The Third Teacher: How Our Environment Shapes Learning

It is believed by psychologist and pedagogist Loris Malaguzzi, who co-founded The Reggio Emilia Approach in the 1940s, that after the first and second teachers – the child’s parents and the child’s classroom teacher – the environment in which the child exists is the third most important learning tool in their educational journey.

The Environment as Educator

The environment should be welcoming and aesthetically pleasing, rich with purposeful materials such as natural and open-ended items that can stimulate the child’s imagination in a variety of different ways. These resources also encourage collaborative thinking and play.

At Mouse’s Garden, we have chosen our indoor toys and materials very carefully. We’ve opted for a ‘less is more’ approach, using mostly natural materials that don’t dictate to the child how they should be played with. Each toy can be used across different age ranges, encouraging scaffolded learning – where children learn from each other.

Older children can become the teachers, boosting their confidence as well as their metacognition, while younger children may find their attention spans greater when learning from peers rather than adults. This is also why we cherish our free-flow play system within our interconnected yurts.

The Power of Circular Design

The classroom itself is just as important to a child’s ability to engage and learn. We carefully chose the structure of our two circular yurts to maximise every child’s potential to learn.

As Antoni Gaudí famously said, “There are no straight lines or sharp corners in nature”.

Gaudí sought to recreate the natural world within his buildings, and we’ve emulated this theory in our own indoor environment. The round shape of our yurts avoids sharp corners wherever possible, and we’ve furnished them with large circular tables for communal eating and play.

Round classrooms have been shown to bring many benefits to learning. They create a more collaborative atmosphere, reduce hierarchy, and make children more likely to participate. A circle has no beginning or end, creating a calming flow of energy that supports focus and connection.

If we look back through history, our nomadic ancestors also lived in round dwellings – teepees, igloos, roundhouses – all designed for warmth, community, and flow. Corners, in contrast, are a modern convenience, born of the need to save time and space during construction.

Bringing the Outdoors In

We went to great lengths to find a company that could bring our indoor-outdoor vision to life. The glass wall you see at the front of our yurts is a unique design feature created by The Yurt Workshop in Granada, Spain.

This was such an important feature for us. We wanted to ensure that, no matter the weather or time of day, every child could feel connected to the natural world. Even the smallest babies can crawl to the windows and gaze outside whenever they wish.

That said, we rarely keep the doors closed! Our big glass doors are open for much of the day, giving children true freedom over where they choose to take their play and learning. Whenever possible, the children eat, sleep, and play outdoors.

Nature: The Ultimate Teacher

Being outside in nature is proven to regulate mood, reduce anxiety, increase appetite, and promote better sleep. It’s a valuable learning tool that offers everything children need from an early education.

Numeracy can be found in counting petals on a flower. Literacy emerges in the descriptive language used to explore the world around them. Fine and gross motor skills are developed through planting tiny seeds or climbing fallen trees.

Whenever possible, and if a child wishes to, we also allow barefoot play, connecting them physically to the earth beneath their feet and creating a deeper sense of belonging. This concept, known as earthing, or grounding, is supported by fascinating science.

The human body carries a slight positive electrical charge, while the earth carries a negative one. Walking barefoot allows the body to discharge excess energy, which is said to have a restorative effect at the molecular level. All this from the simple act of walking barefoot on the grass – perhaps you could give it a go with your child at home?

A Lifelong Connection with Nature

In a world where conditions such as Seasonal Affective Disorder are becoming increasingly common, we at Mouse’s Garden believe that fostering a lifelong connection with nature and the outdoors from an early age is not just a privilege, but essential for lifelong happiness.

We love involving the families of our Mouse’s Garden children in this journey, inviting them to our seasonal circles where we celebrate nature’s rhythms and explore the many benefits of playing and learning in harmony with the great outdoors. Because when the environment transcends its role as backdrop and becomes a teacher, learning flows.