Arco Summer Workshops on Nature, Plants and Eco Crafts for Kids

They have fun, run around the park, play with the plants, and even if they might not be entirely aware of it, they learn. We are talking about the dozens of children who, during the entire summer, participated in events organized by the Comune di Arco in collaboration with the Museo di Scienze Naturali di Trento and affectionately titled “Palms and Bamboos of the Past”.

The workshops take place in the beautiful setting of the Parco Arciducale di Arco and offer children, who are usually sitting in front of the television or playing on their PlayStation, real journeys into the discovery of nature. Guided by staff from the Trento Museum and environmental operators from the Ecostudio cooperative, the lively young explorers begin with a visit to the stunning arcense garden.

Here, they learn the names of plants that will later be the focus of a series of fun challenges. These games require children to use not only sight but also smell and touch, with the aim of imprinting the names and characteristics of various tree species into their memory.

Practical activities and results

Ultimately, the most engaging and appreciated moment: creating objects using the plants themselves. From bamboo canes, children make wind chimes and whistles, while palm leaves are transformed into colorful fans or specialized brooms. This initiative, which has been held for several summers and has now been included in the Comune di Arco programs, was fortunately spared by the recent bad weather and has been very successful.

Each time, more than twenty participants attended, and as many are expected on Wednesday, August 16 and 23, when the last two sessions will be held from 9 to 12. These summer mornings at the Arboretum are the perfect continuation of the sessions held during the school year, which last year also involved classes from schools in Vicenza and Milan, potentially transforming into a particularly interesting program.

Future prospects and contacts

An intense week for the children, including visits to Villino Campi, the Parco Arciducale, and the castle of Arco, as well as to the stilt houses of Lake Ledro and the Riva Fortress. These could, in the near future, form a very interesting educational-tourist package. For information concerning the meetings and reservations for the last two events, you can call the numbers 0464/583607, 583608, and 583531 of the Comune di Arco.