was offered to three other schools in Sibiu and Sebes.
