OUTDOOR LIFE, AESTHETIC PROCESSES, COMMUNITY, PLAY

REGION: Middle
MUNICIPALITY: Ikast-Brande
PROCEDURE: 2021
DAILY OFFER: Vestbyens Børnehus

Snow story: Vestbyens Børnehus (2021)

We have experienced the LegeKunst project as very rewarding for our daily practice and has helped us in connection with didactically considered activities when we are in the playground. We have become more aware that it is not the big, elaborate projects that make the difference, but that the development lies in the small, manageable processes, where the children experience a start - middle - end within a short time, in order to be able to grasp the whole process. We were very aware that it was more about the process than the product, and have therefore become sharper on how we can use the nature that is right outside the door.

Together with the visual artist and nature guide, we have discovered even more potential in the playground and in the nature right outside the door, which was also our wish and which is an extension of our curriculum. The children's perspective has been expressed by focusing on the playful approach and not on the product. For us, this means that when we bring out steel wire and the children find leaves to attach to the wire, it shouldn't look like anything special, but the children have the opportunity to shape and develop what they want together with the adults. Therefore, it has not only been leaves that have been used in connection with this activity, but there has been a great openness in relation to what the children thought made sense to them.

The children have been very focused throughout the project, and we made some exciting realizations about how long they could maintain their concentration. This has not led to new friendships as such, but it has helped the children become aware of more opportunities in the playground, and in some cases also that activity-centered communities can contribute to a sense of community, and we suspect that in the long run it will lead to new robust friendships.

During the project, the staff have been very engaged and have each used the outdoor space for more than just bikes and football. There has been a greater focus on how we use the playground as a learning space within different themes. The adults have become more open to the children's ideas and input, and there has also been a greater focus on the process rather than the product. In the weeks following LegeKunst, many things have been done in the playground that have not been seen to the same extent before. We have a point of attention in relation to continuing this development in the future. From the start of the project, we tried to articulate that it should lead to something lasting, and it has become a mindset that means that we are more present and follow the children's initiatives more than before. We are therefore working on creating more opportunities outside in the future. For example, a place where you can paint with mud, etc.

The pedagogical staff and management are now curious about how we ensure that we continue to seize the children's initiatives and let them play and experiment with different materials when we are outside. As a management team, we are excited to see if some of these good processes will find their way when we have a pedagogical day and plan how we will work with culture, aesthetics and community in the future. In addition, we are aware of creating space for expression outside, so it's okay to paint with mud somewhere, etc.