- Статьи
- Society
- No one will catch you.: how folklore games will save preschoolers from a terrorist attack
No one will catch you.: how folklore games will save preschoolers from a terrorist attack
The Ministry of Education is introducing a program of traditional folklore games in kindergartens. It is designed to teach preschoolers how to act correctly in the face of a terrorist threat and in general in extreme situations. The program based on children's outdoor games — "Loaf", "Goat", "Kite", "Tetera", etc. — was developed by specialists from the Faculty of Legal Psychology at MGPPU. Izvestia investigated how they were going to teach children how to behave during terrorist attacks.
What is the essence of the program?
The program "Folklore games in kindergarten" was developed "in the context of an increasing terrorist threat," and it is currently being tested, the university told Izvestia. The initiative is being implemented under the leadership of Alexander Bugaev, Deputy Head of the Ministry of Education and Science, and Vladimir Chernushevich and Anna Teplovoy, specialists of the Faculty of Legal Psychology at MGPPU, who not only developed the program, but also accompany its implementation.
There are seven games in the program with a total duration of about 30 minutes. These are "Nickname", "Loaf", "Goat", "Tetera", "Kite", "Raven Ivan Petrovich" and "Chicken", as well as their analogues for children of other ages. These games, many of which have been known to everyone since childhood, simulate artillery raids, mining and attacks, the MGPPU explained.
However, they don't tell the children about this: in fact, the children are just playing. It's just that the program is designed in such a way that it unites the children's team, develops feelings of trust and mutual assistance, teaches discipline and interaction under emotional stress.
After the testing period, more detailed methodological recommendations will be issued, taking into account regional ethnocultural characteristics. Educators, music supervisors, and physical education teachers will be able to conduct the games. At the same time, the program preserves the traditional folk game as an object of intangible cultural heritage.
— The first stage of the program's implementation is the voluntary inclusion of an educational organization in this project of the Ministry of Education, — Vladimir Chernushevich told Izvestia. — The distribution of the program and methodological recommendations for its implementation takes place by region. Gardens that already have experience in folklore games will probably respond.
MGPPU will conduct webinars, conferences and meetings with those who join the program. The formed support platforms will then share their example with the others.
The effectiveness of the program will be assessed based on a comparative analysis.: how children acted during anti-terrorist exercises before and how they act after the program was implemented.
Izvestia sent a request to the Ministry of Education.
What games will be played?
The program is built sequentially from several games. A group of preschoolers play for 30 minutes, starting with a "Roll Call" — this is the ritual of starting classes, an element of getting to know each other. Then there are circular unifying games with a low degree of tactile contact: "Loaf" ("Loaf, loaf, choose who you want!") and a somewhat similar "Goat".
Then active and emotional games begin — "Tetera" and "Kite". In the first game, the Tether chosen by counting leads a string of children through the "gate" (they are created by two other children). The gates close when the chorus song ends. This game recreates a psychologically traumatic situation where a person is forced to stop for reasons beyond their control.
In the game "Kite", the child who is inside the circle catches the rest of the guys — also after the dialogue specially prescribed in the rules of the game ends. Here, a stressful situation is simulated: against the background of a deliberately calm dialogue between the circle and the vulture, emotional tension increases, which reaches its peak at the moment when the vulture jumps up and begins to catch up with the others.
The third part of the lesson is calm. There are either gesture games with melodious chants, such as "Chicken", or fairy tale games with a minimum of movement, such as "Raven Ivan Petrovich".
Game replacements are acceptable: instead of "Kite", it is suggested to play "Finch" if the children in the group are in too active a mood. In "Chizhe", children do not catch up with each other, but are looking for a mate. The game "Goat" can be changed to "Sparrow", which has more opportunities for improvisation and self-presentation, etc.
"It is based on a folklore game program for educators and children from four to eight years old, the effectiveness of which has been experimentally tested,— Anna Teplova told Izvestia. — The repertoire of professional game training for social educators at the Faculty of Legal Psychology includes about 20 games for this age, so the program options are offered so that children who have mastered the game repertoire can freely choose what to play today.
She stressed that the most important thing is not what to play, but who plays and how. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the ethnocultural features of the gaming experience of the regions, and in general, to return gaming culture to preschool institutions.
The choice of games is due to the fact that the program was developed for kindergartens, that is, those were needed in which the maximum effect is obtained in the shortest possible time. There is no opposition to street games - "Tag", "Cossack Robbers", "Bouncers" - there is no. It's just that these are different situations of traditional culture, stressed Anna Teplova.
Why do games teach behavior during terrorist attacks?
