Between the ages of two and ten, children discover the world by experiencing it, moving around, and asking questions about it; they first explore the present and then develop a notion of time. By taking risks – the risk of falling but also sensory and emotional risks – they start to understand our world better. They are fascinated by the world of adults and its rules, and by natural phenomena. Faced with a more or less present nature, they build a relationship with the living world by observing nature, to the extent that it exists. They are constantly on the move, restricted or unrestricted depending on the places they visit, and they gradually coordinate their bodies with the spaces and life around them. Their words and their needs have been the subject of close study in recent decades, including in our own cultural spaces.The first day of the symposium will look at children from various perspectives and ask how they fit into the museums and science centres of the future.
 Intro, Bruno MaquartRisk, David Le BretonSHOULD CHILDREN LOVE NATURE?Discussions around the conservation of biodiversity inevitably lead to the same conclusion: children need to be brought into contact with nature to encourage them to conserve it. But does spending time outdoors really encourage us to care more about the environment? Professionals from various backgrounds suggest ways of getting children out and about to strengthen their relationship with living things.
With:Benoît Sicat, interdisciplinary artist
Benoît Sicat’s work focuses primarily on gardens and landscapes and explores the possible interaction between very young children and adults. His immersive landscape performances are driven largely by group improvisation. He planted a micro forest for a school at the end of 2021.Lauren Hyams,Head of Urban Nature Programme, Natural History Museum London.
Lauren is Head of Activities for the Urban Nature Programme, working to transform the Natural History Museum’s outdoor space into an exemplar of urban wildlife research, conservation and awareness. Leading a coalition of museums and wildlife organisations, the UNP will create an urban nature movement through a UK-wide learning programme for young people, families and schools.Julien Vitores, Doctoral student in sociology at the Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées and ATER at the Université Sorbonne Paris Nord; Affiliated laboratories: LASSP (EA 4175) and CESSP (UMR 8209).
Julien Vitores specialises in the socialisation of young children (aged 3-6) with nature. His work examines the social conditions conducive to certain forms of interest in nature, with a focus on the social relations (primarily class and gender) in which children are engaged.