Educare "alla buca". Outdoor Education a scuola come possibilità di transizioni ecologiche inclusive

The decision to include the word ‘hole’ in the title of this contribution was inspired by a reading of an illustrated book whose protagonist is a cavity in the school garden used as a space for playing and learning. The book ‘The Hole’ (Emma Adbage, 2020), winner of the Andersen Prize as best book for 6/9-year-olds in 2020, tells the potential of this cavity from the children’s point of view. This large hole, a huge attraction for all pupils, becomes the unsuspecting protagonist of countless adventures that, however, do not find many followers among the teachers who supervise the activities without any enthusiasm, indeed, with apprehension. The hole, which in the child’s imagination refers to figurative images that are not always positive, in this story becomes an able ally not only to describe the possibilities that outdoor play and learning provide, but also to understand the close link between outdoor experiences and inclusion. For the purposes of this contribution, we will use this element to denote an open space, where Outdoor Education experiences can be activated.