Vladimir Chernushevich explained that the Department of Mobilization Training and Civil Defense of the Ministry of Education had become the customer of the folklore and gaming program.
— Experts could not find a better way to prepare kids for action in situations of terrorist threat. What is acceptable for schoolchildren — smoke, alarms, playing out variants of terrorist threats during exercises — turned out to be unacceptable for the youngest," the source told Izvestia. — There is a high risk of mental trauma in peacetime. At the same time, there are many resources of a general development plan in game folklore practice, as well as situations that simulate overcoming extreme situations.
He emphasizes: what and how to explain to children about possible real dangers is decided by the educator, taking into account age characteristics. But this is more important for older children, whereas for toddlers it is more important to develop practical experience in typical situations.
— In traditional folk games, situations related to the reaction to danger are often "experienced" — separation from the group, the possibility of being captured and intercepted, and so on, — explained Vladimir Chernushevich. — They give children the opportunity to develop a culturally appropriate, human response to an emergency situation: calmness, control over affect, ingenuity, laughter, etc.
Anna Teplova notes that in 2019, MGPPU specialists proved by experience that social and communication skills are effectively formed in a traditional game: children learn to act without panic, in an organized manner, taking into account each other.
"The new state assignment only clarifies the guidelines for the presenters, places emphasis on typical game situations, especially important for anti—terrorist protection," she said. — The effectiveness of such game training will necessarily be evaluated by comparative observations of the actions of children and caregivers who participate and do not participate in game practice. The work with the gardens in 2026 is aimed at this.
Victoria Boeva, founder and co-owner of the Discovery network of bilingual kindergartens and schools, notes that such a program can be effective: children experience less fear and stress in a playful way, and model situations allow them to learn without injury. At the same time, direct instructions for preschoolers are more difficult to understand.
— But it is important to emphasize that such a method should not completely exhaust the preparation, — the interlocutor of Izvestia is sure. — I think it's right to combine gaming methods with simple and accessible explanations of the basic safety rules — the age level of perception is taken into account when submitting information. The child must understand why he is doing this, what threats there are, and what simple actions will help him protect himself. For example, it is useful for younger students to explain patterns of behavior during an attack, alarm, or approaching danger, and what to do if they see suspicious objects or people.
Tamara Gritskova, an elementary school teacher with the highest qualification category at Moscow school No. 705, notes that now the topic of safety is woven into the educational process in the lower grades.
— We don't give boring lectures to children, but analyze situations in groups, pairs, draw memos, watch and discuss kind cartoons on the topic "How to behave with a stranger" or "What to do if you get lost." We simulate situations of "What will you do if...?" and analyze each option," she told Izvestia.
She notes that in kindergartens, indeed, games are not just entertainment. With the help of the well-known game "Hush the mouse, cat on the roof," for example, children are taught to hear a command, react quickly, hide, freeze. This is how the foundations of behavior in a critical situation are laid.
— In elementary school, we layer more conscious things on this base. As children grow up, information becomes more complex, but it is always measured and adapted," said Tamara Gritskova. — The calmness and confidence of a child is the result of a lot of work that begins with adults.
Do children know how to behave during emergencies
Victoria Boeva says that children experience stress, confusion and fear during real emergencies, so the organization of actions strongly depends on preliminary preparation and training. Children coped more effectively with emergencies in those schools where systematic exercises were conducted with the development of behavior algorithms.
Sergey Borisov, Vice President, head of the Center for Special Assessment of Working Conditions, and an expert at the Infowork service, emphasizes that schools and kindergartens are now regularly practicing evacuation and response scenarios. For example, in 2025, Russian-wide anti-terrorist security exercises were held in many institutions. Evacuation situations and blocking of suspicious objects were simulated, and interaction between teachers and parents was worked out.
"The children demonstrated a high level of organization and readiness to act in emergency situations," he told Izvestia. — For example, in Omsk, in kindergarten No. 314, evacuation was carried out upon the discovery of a suspicious object. The actions of all participants, including pupils, were assessed as satisfactory.
However, Izvestia could not find modern Russian studies that would assess the behavior of children in a real emergency situation (in particular, attacks on a school in Izhevsk, a gymnasium in Kazan, a Kerch college), and the researchers interviewed did not know about them either. Foreign studies are also based primarily on drills — that is, training situations that simulate a school lockdown or an armed attack. Among other things, the impact of such exercises on the child's psychology was assessed. It turned out that the direct modeling of a situation when a school is under attack is alarming for 27%.
"Modern techniques are increasingly using game—based and interactive forms of safety education to achieve intuitive learning," emphasizes Victoria Boeva.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
