The Marzipan House
Outdoor education (also in Milan)
Today, the experiences that children are able to live outside the four walls have more and more importance and value.
A new pedagogy is born so called the "Pedagogy of the forest": Being educated in nature is a source of innumerable benefits for children, both from the physical point of view and from the cognitive and psychological development.
This pedagogical approach is brought into the nursery and creates opportunities for collaboration between older and younger children. The older ones go out in micro-groups of up to 4 children and come back with bags full of natural materials to share with others!
These materials are of great importance: fortunately not everything is cold, not everything is smooth, not everything is plastic!
How many perfumes, how many sensations we feel close to wet earth ...
The role of the adult is that of the observer, and when needed he intervenes as a mediator and chaperone by making the information and experiences he possesses available to the children. Its main function is that of a “safe base”, a reference to which to return and to turn to when children need it. His way of interacting with children cannot be directive, but must establish a continuous dialogue in which each side learns from the other.
For this reason, the attitude must always be welcoming and non-judgmental, and its serenity is important for the children to feel truly free to devote themselves to their activities.
Communication must always be based on empathy and must be aware of how to communicate effectively, constructively and non-violently, even in moments of tension and conflict.