Why Italy’s unique early childhood education model is the gold standard for global wellbeing
Children always give me hope. Their natural openness, their curiosity about the simplest things, their ability to wonder, imagine and play remind me of the best qualities of humanity.
The children I met on my last trip to Reggio Emilia embodied these qualities. Their innate ability to connect and communicate in all kinds of different ways made me immediately feel welcome as they accepted a complete stranger with trust and joy. The Italian city is world-famous for its unique approach to early childhood. Since World War II, children have been understood as equal members of society.
Children are treated with genuine respect and encouraged to express and share their ideas through their “100 languages” – the many verbal and non-verbal ways to express themselves. This approach has created a broader community of care where all generations are of equal value and work together for the greater good.
The city’s approach is based on humility: a mindset that encourages empathy, dedication and curiosity; social and emotional skills needed to build healthy relationships. The people of Reggio Emilia have shown that happy childhoods are the foundation of happy communities and that true connection begins with listening and understanding.
In an increasingly digital world where so much of life happens through screens, the need for genuine human connection has never been greater. Many of us long to reconnect with ourselves, others, and the natural world.
I believe this connection grounds us. It brings us back to our own sense of self, to the present moment, to what is real and felt rather than abstract and distant. By spending time in nature or being creative, we can develop skills and emotions that cannot be digitized: awareness, empathy, humility and, above all, love.
These core qualities help us relate to others, understand our place in the world, and ultimately find meaning in life. They all reflect a way of being marked by openness, curiosity and emotional closeness that we instinctively know in childhood.
What makes childhood so special? It is often described as a time of innocence, but perhaps what we are actually feeling is something deeper. Before we learn to separate thought from emotion or become blocked by self-awareness and social expectation, there is a kind of openness that feels both intuitive and whole. They move naturally between imagination and reality, instinct and expression, presence and connection. What we recognize in them is not just innocence, but a way of being in which mind, body, and soul quietly coexist through the felt world.
In this sense, childhood can be understood as the period when we come closest to our true self. As life progresses, we learn to organize, interpret and make sense of the world through structure and language. These are necessary and valuable skills, but they can also take away from that early sense of connection. We become more aware of how we appear, more mindful of how we express ourselves, and often less clinging to that natural state of openness. Perhaps this is why many of us feel drawn to stillness, nature, creativity and reflection at different moments in life.
Childhood, then, is not just a beginning, but also a point of reference. It’s a reminder of our true nature and something we can try to rediscover even as adults.
In addition to healthy development, preserving the childhood spirit is also vital. Childhood is the foundation for developing a healthy balance between mind, body and spirit. But children are not the only ones learning information. They don’t analyze joy, but they experience it; they do not intellectualize the connection, but they embody it. They experience the world with feeling and love.
Healthy social and emotional development is shaped through relationships with people and places. This happens always, everywhere: through movement and play, curiosity and interaction. When children are encouraged to explore, question, and express themselves freely, not only understanding but also a sense of self and belonging develops.
Nature provides one of the most inspiring environments for such exploration. Giving children time and space to engage with landscapes surrounded by natural light and the rhythm of the seasons helps them develop a more grounded and intuitive relationship with the world. In many ways it is an early introduction to the restorative qualities of nature and the importance of feeling connected to something beyond ourselves.
Creativity also allows children to express thoughts and feelings that exist beyond words. Drawing, making, dancing and playing encourages trust, resilience, curiosity and shared understanding by helping them process experiences and emotions in ways that feel natural to them. Here creativity becomes not just a skill, but a path to self-awareness and a richer lifestyle.
Attentive caregivers can deepen this sense of connection by creating conditions for children to think, feel, and explore. Through close observation, careful listening, and quiet reflection, we can develop an early sense of awareness: the capacity to be present, to notice, and to engage deeply with the experience.
Early experiences of care, connection, and play create the conditions for love to flourish. Nurturing a more holistic sense of well-being by focusing on environments that combine connection with nature, creative expression, and mindful presence supports children in establishing balanced relationships between thoughts, feelings, and physical experiences, and thus develop social and emotional skills that will be invaluable throughout their lives.
In a world that can often feel fast-paced and fragmented, it is important to consider the environments in which children learn and develop. Healthy development needs to be holistic. It should reflect the whole child, beyond physical or mental milestones, recognizing the importance of early relationships, experiences, and environment.
By allowing children to feel connected from an early age, we can help them carry this sense of balance into adulthood. If healing later in life is about rediscovering our most important connections, then perhaps the real task is to ensure that those connections are never lost in the first place.
Last week a parent at my children’s school asked me if we could all do one thing, what would that be? My answer is simple: Prioritize love. I’m not talking about overly emotional and romantic gestures, I’m talking about quiet and unconditional love that endures over time and patience: the joy found in ordinary things; the everyday magic of life.
This is how we stay well, stay connected to our inner self, and create lasting relationships that nourish us throughout life. If we can surround children with nurturing, loving environments, we can help them develop the human abilities they need to thrive in today’s world.
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