Exploring and rebuilding a playground

Abstract

The didactic experience presented here involved children from a pre-school in the Canton of Ticino in designing a new playground to replace the old one, which had become worn out over time. The experience developed through various learning contexts, guided by a sustainable educational vision connected to the local environment, environmental education, and active citizenship. Starting with an exploration of the playground, the project engaged the children in activities such as observation, model building, mapping, and participatory design, with a particular focus on mathematics. The work supported the development of geometric skills, especially those related to visualisation, shift from three-dimensional space to two-dimensional representations, and adopting different points of view. Through research, peer collaboration, and dialogue with municipal staff and technicians, the children became active participants in a creative and collaborative process in which mathematics emerged as a tool for understanding and transforming reality.