Since 1987, Theatre creatives all around Europe have been interested in various forms of Toddleriums, perfromances for the youngest children right from the age of 0. Shows for toddlers have become common in Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland and Scandinavian countries. The Puppet theatre at the Crossroads has been inspired by these advanced European tendencies and as the first theatre in Slovakia, we set up our own theatre project for toddlers and their parents called Batolárium. The second project is called AKVabatolÁRIUM. 

The form of this project is fully adapted to natural needs of toddlers and it fully respects restlessness of children. It engages them with the story and works with them in an interactive way.

The directrice, Monika Kováčová, got inspired by water this time: ,,Water gives us a variety of colours, substances, temperatures, spaces. At the same time, children know water from their daily routines like bathing, crying, pouring liquids on the table and, later on, from extremely attractive puddles. It was with them from the very beginning as the amniotic fluid. Water splashes, pours, cleans, flows around fingers, wets, falls, curls, foams, cools, snows… and, above all, it fascinates thus children like it very much. The project offers a cruise in a bathtub boat through drops, puddles, wet footprints into the world of washbasins, laundry clips, sponges, brushes, puppets from children’s clothes. It transforms Teatrium into a bathroom playground,“ she says.