On holiday at Mum and Dad’s workplace: a report on the organisation’s first summer camp for staff
“Mamma, oggi ho costruito un robot ballerino, si muoveva come un matto, non la finiva più!” (Alberto). “Mum, today I built a dancing robot – it was moving like mad, it just wouldn’t stop!” (Alberto).
“Mum, sorry for saying I didn’t like going to your summer camp – it’s brilliant!” (Lena). “Things come out of the 3D printer super-fast, just like magic!” (Milena).
“I had fun with all the activities at the Summer Camp and I’m sad to leave my new friends” (Emma).
Unprecedented connections, new projects made of paper or pixels, friendships destined to last, and technology that is never an end in itself, but rather gives wings to children’s dreams… As the days went by, the Summer Camp 2026 organised by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale proved to be a special experience, full of discoveries. The instructors Daniele Vigo, Emanuele Coletta, Davide Belli, Marco Brocchieri and Enrico Bersani, coordinated by Valentina Gelsomini and with the support of Lara Forgione, turned the summer mornings of the young guests – all children of the Foundation’s staff – into a constant workshop of creativity and learning, all in the spirit of fun. Learning whilst listening to a fairy tale by Gianni Rodari, seeing the practical results of ideas that had previously existed only in the children’s imaginations and in the trainers’ stories… the week at camp was truly varied and packed with activities.
On Monday, Daniele opened the doors of the Fab Lab for a 3D printing session based on projects inspired by Rodari’s characters; on Tuesday, Marco ‘played’ with Interland Room on the topic of digital safety; on Wednesday, Davide introduced the children to robotics, using Lego Spike, Bootley and Ozobot kits. On Thursday, Marco taught the children how to code using Cospace or the game Minecraft; on Friday, Enrico led the creation of stop-motion stories.
Welcomed and guided by Maria Chiara Porreca as their tutor, the children – all aged between 4 and 11 – moved from more structured sessions of thinkering, coding, making and programming to afternoons of play led by the educator Cristiano Paolini. Cristiano opened up the frontiers of the imagination by taking the small group on a journey to the Brazil of Capoeira, bringing the ancient stories of a distant culture to life and bringing the sounds and voices of other places and times to Città Educativa.
Enrico Bersani explained: “My workshop was designed as a combination of storytelling and animation. Working in pairs, the children created two characters and devised a conflict between them as the centrepiece of the story. They then brought the story to life on paper through drawings and collages. Finally, we transferred everything to screen and produced short films using frame-by-frame animation. There was also time to revisit and compare clips from famous cartoons created using different techniques (traditional animation, computer graphics and stop motion). Some real passions were sparked!”
“A one-of-a-kind educational programme, offering truly unique opportunities for in-depth exploration! The trainers were able to break down and make complex content accessible. Even the youngest children, who cannot yet read, learnt useful tools for their development.
The children managed to bond with one another, despite the age difference, which was not an obstacle but rather an enrichment and a source of inspiration. On a personal level too, I feel enriched; this is a project worth repeating and expanding. We have proof that children can remain focused for long periods and take an interest in subjects that are only seemingly difficult, without always needing to be entertained by purely physical activities,” commented Maria Chiara.
Marco noted that “the workshops really excited the children. On one occasion, we used an immersive reality platform that allowed us to create virtual worlds to populate with characters of our choice, using block-based programming. In another workshop, we developed an educational electronics course using Micro:bit and Brixo – a board similar to Arduino – which enabled us to bring a light-up circuit to life… with an inevitable ‘wow’ factor at the end! Furthermore, through the Interland Room sessions, the children were introduced to the principles of digital citizenship via practical exercises and quizzes. Here they practised soft skills such as working in a team and coordinating their movements to achieve a specific result. Finally, the Lego Spike robots, which the children programmed to dance, proved highly engaging with their choreography.”
“One of the Summer Camp’s strengths was the educational programme, which prioritised the practical creation of projects to take home. The learning programme on digital technology will help lay an important foundation for a future, informed approach to technology,” commented Cristiano, who is also the father of two of the girls taking part. “In the afternoon, for the sessions I created, I wanted to focus on expressing creativity through movement, drawing and storytelling, which encouraged a certain freedom and dynamism. I suggested a reinterpretation of Afro-Brazilian folklore stories. After introducing a character linked to this culture, I proposed a choreography and a song to be performed using traditional musical instruments. Finally, I asked the children to interpret the stories through colourful collages or drawings, or to act them out through games and theatrical activities.”
At the end of the programme, the children were given a T-shirt printed with the story they had drawn, a tangible memento of an unforgettable summer.
Have a great summer, Jordan, Alberto, Lena, Greta, Miriam, Anna, Raffaele, Bianca, Emma and Milena!
Thank you, Fondazione Mondo Digitale!
