A Little Dictionary of Big Words

On Friday, 13 November 2026, at 10 a.m., Matulji Kindergarten and the Young Competent Leaders Association will present A Little Dictionary of Big Words at the Rukavac branch kindergarten – a dictionary of kindness in which preschool children themselves explain the meaning of kind and thoughtful words.

The publication is the final outcome of the programme Learning from an Early Age – Building a Culture of Kind Words and Positive Relationships, which has been running since September across all Matulji Kindergarten facilities, with financial support from the Municipality of Matulji. The programme aims to foster non-violent communication, empathy and mutual respect from the earliest age.

Around 60 kindergarten teachers, children and their parents took part in the programme. The teachers completed training in communication and the fundamentals of mediation, as well as a professional lecture on inclusion delivered by Ana Vračko. Parents attended the educational workshop The Power of Words and an art workshop with their children led by Vedran Ružić. A Tree of Kind Words also grew in each kindergarten facility.

Using their own words and drawings, the children of Matulji explained concepts such as thank you, sorry, friendship and courage. The dictionary also includes translations into Slovenian, Italian, German and English, as well as expressions in the local Chakavian dialect.

In an age of screens and instant messages, it is easy to forget how much a kind word, spoken face to face, can brighten someone's day. "Kindness grows one word at a time,” says Dubravka Uroda, the programme's creator.

The promotion will feature performances by the kindergarten children, an exhibition of their artwork, the Tree Avenue of Kind Words, and a photo story documenting the entire inspiring journey.

The publication was made possible with the support of GANT, INA d.d. and Autokuća Šop.

The kindergarten and the association hope to continue the programme and extend it to schools and other community settings. Its educational framework, publication and coordination team model could serve as an example of good practice for other kindergartens throughout Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and beyond. For the teachers who led the activities and coordinated the programme across the different facilities, it has also provided valuable opportunities for further professional development and career advancement.

When: Friday, 13 November 2026, at 10 a.m. (World Kindness Day)

Where: Matulji Kindergarten, Rukavac branch

Contact: Dubravka Uroda, Programme Coordinator · +385 99 837 35 32 · uroda.edukacije@gmail.com