Reggio Emilia

Reggio Emilia as an approach to children’s play and learning is popping up around schools in Queensland as teachers identify the benefits of nature-based, self-directed play and learning.

Reggio Emilia, originated in Italy by its founder Loris Malaguzzi after World War II, is based around the education philosophy that children, the environment and the teacher each play a part in learning and that children express learning in hundreds of different ways.  

Reggio Emilia is not a method with associated training colleges.  Each school and early learning centre are Reggio-inspired, using an adaptation of the approach which needs to be individually designed to the specific needs of each community.

A Reggio Emilia playground is designed around a circular central meeting place and then emanates outwards and uses elements found in nature for children to use to create imaginative play.

Outdoor kitchens with utensils with a sandpit nearby can generate countless variations of role playing and imaginative play.  Physical movements of climbing, jumping, rolling and crawling can be facilitated deliberately through the choice of larger wooden equipment. 

A tinker table, complete with baskets of loose materials can encourage the construction of wonder-filled creations. Reggio Emilia is also ideally suited to providing sensory play, with tactile engagement of the senses and cosy spaces of rest.

The team at Everything Outside are enjoying developing unique playgrounds based on the Reggio Emilia educational philosophy. 

We design and construct Reggio Inspired playgrounds throughout Northern New South Wales, The Gold Coast, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Our Reggio Inspired designs include the supply of loose parts baskets which can contain, Australian Native seeds, Coconuts, Pine Cones and many other assorted loose parts items for the children to play with.