Cambodia’s child-friendly school policy works
A ten-year scheme designed to get all of Cambodia’s children into school and improve their education has been a remarkable success. Around 97 per cent of children are now in enrolled in school thanks to...Read more
A bicycle playground for Vienna
How can we foster the autonomous mobility and cycling skills of children living in the city and promote physical activity? How can we facilitate a safe but exciting approach to cycling for urban kids? Cycling will...Read more
When kids run for 15 minutes in school every day, here’s what happens to their health
If you haven’t heard of the Daily Mile yet, your time has come. Now taking place in 3,600 primary schools each day in 35 countries around the world, it takes children outside during normal lesson...Read more
Breaking gender stereotypes early
Gender stereotyping can be tackled in preschool, promoting equality in the skills children learn and the possibilities they see for themselves. But it’s not about banning books. We all know that children are like little detectives....Read more
Children’s book giveaway schemes boost literacy
US-based book distribution schemes that provide free children’s books in low-income neighbourhoods can greatly help boost literacy levels, says a new study. Researchers at New York University (NYU) looked at community schemes in cities such as...Read more
New child-sized city opens in Johannesburg
Johannesburg will soon be the latest global metropolis to have a KidZania ‘replica city’, using play to show children all about careers. Youngsters visiting these enormous indoor playgrounds – there are 24 worldwide – experience what...Read more
The city of Athens as learning environment and field of action
Natalia Bazaiou and Anastasia Noukaki live and practice architecture in Athens. Together they run architecture and city workshops for children focusing on their relationship with the urban environment using participatory design methods. In this special...Read more
‘Banter’ good predictor of a child’s language development – study
‘Back-and-forth’ conversational banter is an effective predictor of a child’s language development, suggests a new study. Researchers at MIT, Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvannia believe that conversational ‘turns’ are better indicators than just...Read more
Imagine and explore through ‘playful’ learning
A ‘playful’ approach to learning can hugely benefit children, but the system must give teachers the freedom to create the right environment. Making the case is Nicola Whitton, Professor of Education at Manchester Metropolitan University,...Read more
Working with boys for a gender equal future
Philipp Leeb is the Chairman of Poika, an NGO that promotes gender-sensitive boys’ work in education. Writing for Child in the City, he discusses his work in Vienna where he integrates gender sensitive boys’ education...Read more
The dying art of classroom storytelling
Storytelling may be as old as the hills but it remains one of the most effective tools for teaching and learning. A good story can make a child (or adult) prick up their ears and...Read more
How to help autistic children socialise in school
Not all children with autism need the same level of support with socialisation in schools, and unnecessary segregation only makes the process more difficult. That’s the view of experienced teacher and trainer Rebecca Wood, of the University...Read more
‘Books, not bullets’ should be the priority for countries – Nobel Laureate
Countries should be investing in ‘books not bullets’, leading children’s activist and former Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi has told a major international child rights summit. Satyarthi, the Indian Nobel Laureate, believes countries should be...Read more
Friends in need are friends indeed
School bullying is depressingly common but having a group of friends, not just a single “bestie”, may bolster a child’s resilience, says Andrew Trounson, a writer for the University of Melbourne’s research publication platform, Pursuit. Surviving...Read more