Discover nature with us
Workshops
Nature is a real “classroom” of direct learning, a source of sensorial and therefore emotional stimulation, a place of exploration and research, an educational mine, an ecosystem in which to directly observe processes that are too often only read and browsed at school desks.
Nature offers artistic experiences and scientific and mathematical learning (collect leaves, seeds, shapes and then draw, colour, classify, catalogue, serie). It allows the acquisition of motor skills thanks to the roughness and unevenness of the terrain, the possibility of climbing, climbing, descending, jumping, running and, above all, it is the ideal place for social immersion and cooperation between children.
Playing outdoors has many benefits: the imagination thrives, the sense of courage is strengthened, sensations of peace become natural mental states, creativity develops and increases. Nature and the natural environment offer indispensable stimuli and lessons, unique experiences that every child must learn in order to live a healthy life.
Finally, walking in the greenery, climbing, running, cultivating a vegetable garden, becoming small observers and explorers of the life that pulsates in the bark of a tree, are different experiences but which have a common denominator: that of re-connecting with mother-earth to cultivate ecological identities, capable of still marveling at the enchantment that nature is capable of giving us every day. Promoting environmental education does not just mean teaching notions about nature and environmental protection, but arousing the child’s interest in the environment.
Make sure he feels part of an extraordinary macrocosm to understand and respect!
Officina Agroculturale Cafeci
Here are many simple activities but with great pedagogical value that you can experience together with children!
Grooming
Social ritual during which mammals belonging to a group clean each other, but it also has a precise social meaning, it is seen as a confirmation of affection.
Therefore, by approaching and cleaning the animal’s fur, children come into contact with it, take care of it, learn to use the right tools, and learn to know and respect a being different from them.
An activity that works a lot on emotion and empathy.
We will mainly work with donkeys, but there will also be dogs, cats, goats and farmyard animals.
At a donkey’s pace
Walks accompanied by donkeys, which will not be ridden, but will help us to slow down, to walk together respecting different times and needs, to get in tune with him and the rest of the group (otherwise it is an individual outing).
Often this activity is enriched with moments of reading during stops, or it can become a fun treasure hunt to discover the riches of our villages or our woods.
Let’s awaken our senses
A sensorial journey in which different natural materials follow one another, to be walked barefoot and repeated several times, each time it is the discovery of a new sensation reactivating the lower limbs and the entire plantar fascia.
The art of walking barefoot Barefooting in contact with the diversity of the natural kingdom is freedom and liberation to rediscover the essential and experience new sensations.
The different surfaces, smooth, rough, angular, develop the senses, amplifying every moment.
A way to immerse yourself in the environment that gives well-being to the body and mind.
Officina Agroculturale Cafeci
Together we can formulate the most suitable activity for your group, contact us!
The seasons and their treasures
The cyclical nature of the seasons is a true source of learning that is useful for knowing and appreciating colours, experiences and sensations.
Every period of the year is full of peculiarities and, helping children to observe and recognize them allows them to achieve a series of objectives that are common to many disciplines.
Every season has its treasures and our rich agri-food heritage is testimony to this.
We will then learn about the cycle of grapes, olives and saffron in Autumn. That of wheat in summer and the fabulous world of bees in spring.
In winter, however, we could build a nest for the birds to help them face the cold season. We will thus get to know some species of birds, those that leave for warmer lands and those that arrive from colder climates.
Teaching Room
A bright classroom equipped with binoculars, telescopes, microscopes and compasses will allow us to observe, up close and from afar, even the smallest things.
Here we could host archaeologists, botanists, geologists and experts of all kinds to delve deeper into various topics dear to us.
Mini Trekking
Historical-naturalistic walks to get to know our city and its surroundings. An activity to discover the pleasure of walking together in the open air, learning about the nature that surrounds us, the history, myths and legends of our territory or reliving forgotten neighborhoods.
The Via Sacra, Pergusa and the places of Myth are just some of the itineraries that we can travel together.
The fabulous world of bees… not just honey
A unique, exciting and educational experience, which involves all 5 senses: what is the beekeeper’s smell? And the taste of honey? How many bees live in a colony? How do they communicate with each other? And the queen?…
A complex, perfectly functioning social system from which we have so much to learn and… If I learn I know, if I know I love and therefore respect!
Through the discovery of this very small insect, various issues will be addressed, from environmental to social ones, using different methods and tools: readings, teaching aids and role-playing games will help children to interpret and experience the different roles and moments of life of the hive which they will also observe through an educational hive or directly in the apiary, wearing beekeeper masks and overalls.
Entering this wonderful world is also a different way to get to know and enjoy a territory, observe the landscapes and its vegetation. The experience will also be a reason for reflection and inspiration on the great environmental value of this very small insect and on the necessity of their presence for the health of humans and the territory, fundamental for the ecosystem and biodiversity.
A world to discover, a life to save!