In an effort to promote healthy lifestyles and activities that combine play and learning in nature, Ekonaut, in partnership with KidHub and other organizations and partners, organized the event "Children's Play Day in Nature" on Saturday, May 25th, at the Arboretum of the Faculty of Forestry on Banovo Brdo.
Program manifestacije sastojao od radionica i drugih aktivnosti za decu kroz koje su više saznali o različitim načinima boravka, igre i učenja u prirodi počevši od upoznavanja sa biljkama, njihovom upotrebom, sadnjom i uzgajanjem. Osmišljen tako da pruži demonstraciju holističkog pristupa razvoju deteta kroz radionice u kojima su deca savladavale prepreke u prirodi, koristila prirodne i reciklažne materijale na interaktivan način, kroz pričanje priča i uz dramsku igru. Radionice su osmišljene i realizovane uz eduktore iz različitih oblasti vaspitanja i obrazovanja, dramskih umetnosti, pozvanja lekovitih biljaka, urbane poljoprivrede i baštovanstva, kao i pejzažne arhitekture. U okviru programa, učesnici su imali priliku da se oprobaju u radionicama kao što su „Aranžmani u prirodi“ koje je izvodio tim seminara „Igre u prirodi, igre sa rizicima“, dok je tim udruženja KidHub izvelo radionice „Zovu nas šume“ i “Koba Yagi priče – Pustolovine u Arboretumu kroz koje su deca imala priliku da prošire svoja saznanja i interesovanja za konstruktivan boravak u prirodi kroz podsticanje senzomotoričkog razvoja i korišćenje nestruktuiranih, prirodnih materijala u igri, kao i da razvijaju kreativnost i empatiju kroz dramsku igru sa Koba Yagi lutkama. Momčilo Antonijević travar je najmlađe i njihove roditelje upoznao sa biljkama i njihovom lekovitom primenom kroz vođenu šetnju kroz prostor Arboretuma.





In an open-air acting class with Nataša Tapušković, older and younger children developed their creativity through drama exercises. The "Recycling with Music" workshop, organized by the JRJ My Publisher publishing house, familiarized children with the recycling process while they created musical instruments from natural materials. Additionally, children participated in workshops "Magic Garden" and "Garden in Colors" with Vladimir Milutinović, which introduced them to plant life in a fun and educational way. Volunteers, students from the Faculty of Forestry, and employees from McDonald's Serbia, who involved their staff in organizing the workshops, made a special contribution during the event. Adults could take a break with espresso coffee served by our partners from Strauss Adriatic.
This event is also part of a broader initiative to engage children in thinking about cities tailored to their needs in harmony with nature. As part of this initiative, we advocate innovative approaches to sustainable development education, including the introduction of urban garden communities and school gardens, greater involvement of children in considering the ecological and social challenges around them in collaboration with adults, and promoting children's outdoor play as an essential part of their education and leisure. Our focus is advocating for topics that contribute to education and empower the local community to participate in improving open urban and peri-urban public spaces, as well as greening local schools, kindergartens, and playgrounds.





Conference "Green Spaces – Encouraging Learning and Play"
Kako je obrazovanje za održiv razvoj važna misija u okviru našeg rada, paralelno radimo i na osnaživanju edukatora u predškolskim ustanovama i osnovnim školama za primenu inovativnih pristupa u ekološkom obrazovanju. Sa tim ciljem smo organizaovali onlajn konferenciju 14. maja 2024. pod nazivom „Zelene površine – podsticaj učenju i igri“.
Conference participants were introduced to the concept and application of successful European models of garden communities and school gardens, which, when adapted to local conditions, can greatly contribute to improving the lives of local communities and their adaptation to climate change.
During the conference, two accredited seminars for educators were presented. The first focuses on incorporating natural environments into education within preschools as a practical teaching tool, conducted by the "Nature Games, Risk Games" seminar team. The second seminar, "Applying the Designathon Method to Solve Ecological and Social Challenges Using ICT," is aimed at teachers, subject teachers, and professional associates, focusing on strengthening a participatory approach in project-based teaching through the use of new technologies. This seminar is conducted by a team of educators in natural and social sciences within the KidHub association.
Applying successful European models of garden communities and school gardens, and adapting them to local conditions, would significantly improve the lives of local communities and their adaptation to climate change. In correlation with sustainable urban development: productive, functional use of underutilized public and private spaces reduces pollution factors, develops local urban agriculture and green economy, revitalizes, builds, and strengthens new social structures, activates the potential of citizens, children, and youth, and relevant professions to be agents of change.
Both events were conducted in partnership Kidhub, the creative hub Nova Iskra and the informal group "Games Outdoors."
The project was implemented with financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Government of the United Kingdom as part of the public advocacy support program "Explore – Empower" carried out by the Trag Foundation..