Learning through play with CUBORO

CUBORO in the classroom of a Swiss elementary school

CUBORO is not only used in children's rooms, but also in classrooms around the world. Today I am visiting a school in Bern, where I meet Franziska Imobersteg. She is a teacher of four to eight-year-olds in the Breitenrain-Lorraine school district in Bern, Switzerland. I discuss with Franziska the possible uses of CUBORO for the basic level as part of Curriculum 21. And I learn about the central role that playing takes in her educational concept and how popular the marble run system CUBORO is with the children in the classroom.

Achieve learning goals through play

The basic level combines the two-year kindergarten with the first and second years of primary school. Children between the ages of four and eight are taught together here. Two teachers work with the same class at the same time. In this environment, the children are given tasks that correspond to their level of development and interests. The basic level can be completed in three to five years.

Teaching at the basic level is based on "Curriculum 21", which defines the learning objectives in the German-speaking cantons of Switzerland as a framework concept. The curriculum serves as a compass for teachers from kindergarten to year 9 to help them plan their lessons. Play and learning form a unit at the beginning of the basic level. The canton of Bern writes: "In play, many children can immerse themselves in a task or role over a long period of time, maintain a high level of concentration and acquire specific knowledge."

Playing is also a top priority in Franziska Imobersteg's class. She explains that the transition from playful activities to task-oriented learning is a smooth one: "We teach learning through play in the basic level. Our toys and games awaken the children's curiosity and love of learning." This intrinsic learning gradually leads children to reading, writing, arithmetic and all other subjects.

Highest concentration

Franziska explains that they have two rooms available for their class in the basic level. One room is designed like a classroom and the other is set up for playing. The children can take some of the toys for themselves during playtime. CUBORO is handed out to the children by the certified  kindergarten teacher as something special.
The six and seven-year-olds recently played with CUBORO again during their afternoon lessons. Franziska reports that the children were already quite tired from studying. However, when CUBORO came into play, their spirits were revived. The 12 children played another highly concentrated lesson with the CUBORO sets JUNIOR, STANDARD 50 and JUMP . Watching this concentration and dedication is always fascinating, Franziska enthuses.

Added value from CUBORO

During play, the children want to experiment with the CUBORO elements independently and freely. The construction is sometimes more important than the result. Franziska reports that the children often consult the CUBORO book briefly for inspiration. It is more important that the marble keeps rolling. For the teachers, however, the book is very informative and a good tool for learning tips and tricks about CUBORO and integrating the marble runs into everyday learning in a playful way.

According to Franziska, CUBORO can make a very good contribution to achieving the learning objectives of Curriculum 21. When playing and building with CUBORO , the children train their fine and gross motor skills and develop their imagination. If the marble run does not work, children patiently and persistently try new solutions again and again. Social skills are also promoted when playing with CUBORO . Agreeing and negotiating the best course of marble run teaches children to listen to each other, express themselves and share.

It was very interesting for me to learn what an important role "play" plays in education today. I was thrilled to see in practice how CUBORO contributes to the implementation of Curriculum 21 at primary level. The children are also enthusiastic, concludes Franziska. She sums it up succinctly: "They love CUBORO."

Matthias, CUBORO Team
published on November 21, 2023 

Further sources: - Canton of Bern, Die Basisstufe, Information for parents, 2022, www.bkd.be.ch, last opened on 20.11.2023 - Canton of Bern, Lehrplan 21. Schwerpunkte des ersten Zyklus, 2016, be.lehrplan.ch, last opened on 20.11.2023