Nature Creativity - educational game
Basic information
Project Title
Nature Creativity - educational game
Full project title
Nature Creativity - educational game
Category
Reconnecting with nature
Project Description
A proposal of educational game focused on the creativity of Nature. A game that
encourages to draw, think, connect concepts and ideas, enhance creativity, work
together, in connection with nature and its elements.
encourages to draw, think, connect concepts and ideas, enhance creativity, work
together, in connection with nature and its elements.
Geographical Scope
National
Project Region
Italy
Urban or rural issues
It addresses urban-rural linkages
Physical or other transformations
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
EU Programme or fund
No
Description of the project
Summary
Our wish is to be able to put in production with an European partner this educational game to distribute in primary schools and every educational place, focused on the observation of the elements of the nature that stimulate creativity in children, but also in adults who still keep a childish spirit. The aim of the game is to think about nature, associating shapes and colors from nature to concepts from different categories, inventing and fantasizing.
The free spirit of the game stimulates a creative attitude towards solving problems, starting from the bottom up, from simple actions, like those of a simple but very fun game. The box game contais the first 5 decks of thematic cards that describe some elements of nature, such as trees, leaves, flowers, fruits, stones, colors, but interesting expansions for the game can be foreseen.
The game must be made of recycled cardboard and with printing, cutting and packaging technologies that are environmentally friendly,
A small book must accompany the game explaining the educational and sustainability goals. The invitation to observe nature is powerful and strongly subtle
in the game proposal.
The free spirit of the game stimulates a creative attitude towards solving problems, starting from the bottom up, from simple actions, like those of a simple but very fun game. The box game contais the first 5 decks of thematic cards that describe some elements of nature, such as trees, leaves, flowers, fruits, stones, colors, but interesting expansions for the game can be foreseen.
The game must be made of recycled cardboard and with printing, cutting and packaging technologies that are environmentally friendly,
A small book must accompany the game explaining the educational and sustainability goals. The invitation to observe nature is powerful and strongly subtle
in the game proposal.
Key objectives for sustainability
We need to start from EDUCATION in schools to raise GREATIVE people who are attentive to NATURE. So it was important for us to invent a GAME for CHILDREN, which could educate them in the observation of natural elements, classified by category, but each one different, and with characteristics peculiarities that stimulate fantasy and imagination. Through observation we enrich ourselves with data that fuels our creativity. An attentive observation makes us perceive the difference of each thing and reflect on its functioning, which often refers to other concepts, very distant from each other. Sometimes fun connections spark new ideas.The GAME is the basis of every growth process.
The goal is achieved through the production of the game, the creation of an accompanying book that explains the initiative and the values it contains, and the distribution in schools and in all educational places.
The goal is achieved through the production of the game, the creation of an accompanying book that explains the initiative and the values it contains, and the distribution in schools and in all educational places.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
We have taken care of a good design of the proposal with illustrations attentive to the real details of nature. The aspect of play is very captivating and fun, because we believe that the positive gaming experience helps children to cooperate and feel good together, without social distinctions, focused on an important theme which is NATURE, getting closer to it and each other. A good gaming experience produces positive emotions, that is why we believe in the value of our project.
Key objectives for inclusion
Through a greater dissemination of educational games in schools and educational places, we believe in a new model of society and education, more open and creative, which stimulates individual initiative, but also the cooperation and more imagination in people, that means also inclusivity and opening of minds.
The game at the base of everything, to solve problems.
The game at the base of everything, to solve problems.
Results in relation to category
The process is long and involves many different steps. What we have achieved so far have been: the project, the realization of the prototype and the tests with children. All things that have already brought very satisfactory results. Now comes the most demanding part relating to the search for a European manufacturer, sustainable both in the choice of materials and in the manufacturing processes. At the same time we must reach out to our recipients and explain the proposal, accept consents and requests, so as to be able to start production and put our educational product into circulation.
How Citizens benefit
We would like to involve groups of teachers to promote play in schools, train them and prepare them for a new concept of school, freer, more imaginative, and also more in contact with nature.
The mainly interested will be primary schools which will be invited to consider play as a tool for teaching and educating to make happy, creative and well-integrated
people growing up. Nature creativity is the first of a long series of games that we would like to make for school education, but also for families. So the goal is to reach
schools, teachers, families, and all educators in general.
The mainly interested will be primary schools which will be invited to consider play as a tool for teaching and educating to make happy, creative and well-integrated
people growing up. Nature creativity is the first of a long series of games that we would like to make for school education, but also for families. So the goal is to reach
schools, teachers, families, and all educators in general.
Physical or other transformations
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Innovative character
The innovative value of our proposal lies in the desire to provide a new type of school education, more playful, free and above all closer to nature. As I have already written, this is intended to be the first game proposal of a long series.
Disciplines/knowledge reflected
We are two professionals: an architect (Irene Guerrieri) specializing in educational games for children and an illustrator (Valentina Gottardi) specializing in naturalistic illustration. We wanted to combine our skills to design this new idea of game. The process required the design, the creation of a prototype and several tests already carried out with children of different ages. The results obtained are surprising positive.
Methodology used
As a game designer it is my professional bias to think about problem solving through play. The approach and method is what I describe in my book "The Toy and its design" published in Italy by FrancoAngeli in 2021 and which I would also like to translate into other languages. A method that involves the combination of concepts belonging to different categories to give life to the creative idea. So I started from this, but to do so it was necessary to ask for the skills of a naturalistic illustrator, such as Valentina Gottardi, to describe the natural elements in their peculiar characteristics.
How stakeholders are engaged
For the moment we have completed the project and we would soon like to find the right European supplier for the realization. Then our goal is to invite schools and teachers to evaluate the proposal. This is just the first game of a long series of games that we would like to make, encouraging the younger generation to find inspiration in naturet hrough the game, so as to learn to observe and respect it.
Global challenges
The most important global challenge is to spread an educational approach in schools closer to play and nature. An approach that could develop generations of happier people.
Learning transferred to other parties
The groups of beneficiaries and contexts can be different. We thought mainly of schools, but hospitals, prisons, communities of all kinds could also be involved, where for long periods people cannot go outside.
Playing thinking about nature must bring a message of hope and regeneration.
Playing thinking about nature must bring a message of hope and regeneration.
