In the Biellese there is an educational reality in which there are no classrooms and the child organizes himself, creates, builds and invents completely immersed in nature
Nursery is the first entry into society for our children.
Here is the interview with Maura Farris, teacher and creator together with Claudia Loglisci and Mattia Ravetti of the kindergarten “Il Bosco dei Piccoli” in Vigil, in the province of Biella.
What is “The little forest”?
The “Il Bosco dei Piccoli” project takes inspiration from some pedagogical principles formulated by authors who we feel very close to our educational feeling: Montessori, Rousseau, Steiner, Neil, Pizzigoni, the Agazzi sisters; But above all we inspire ourselves to North European pedagogical strands based on the “Asylum in the woods” project.
Strength of this educational approach is the possibility of being pioneers, of being able to write a new chapter. In fact, every kindergarten of the forest that will be born in Italy will not be a photocopy of others but will live with its own life, and will adapt its educational project to the talents and the feeling of the masters who “will live”. We educators, as well as our children, we feel free to be able to draw on the theories of the greatest enlightens in historyfree to range, to be able to choose the best of any pedagogical approach instead of being harnessed in methods that leave little room for experimentation.
The pedagogy of the forest is a living pedagogy: The substantial difference compared to the classic approach is precisely this. The natural context is the keystone, the return to harmonic rhythms and learning through direct experience complete the picture. The role of the master is also innovative, a Master who does not interfere in the rhythms of learning and growth of the childbut observes the flow from afar and intervenes as a mediator in cases where his presence is necessary. It does not impose itself and it proposes little. The child organizes himself, creates, builds and invents of his spontaneous will.
What makes it different from other “more traditional” realities?
“The Bosco dei Piccoli” (here the Facebook page of the project) wants to become a place where children feel free to interact with activities, workshops, sensory and movement pathsor they can be free to sit, to listen to nature and their inner thought. Meeting places will be created where educators and children can share ideas and thoughts on the functioning of the path. Moments of the day when The children themselves will become our masters and teach us what are the times to live.
We believe that this pedagogy and its educational method are based on love for the child, acting on compliance with individual timeson the solicitation of specific predispositions of every child and on the autonomous development.
Our pedagogical inspiration arises from the desire to help the child in his growth path, encouraging its autonomy “to doing alone”which will lead him to increase self -esteem and awareness of his own abilities, but also of his limits. It is a question of granting children to live the moment, of being able to explore their curiosities to know each corner, and to decide their learning times.
The Association, in fact, intends to guarantee and preserve The right of the little ones to a healthy and instinctive growthhelping them to make what are their innate talents and helping them in the path of growth and development.
How did the idea come about?
In the summer of 2014, three educators, looking for a more respectful training system of the soul and children’s abilities, met after years of work within different didactic realities. From this meeting the common desire to give birth to an alternative education project And it was decided to leave for Ostia Antica, where some masters and educators had given birth to a kindergarten in the woods.
Here we discovered a new way of managing the educational service, where children and educators shared their time in a cheerful, relaxed and satisfactory way for everyone, young and old. We also made how the pedagogy of the forest and the pedagogy of common sense were already part of us. Returning home we put our minds into operation and we went to look for the possibility of realizing, even in our house, this possible dream. We therefore decided to found an association that could make you live and relive contact with nature, Not only to children, but also to their families.
How does the child react?
Our children react by following their own spirit and for each The “adaptation” period has different times and methodsmodalities that will be shared with the parents and will be dictated by the intrinsic needs of each child. After this period of adaptation, children learn to know all the volunteers who interact with the project, create ties with other children, and above all they immerse themselves in the natural context.
What has struck us from the first moment is the incredible organizational capacity of these children and the great harmony that is created when they find together: they feel like a single family and worry about each other.
The happiness factor is also very important, because children are happy to come to kindergarten. The fresh and clean air they breathe every day, then, causes disease absences to be very rare.
How do you organize in case of intense cold and bad weather?
“Il Bosco dei Piccoli” is in all respects an educational service, therefore with a structure (regulated as a baby parking) which, in case of strong cold, wind and insistent rain, involves spending the days inside a structure/refuge, in a warm and welcoming environment that children can modify following their interests. Within the structure Games and activities independently are organized And the educators move as attentive observers. In other moments, however, the materials collected in nature are reworking, we dance, and towards the weekend it bakes, cooking bread and breadsticks to bring to their families.
What are the difficulties encountered in the development of the project?
We encountered the greatest difficulties in the try to understand in which bureaucratic “hat” to insert us. The kindergartens in the woods, in fact, in Italy are not regulations, therefore the choice was to seek within the regulations themselves the most similar to the needs of our project. After having dialogue for a long time with the local and regional institutions we evaluated The Baby Parking roadat the moment the right one for us waiting to have a regulatory recognition.
Are parents enthusiastic about your work?
We asked a mother who told us about her experience:
“We were there, the day has arrived.
Tommaso rubs his eyes still sleepy while he has breakfast: he is not used to the risers!
I observe him while his rice milk ends and I look with eyes full of emotion, and the heart he beats, the box that a few days before we decorated with his photo and the colorful footprints of his little hands.
Will I have taken everything you need? Change, second gearbox, towels, toothbrush, toothpaste, anti-pity suit-we hope really keep as the review on the Internet said-and ankle boots.
It’s time, go. Will I have covered it enough? Too? Will he cry when we leave him? Will I cry? But why is his father so quiet?!
We arrive at the graceful wooden prefabricated prefabricated from the woods of the farm that will host us during this experience. Just to start getting used to it immediately, a gray sky and a thin rain welcomes us. The ground in front of the entrance of the house is muddy, and coincidentally it is the first thing that attracts children: that and the puddles.
We enter. The “change” area is simple and essential, totally in wood and carefully built by a craftsman in the area. We feel immediately at ease, Sereni. The lounge is furnished with children -made furniture, also in wood; The games on the shelves are few and ordered.
We sit close to the other seven pioneer families of the project, all equally eager to give their child the memory of a serene and incredibly normal early childhood.
Yes, normal. Because as far as we are concerned, abnormality lies in forcing children of 3/4 years to sit more than necessary or spend time coloring pre -printed sheets that kill creativity.
For my son I chose that it becomes normal to run on the meadows, roll from a hill, jump into the puddles, fall and get up, recognize the noise that emits the beak of a woodpecker on the trunks, distinguish the tracks that leaves the roe deer when your passage, learn to make bread, color for the pleasure of doing it and discovering that the earth can also be used.
For my son I chose that I become normal respect for others, for nature and animals. I chose that it becomes normal to love, the amazement of the beauty that surrounds us, recognize and appreciate it. I want you to learn to use your hands to create and use your head to reason, while it is guided in following your choices because there is no age in which it is legitimate to hinder them.
For my son I chose freedom, and three competent people able to help him bring out the talents he already owns.
Two years after that day I continue to ask me every morning if he covered it enough, but only my heart as a mother knows how proud and full of gratitude when Tommaso gives me a sprig to describing it as the most precious of the treasures. Because in that twig there are his four years and all the love, fantasy, amazement and beauty of little great things ».
