Conference Program

This work presents the key aspects of an innovative educational approach developed within the project “The Magic of Knowledge: The Night of the Little Explorers”. The project was conceived in 2025 by a group of researchers from the University of Palermo (Italy) with the aim of combining experiential learning with the principles of embodied cognition in order to promote dynamic, multisensory, and participatory forms of knowledge construction in primary education. The initiative was first implemented in June 2025 at the “Ignazio Buttitta” Comprehensive School in Bagheria (Palermo, Italy). During this event, local educational communities, primary school students, and families were actively involved. The project formed part of a broader university Third Mission research program aimed at experimenting with innovative educational models capable of integrating scientific learning, bodily experience, and community participation. The theoretical framework of the project was grounded in embodied learning, which emphasizes the deep connection between cognitive processes and bodily, perceptual, and relational dimensions of experience (Barsalou, 2008; Wilson, 2002). Within this perspective, the school is reinterpreted not only as a place of knowledge transmission but also as a relational and cultural environment capable of activating immersive learning experiences in which knowledge emerges from the interaction between body, environment, and social context. The project proposed a symbolic and pedagogical transformation of the school into an “archipelago of knowledge”, composed of five thematic experiential spaces that children could explore through circular and multimodal learning pathways. These spaces included “Senti-Menti”, dedicated to sensory and emotional exploration; “Debug”, focused on logical and computational thinking through unplugged coding activities; “Tutti Suonati”, a collaborative music laboratory centered on rhythm and collective sound experiences; “Young Scientists”, an inquiry-based environment devoted to observation and experimentation; and “Body to Body”, a space designed to promote learning through movement, imitation, and relational interaction. Within this experiential structure, knowledge was not transmitted passively but co-constructed through embodied experiences, social interaction, and sensory engagement that simultaneously activated cognitive, emotional, and relational dimensions. A distinctive element of the project was the active involvement of families, who participated in preparatory training sessions and engaged in the activities together with their children, strengthening the connection between school, university, and the local community. Following the initial implementation, the project was replicated in a more structured research format that introduced systematic observation tools aimed at collecting data on children’s cognitive, emotional, and social behaviors during the activities. This research-oriented development reinforces the scientific dimension of the intervention and supports its potential replicability in other educational contexts.