I am a senior researcher and associate professor at Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania. I teach child development and narrative learning in play, creative drama, and the Vygotskian theory of cultural development in childhood. I worked at Kajaani University Consortium, University of Oulu, Finland, from 2002-2010, where I was responsible for research activities at Play Lab “Silmu.” With Pentti Hakkarainen, I co-created the developmental play program in early childhood - Narrative Play and Learning Environments (2017). My research interests include the cultural development of the child, the impact of creative activities on child development, and the role of imagination in play.