USING DEMONSTRATION TO DESIGN CREATIVE PRODUCTS FOCUSED ON FOLK TRADITIONS

The child attends the preschool institution as well as the first school grades almost all the week except two days of the weekend. The child spends a lot of time there and therefore it is one of the main external factors on education. Children’s activities are during the year affected for example by weather or current situation, however, holidays and folk customs have a large impact too. Winter months are accompanied by making products and performing activities with the theme of Advent and Easter topic prevails in spring. Many of these holidays and customs are feasts, coming from religion. Nevertheless, some of them are slowly disappearing and in certain cases, the ones with commercial connections remain. The research is focused on the analysis of maintaining customs and traditions in families with children who just attend one of the mentioned facilities. The data are collected through questionnaire method. As the place of data collection is known, the focus is on searching for correlations with religious or regional folk customs. Data are collected from the West Bohemia region and they primarily focus on the Advent holidays. Other holidays and customs are not ignored. Each product is also specific by its use of material. The demonstration methods are used to stimulate pupils, children are then inspired e.g. by a created product or a model. While making the equal copy, the child practices its motor skills and necessary techniques for material manipulation. It is also possible to develop creativity during such an activity, when the basic method of implementation is selected and each child can make it at his discretion at school or at home.