Inspiration session "How do you involve children and young people in the nature of Grenspark Kalmthoutse Heide?"

Mathia (Natuurpunt) and Marion de Cocq (IVN Natuureducatie) let the participants experience how you can become a child again as an adult and how you can use playful, active methods to make young people curious about their natural environment. The role of the facilitator was central to this: the image you have of children largely determines how they behave. "Do you expect rebellious children? Then you get rebellious children."

Using the Flow Learning methodology and various creative assignments in the forest, participants discovered how a good structure of an activity can help keep children and young people involved and motivated.

In the second part of the afternoon, participants exchanged their own youth activities - the so-called "Pearls". This exchange provided a lot of mutual inspiration and helped participants to further improve their activities.

It was a very successful and repeatable meeting in which inspiration, sharing and learning took place.

Some reactions from participants:

• "A rich experience gained."
• "Pleasant, engaging and informative."
• "Very useful - especially doing and experiencing it yourself. That sticks better than theory."
• "The structure according to Flow Learning is a real eye-opener.
• "The assignments around child sculpture and hut building was very informative," he said.
• "Great to work with like-minded people - lots of wonder."
• "You're immediately in the flow, everyone becomes a child," he says.
• "The role of the guide is so important - that realisation has grown," says the website.

Do you work with children or young people around nature in or near the Grenspark? Let us hear from you, we would like to connect you to our growing network.