“I want to breathe”: Croatian kindergarten teachers learn the importance of breathing clean air

13 teachers from four kindergartens in Zagreb, Croatia, took part in an online learning programme called “I want to breathe”, funded by a Healthy Lungs for Life grant.

Organised by the Croatian Association for Lung Cancer Patients Jedra, the programme aimed to educate teachers on the importance of clean air for lung health, including looking at smoking and other risk factors for lung disease.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the training was delivered online rather than face-to-face within a kindergarten. Teachers learnt about the anatomy of the lungs, breathing techniques and activities and games that could be used to engage children in the topic.

After taking part in the programme, the teachers took their new knowledge into the classroom and after a number of months reported back on how the activities went. Teachers noted that children had learnt techniques for breathing and relaxation and how to blow up a balloon, and realised the importance of ventilating a room, particularly before and after exercise. The teachers reported that they were delighted to teach the children these skills all through play and fun – encouraging creativity through learning about health.