Outdoor education
In connection with nature and the local area
At Locomotiva di Momo, as in all Becoming Education schools, Outdoor Education is a way of experiencing school.
The outdoor environment becomes an extension of the classroom: a vibrant space in which to develop independence, curiosity and awareness.
Scientific research confirms this: children learn best when they can engage with their surroundings. Moving around, observing, exploring and touching, creating a profound and holistic experience.
That is why we choose to encourage children to spend time outdoors every day.
Why the outdoors is so important
Spending time outdoors helps children develop better: it enhances their wellbeing and boosts their immune system, makes them better at relating to others and understanding the world around them, and even improves their concentration and attention span.
Children become more open to the complexities of life. Together with their teachers, they learn to look after the environment, to observe changes in it, and to understand the value of sustainability and biodiversity. This learning is long-lasting because it is connected to real life.
The benefits of outdoor education
- Physical and emotional wellbeing Exercise, natural light and fresh air, contact with nature
- Curiosity and Observation Developing a scientific eye
- Collaboration and autonomy Working together in real-life contexts
- Multisensory experiences Touching, listening, smelling, looking, coordinating body and mind
- Environmental awareness Knowing, understanding and respecting the ecosystem
- Risk assessment Anticipating the consequences of one’s actions, recognising one’s physical limits, and exercising self-control
Outdoor Education in the 0-6 age group
For the youngest children, the outdoor experience is built up day by day through sensory exploration, observing leaves, insects, stones, sounds and colours, spontaneous play and their first steps towards caring for the environment.
Each activity is tailored to the children’s pace and supports the development of their skills, step by step.
Urban outdoor
We believe that spending time outdoors and exploring the surrounding area is a right for children and an integral part of their development.
Every day, we strive to organise safe and regular outings to allow the children to explore the area around the nursery: small gardens, the shops, the square, the market, the gates they can 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 feel part of it.
Friendly plants
At Locomotiva di Momo, plants are right at home. As in all Becoming Education nurseries and schools, greenery is present in every room: a living presence with which the children interact every day.
They observe them, water them and look after them. They discover the infinite forms of a species that has a great deal to teach us.
They learn to look after something that grows, that needs attention, and that responds to the actions of those who care for it. A practical way to build independence and a sense of responsibility, one step at a time.
Naturally sustainable
Looking after the planet is a daily choice that permeates every aspect of life at the nursery and pre-school: from educational activities to the spaces we use, from our daily routines to the materials we give the children to use.
We design experiences that use reclaimed and recycled materials to help people understand, in a practical and natural way, the value of the resources we use every day. Learning to treat them with care and not to waste them thus becomes second nature, rather than a rule imposed from above.
The aim is to forge a genuine connection with the environment: a connection that stems from experience, grows alongside the children and leaves a lasting mark on their lives.
Urban outdoor
We believe that spending time outdoors and exploring the surrounding area is a right for children and an integral part of their development.
Every day, we strive to organise safe and regular outings to allow the children to explore the area around the nursery: small gardens, the shops, the square, the market, the gates they can 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 feel part of it.
Friendly plants
At Locomotiva di Momo, plants are right at home. As in all Becoming Education nurseries and schools, greenery is present in every room: a living presence with which the children interact every day.
They observe them, water them and look after them. They discover the infinite forms of a species that has a great deal to teach us.
They learn to look after something that grows, that needs attention, and that responds to the actions of those who care for it. A practical way to build independence and a sense of responsibility, one step at a time.
Naturally sustainable
Looking after the planet is a daily choice that permeates every aspect of life at the nursery and pre-school: from educational activities to the spaces we use, from our daily routines to the materials we give the children to use.
We design experiences that use reclaimed and recycled materials to help people understand, in a practical and natural way, the value of the resources we use every day. Learning to treat them with care and not to waste them thus becomes second nature, rather than a rule imposed from above.
The aim is to forge a genuine connection with the environment: a connection that stems from experience, grows alongside the children and leaves a lasting mark on their lives.
Frequently asked questions
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