No need to wait for the school bell to enjoy the great outdoors: in Lyon, little ones will soon take their first steps in open-air nursery schools, a first in France. The city council, inspired by the green aspirations of Grégory Doucet, has announced the creation of two "100% outdoor" nurseries, set to open before the end of the year. The goal: to make morning chatter a matter of chlorophyll and awakening in the fresh air. The first nursery of its kind is expected to open its doors in the coming months on Jeanne-Hachette Street, south of the Nelson-Mandela park in Lyon's 3rd district. Another one is set to follow, as announced by the ecologist mayor.
This project, as ambitious as it is symbolic, is far from just a publicity stunt. For the mayor, it is an "eminently political" choice, almost activist. The scene is set: a public park in Lyon, a wooden structure on stilts for rainy days, fans for hot weather, and a bunch of kids—including a third who have disabilities.
— who will grow up with grass under their feet rather than within four walls. A touch of Scandinavia with a Rhone-Alpes twist.An educational model inspired by Nordic practices
Steven Vasselin, assistant to Early Childhood, already has big plans, as shared in an article by Le Progrès: "to spread, inspire, replicate". The city is determined to lay the groundwork for a new educational model in France, inspired by Nordic practices but rooted in the local community. In fact, a second project could be established in the heart of the Parc de la Tête d’Or, merging bottles and bamboo in perfect harmony.
This return to nature from the cradle shakes up the norms of early childhood, but it is part of a clear intention: to reinvent the uses of e...public space, better listen to the needs of children and create an environment that is as healthy as it is stimulating. It remains to be seen if parents will follow suit... or if they will prefer the reassuring walls of traditional nurseries. In any case, in Lyon, babies will be able to breathe freely.
Source : Le Progrès
