Communication Actions

Toys through Time

Our educational program and our first thematic periodic exhibition at the Archaeological Museum of Polygyros: brief assessment

On 13.06.2023, we celebrated the new life cycle of the Archaeological Museum of Polygyros with the completion of the first educational program entitled “toys through time”.

The program approached toys through time in an experiential way, as a precious leisure activity that contributes to the social and psycho-emotional development of children, while seeking synergy between three generations of people by engaging in the active and creative process of acknowledging tangible and intangible culture as a public cultural asset.

We presented the first thematic exhibition at this celebration, which resulted from the specific program with the project approach, the aim of which was the narration of stories and experiences by engaging Primary school students in multiple creative roles:

initially as researchers, as they undertook both the recording of collections of toys from people in their close family environment and the transcription of personal experiential accounts of their older relatives, in the form of a recorded interview, about toys from their childhood.

Then, as “managers” of this family “cultural heritage”, by implementing a thematic exhibition in the temporary hall that hosts the educational programs of our Museum, where the toys they had chosen were turned into museum objects, accompanied by the recorded memories and experiences of relatives from various regions of Chalkidiki.

We therefore consider that the primary objective of this program has been achieved, that is, to engage three generations at the same time in multiple roles, the researcher, the collector and the exhibitor, through a theme equally familiar to all three, toys, thus nurturing a dialectical relationship of intimacy and inclusion with the local community, in an anthropocentric, participatory and pluralistic manner, and emphasizing the benefits of the synergy between the three entities; Museum, School and family.

We would like to sincerely thank the teacher, Mrs. Eleni Kalesi, and the 2nd class of the 4th Grade students of the 1st Primary School of Polygyros for their enthusiastic response to our invitation.

Planning, organization and implementation of the educational program:

Olympia Nasioka, archaeologist

Terpsichori Xanthopoulou, visual artist

Stamatis Chatzitoulousis, archaeologist

With the support of the Museum security personnel:

Vasilis Kampanis, warden

Maria Kastretsiou, security guard

Kalitsa Katernari, archaeologist – security guard