MiniVerso in early childhood education

The aim of Miniverso early childhood education is to promote children's agency, empowerment and life skills.

What is Miniverso?

On this page you will find the most frequently asked questions about Miniverson in early childhood education and care.

MiniVerso supports the implementation of the values of the National Early Childhood Education and Care Plan 2018 in terms of children's rights and growing up as human beings. A staff member trained in mediation helps children to find solutions to their conflicts themselves. MiniVerso creates the conditions for children's genuine involvement in disputes. Children are not stigmatised, but respected and listened to as experts in their own dispute and its resolution.

Through the mediating approach of educators aims to promote children's agency, empowerment and life skills. In mediation, conflict situations are understood as part of normal life and their resolution as a learning situation rather than a difficult incident. 

A dispute may involve, for example, name-calling, shoving, breaking play, leaving play or taking someone else's property without permission.

All people have arguments from time to time. Through mediation, a child learns important life skills. A dispute that occurs in early childhood education is mediated with the support of an adult using the MiniVerso mediation process. The child is involved in matters that concern him or her, with the support of an adult. He or she is listened to as an expert in his or her own dispute and is given the opportunity to think about a solution to the dispute so that play can resume.

After a short time, the agreed promises are revisited together, looking back at what was agreed and whether the promises have been kept. In the groups you may see different “agreement boards” with reminders of the fine promises made in the mediations. Remembering the promises and celebrating successes together will strengthen the child's self-esteem and learning. Promises don't always keep, and that's OK. If necessary, they can be renegotiated. Learning something new takes practice and repetition, which is very important for real learning

MiniVerso mediation is for children and adults from the whole community. The MiniVerso mediation model is trained for children aged 4-6 years in the early childhood education unit and for all staff. The training of children is carried out through puppet theatre and mediation games. After the training, the children continue to practice mediation skills in their own groups with friends and educators together. Play is fun for the children and many new skills are learned, including mediation skills! Through play all children it is possible to become involved in mediation activities.

Mediation teaches important life skills:

  • listening skills
  • Emotional skills
  • social and friendship skills
  • respect for others
  • empathy skills
  • problem-solving skills
  • taking responsibility, in small steps, for things that concern you

Frequently asked questions- page for more answers to questions about Verso.

Children and educators are responsible

Respondents: children aged 3-6

A pie chart of the answers to the question: did you keep the promise you made in mediation?

Respondents: early childhood education and care staff

A pie chart of the answers to the question: does the MiniVerso activity teach you useful skills?

Listen to the experiences of MiniVerso
Waves of mediation- from our podcast:

Episode 7:

Mini by Mikkeli

Episode 13:

Interview with a pre-schooler