Elements of Croatian folklore in preschool age

Hrvatska kao izuzetno folklorom bogata zemlja, posjeduje veliku i raznoliku kulturnu baštinu. Jedan djelić toga čine i narodni plesovi. Proučavajući ples pojedine regije u Hrvatskoj može se mnogo toga saznati o istoj; o običajima, svakodnevnom životu, načinima zabave, itd. Upravo njihovim prenošenjem na mlađe naraštaje, prenosi se i dio hrvatske tradicijske baštine. Plesom se kod djece razvija kreativnost, osjećaj za ritam te ljubav prema plesu i glazbi. Njegujući tradiciju, djeca se ujedno zabavljaju, igraju i razmjenjuju iskustva s ostalom djecom iz drugih kultura. Osim u slobodno vrijeme, djeci bi folklor trebao biti ponuđen i u predškolskim ustanovama. Folklorne igraonice najčešće vode sami odgajatelji. Veliku pozornost treba pridavati odabiru plesa, načinu učenja novih pokreta i odabiru elemenata koji moraju biti primjereni dobi djece s kojom se radi. Cilj ovog rada jest pokazati jednostavne elemente narodnih plesova Hrvatske i potaknuti njihovo uvrštavanje u rad s djecom predškolske dobi u svrhu približavanja vrijednosti plesnog izričaja djeci.Croatia, as an extremely folklore rich country, possesses broad and various cultural heritage. National dances are just a small part of it. There is a lot to discover about Croatia’s customs, every day life and entertainment forms, simply by exploring national dances from every Croatian region. The act of sharing all of this with younger generations is a way of preserving Croatian traditional heritage. While dancing, children develop creativity, sense of rhythm and love towards music. By cherishing the tradition and customs, children also have fun as if participating in a game, and they exchange their experiences with children from other cultures. In addition to being an extracurricular activity, folklore should be offered to children in preschool institutions as well. Folklore playrooms are usually led by educators. More attention should be invested in the dance selection, learning of new dance moves, and choosing the dance elements appropriate for children who are different age group. The aim of this paper is presenting the elements of traditional Croatian dances and encouraging their introducing to early children education, starting with preschool. Moreover, to present the advantanges of national dances, as well as to show educators an example of Physical Education class based on national dances