Educational Grow Kits for Developing Environmental Awareness and Motor Skills in Early Childhood: A Preliminary Framework for the “Pequeñas Raíces” Initiative

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.2216622608047

• Palavras-chave: Environmental education; gardening kits; child development; motor skills; educational entrepreneurship.

• Keywords: Environmental education; gardening kits; child development; motor skills; educational entrepreneurship.

• Abstract:

  Children’s disconnection from the natural environment, due to the intensive digitalization to which they are exposed in their daily routines, highlights the challenges in developing environmental awareness and motor skills during childhood. Delving deeper into this issue, the primary objective of this study is to establish a preliminary framework to support the development of the “Pequeñas Raíces” initiative, which consists of educational gardening kits for children ages 3 to 10 in Villa de Álvarez, Colima. Through a literature review and feasibility analysis, recent scientific evidence on the benefits of gardening activities for child development was examined, the problem was characterized within the local context, and the components of the proposal were tailored to each age group. Preliminary findings support the idea that the kit, as an educational tool, is relevant and lays the conceptual and operational groundwork for its subsequent experimental validation. This study provides an initial, culturally situated framework to guide the next phase of the project.