Outdoor learning drives the LIFENAT project through needs analysis involving educators and families, supporting outdoor learning practices, improving outdoor learning skills, and strengthening outdoor learning in early childhood education contexts.
As part of the initial activities of the LIFENAT – Little Footsteps IN NATure project, the needs analysis phase has been officially launched, with a specific focus on outdoor learning in early childhood educational contexts in Malta and Portugal.
This phase represents a strategic element to understand the current level of integration of outdoor learning in the educational systems involved and to identify the main needs of educators, children and families. Through a participatory approach, based on focus groups and structured questionnaires, the partners are collecting qualitative and quantitative data useful for improving the application of outdoor learning in daily teaching practices.
The first results highlight how outdoor learning is perceived by educators as a highly effective methodology to foster the active involvement of children, improve emotional well-being and promote social development. However, some critical issues also emerge that limit the systematic implementation of outdoor learning, including the lack of specific training, the need for operational guidelines and the limited availability of structured and easily applicable resources.
The families involved show a strong interest in outdoor learning, recognizing its educational value and contribution to the development of a positive relationship with nature. In particular, the importance of integrating outdoor learning into children’s daily routines, both at school and at home, is highlighted in order to promote healthy and sustainable lifestyles.
The data collected in this phase will form the basis for the realization of the analysis report and good practices, which will guide the development of the training program and the educational toolkit. Both results will be designed to concretely support educators in the application of outdoor learning, offering practical, inclusive and adaptable tools to different educational contexts.
Through this process, the LIFENAT project intends to strengthen outdoor learning as an innovative pedagogical approach, helping to make early childhood education more inclusive, experiential and sustainability-oriented
