Outdoor education

In harmony with nature and the local area

Nature is a valuable learning environment. Going outdoors is a right that children have, and for us it is an integral part of our educational programme.

Every day, we seek to facilitate interactions between the children and the outdoor environment. Outdoors, they can explore the world through their bodies and all their senses, observe changes, make discoveries and encounter new situations.

The outdoor environment becomes an extension of the school’s spaces:: a vibrant setting in which to develop independence, curiosity and awareness.

A way of experiencing school

At Giocomotiva, as in all Becoming Education schools, Outdoor Education is a way of experiencing school.

Many of our centres have their own gardens or courtyards – outdoor spaces that become everyday places for play, exploration and discovery. And then there’s the world around us: the park, the market, the library, the neighbourhood.

Exploring these places with the children means enabling them to get to know them, experience them and gradually feel part of the local area around them.

Why Outdoor Education is so important

Outdoors, children engage with a wider and less predictable environment, which offers constant opportunities to observe, choose, adapt and gain experience.

They challenge their bodies, build confidence in their own abilities and gradually learn to assess risk and recognise their own limits. A stone, a shell, a twig or a leaf can become the starting point for questions, exploration and new discoveries.

Living in close contact with nature and the local area also enables us to forge a bond with these places: getting to know our surroundings is the first step towards learning to look after them.

The benefits of Outdoor Education

Physical and emotional wellbeing Exercise, outdoor activities and contact with nature
Curiosity and observation Learning to look, ask questions and discover
Collaboration and autonomy Learning to work together in real-life situations
Multisensory experiences Touching, listening, smelling, looking, and learning through the body
Environmental awareness Understanding the environment and gradually developing a sense of care and concern
Risk assessment Recognising one’s own physical limits, making choices and tackling small, age-appropriate challenges

Outdoor Education in the 0–6 age group

With very young children, the outdoor experience is built through sensory exploration, observing leaves, insects, stones, sounds and colours, spontaneous play and the first steps towards caring for the environment.

As they grow up, their independence, curiosity and ability to observe what is happening and make connections between experiences and discoveries all increase.

Urban Outdoor

Exploring the area around the school is part of the outdoor experience.

We organise regular outings to allow the children to explore the area around the nursery and the reception school: small gardens, shops, squares, markets, gates to peer through, pavements and walls with drawings and cracks through which stray plants manage to make their way.

Out there, children discover traces of the world around them and, step by step, begin to get to know it and feel part of it.

The school at Cascina

At the Milan branches, there is one day each week when lessons take place outdoors. Children aged 3 to 6 spend the day in the countryside, at Boscoincittà and Cascina Carpana.

The first few weeks are spent getting to know the surroundings. Gradually, the children become familiar with the spaces and can choose how to explore them, what to do and with whom, always under the watchful eye of the teachers.

Here, the educator takes on the role of facilitator and observer: she gives the children space, supports them and intervenes discreetly, allowing them room to experiment both individually and as a group. The day at Cascina thus becomes a practical opportunity to practise independence, initiative and social interaction.

Frequently asked questions

01 What does Outdoor Education mean at Giocomotiva?

At Giocomotiva, as in all Becoming Education schools, Outdoor Education is a genuine way of experiencing school every day and in every season. Nature and the outdoor environment are seen as a valuable learning environment and a natural extension of the school’s classrooms.

02 How much time do the children spend outdoors during the day?

Every day and in every season, Giocomotiva encourages interaction between the children and the outdoor environment, making daily use of the school’s own gardens, parks and the spaces in the neighbourhood. In addition, children attending the reception school at the Milan branches (aged 3–6) spend one full day each week in the countryside at Boscoincittà and Cascina Carpana.

0–6 pathway

03 How is Outdoor Education managed in bad weather?

Giocomotiva’s educational programme involves experiencing nature and the outdoor environment in every season of the year, even in rain, cold or wintry weather. Being outdoors is considered a right that children have: it enhances their physical and emotional wellbeing and supports their immune system and overall development, always with the appropriate protection (suitable clothing and footwear) and in completely safe conditions.

educational model

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