The volume offers many simple and functional activities to carry out with natural materials, together with the kindergarten children, both outdoors and in continuity between the garden and indoors, to stimulate the different learning areas and their natural curiosity.

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THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK

Thanks to numerous suggestions, and practical and functional indications enriched with colour photographs, the volume proposes transforming the school garden or courtyard into an attractive classroom, capable of stimulating various significant learning objectives in a playful way, activating research strategies and refining exploratory and observational skills.

Each proposed activity is described in detail, graphically set up and accompanied by colour photographs. Each of them is schematically presented immediately:

• the location where the activity takes place,
• the suggested age of the children,
• the objective,
• the duration,
• the number of participants,
• and the materials necessary.

While the description of the actual activity is subdivided into: premise, preparation, development and reproposal.

With the proposed activities, the children will learn to:

• classify
• compare
• develop a scientific approach

Leaf through some pages of the volume which have been translated into English to facilitate your evaluation of the product.

A workshop in every school garden

The proposed activities can be carried out in any classroom or school.  It is sufficient to have a small green space, a flower bed, a garden, and some planters where children can collect natural materials to use in activities, transforming these spaces into small open-air educational workshops.

THE AUTHORS

Martina Lattarulo
Primary school teacher.  In 2017 she graduated in Primary Education Sciences at the University of Milan Bicocca, with a thesis entitled: “Natural materials in kindergarten as mediators in learning and interactions between children.”

Daniela Vandelli
A kindergarten teacher.  In 2003 she graduated in Primary Education at the University of Milan Bicocca, with a thesis entitled: “The class of pumpkins. Proposal for a scientific interpretation of some stages of development of cucurbita pepo.”