“Magic really does exist!” the little ones exclaimed in chorus as they were carried away to… Fairyland, a place they had decorated themselves by building fairy houses, decorations, dwarves and mushrooms. The fairies, embodied in colorful wool and diaphanous wings, sprinkled magic pixie dust everywhere.

With their dexterous hands, the children also created binoculars or peepholes through which the world around them seemed more cheerful and exciting. Like true explorers, they also set off on a little expedition around the school and came back with leaves or flowers to stick on a picture.

The “Heart Window” was another alternative when they wanted to look at the sky and nature with different eyes. Through the transparent hearts they made themselves, everything took on more vivid colors. And because it was Art and Craft week, the little ones created decorative clay objects, drew messages on T-shirts and even painted with their feet.

Sport was also a priority at the Summer School, and the “Health Festival” was organized to recharge the little ones with energy and keep them in good general wellbeing. Of the exercises to relax the mind and body, the yoga techniques were the most popular, which they learned with patience and skill. 

When the little ones wanted to eat waffles, they worked to make them. They prepared their utensils, chose the ingredients carefully and mixed the composition, watched the waffles turn golden and decorated them. But don’t think our kids are only good at dessert. As a platter of fruit and vegetables should not be missing from anyone’s table, the little ones did their best to make attractive arrangements. But the biggest challenge was to weave buns. At the end, they sprinkled seeds on top and waited with bated breath for them to brown in the oven.

Dancing is a beloved activity in the Paradis community, and one of the kids’ favorite styles is rock ‘n’ roll. The dance steps developed their balance, coordination, flexibility and grace, and when they felt they had mastered the choreography, the little ones went to a dance studio and synchronized masterfully in front of the mirrors. As we admire them expressing their freedom through dance, we can only repeat: “Let’s Twist Again”!

Romanian dances did not miss from the program either. To teach children to love folk customs and traditions is one of the objectives of the Paradis community, and by practicing dances they can most easily get attached to Romanian folklore. And when the passion for folk dancing is combined with the love for nature, the natural result was… a big hora in the Botanical Garden.

Going on stage in front of a crowd is not easy, but the Paradis students have been training their self-confidence from an early age. And there was no better place than the “Vasile Alecsandri” National Theatre to show that they could manage their emotions and show their improvisational skills. In the spotlight, the little ones took turns as actors and spectators. At the Paradis Summer School, they also learned the secrets of a puppet show, from making mascots to staging a play.

The world of princesses and knights, dinosaurs and wizards opened its doors wide when the children from the Paradis Summer School stepped through the doors of the “Gheorghe Asachi” County Library, Păcurari branch. After seeing what a library permit looks like and finding out what documents are needed to register, the little ones immediately got lost among the shelves, fascinated by the large number of volumes in all fields. The children’s favorites were comic books and the “Harry Potter” series. Our hosts showed them the biggest books they have in their 25,000-volume collection, as well as the ones you can hold in the palm of your hands.

A hard-working man with a passion for a trade has every chance to succeed in his favorite field. This is the lesson children at the Paradis summer school learned after meeting Mr. Costantin, a shoemaker for over 50 years, who not only explained the secrets of his profession, but also showed them how he transforms broken shoes into new ones. The children watched in amazement as their host in the several square metres workshop in Păcurari glued the sole of a boot, replaced a broken zipper and widened a shoe on the last. The little ones were delighted to see him at work on the milling cutter and quickly maneuvering the tools in the workshop.

Paradis Summer School turned into… Spy School for a few days. The little ones were challenged to a series of games that tested their senses, quickness, memory, cleverness and patience to discover clues hidden in the hallways and in the courtyard. They enjoyed deciphering the Morse code, and made detective masks and objects out of clay, which they then painted in bright colors. At the end of the educational activities, each child was convinced that they could be a future Sherlock Holmes who sets out on secret missions and unravels mysteries in the name of Good.

The popular Paradis project “Travel Around the World” continued during the Summer School. After familiarizing themselves with the traditions and culture of France and Greece during the school year, the little ones were now fascinated by a country further afield: Mexico. They made Mexican friends out of colored paper, dressed in traditional garb and wearing the ever-present sombrero. And the classroom was almost turning into a desert with the number of cacti that had invaded it. The little ones’ journey doesn’t stop here, so stay tuned for more adventures around the world.