Outdoor Education refers to an approach to education and research characterised by a focus on the outdoor environment as a learning environment and on the sustainability of educational practices.
This international pedagogical orientation represents a reaction to the somewhat closed and overprotective attitudes that often characterise childhood life in more developed societies, and proposes instead to give value to experiences based on ‘being outside’ (out-door) assuming the outdoor environment as a space for education. The outdoors is a ‘prepared’, child-friendly environment where simple rules and good practices are learnt. For the pupils of My School Ticino, learning to manage an everyday life that values and experiences spaces in nature is part of becoming adults and citizens of the world. We strongly believe in learning sustainable and environmentally friendly values from an early age; we want to believe that this will translate into good practices and environmentally aware motivation in the adults of tomorrow.

Lunches in the Woods – Three times a week, small groups of 8 pupils of mixed ages go to the ‘My Wood’ space to eat lunch in a natural and stimulating environment.

The children bring their lunch from the school canteen inside special thermal bags provided by the school. Before leaving, they fill their containers and receive the dishes with the support of their older classmates, under the supervision of the educators. This phase promotes a collaborative and responsible approach, giving the younger children the opportunity to learn from their older peers and strengthen teamwork.

Once in the forest, the children have lunch together around a wooden table, located in the ‘My Wood’ space. Lunch thus becomes a moment of conviviality, where sharing and dialogue are encouraged. One of the main objectives of the project is in fact to develop the pleasure of being together, appreciating the value of shared time outdoors.

Even in bad weather, lunches take place outdoors in covered spaces, turning into pleasant picnics. In line with the philosophy of My School Ticino, we believe that there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing. For this reason, the children are always prepared with suitable clothing to cope with all weather conditions and enjoy the outdoor experience safely and with great joy.

At the end of the lunch, the children collect the dishes and check that they have left the forest clean, actively participating in the care of the environment. Once they have brought back their cool boxes, they join the class group for a moment of free play.