Children and Teen’s Programme

Fun for the Whole Family

Are you still deciding whether or not to bring your family to this year’s Ecovillage Gathering? We recommend it! 

We have been co-creating a Children’s Programme that runs parallel to the full programme, offering a space for your children to create their own transformational experience. 

Each morning we will have adults present at the children’s space offering activities in movement/games, bushcraft, theatre, crafts and more. We allow space for emergence and the children present ultimately decide which activities they want to participate in that morning.

Additionally, each year the children create a skit for the closing ceremony, co-created a new each year with costumes and creativity. It tends to be our favorite part of the gathering! 

Disclaimer: While the Children’s Programme is created with the intention of entertaining your children during the morning workshops, we will not force any child to stay with us or participate. If you choose to leave your child with us, be sure they know where to find you if they want to leave and have a clearly visible name tag with their name, mother tongue and your phone number. 

Juliana Valverde

Workshop holder

Mother, architect, art educator, set designer, collage artist, and researcher, Ju Valverde is a multifaceted Brazilian woman. She holds a Master’s and PhD in Architecture and Urbanism (PPGAU/UFRN), as well as certifications in Education for Sustainability from Gaia Education and in Art Therapy. Currently, she is a postdoctoral researcher (PROARQ/UFRJ), with a CNPq scholarship. She facilitates workshops on art, creativity and well-being through Ateliê CriAtivArte.

Workshop title

Wings of Imagination: Butterfly Origami & Art

In this workshop, we will craft a collaborative art panel made of origami butterflies to celebrate GEN’s 30th anniversary. The activity is designed for up to 30 children, ages 8 to 17, and invites them to express their hopes and dreams for the planet and for GEN. Inspired by the guiding question: “What do I wish for the future of the planet and for GEN?”. These messages will be written or drawn on squares of colored paper and then transformed into beautiful origami butterflies. Once all butterflies are ready and decorated, the group will assemble them into a vibrant display panel to be showcased throughout the Gathering.

Nikiforos Papoutsopoulos

Workshop holder

Hi! I’m Nikiforos Papoutsopoulos a 29 yo Architect Engineer & Craftsman from Greece. Besides designing harmonious and bioclimatic spaces, my passion is bringing people together through creative and hands-on learning. By being a member of 'Mikilio Cooperative', I lead outdoor educational workshops in everything from healthy cooking and rhythm to arts, crafts and natural building. My dream is to join or co-create a sustainable Ecovillage where our children can blossom in any way they'll choose to.

Workshop title

* Eco Dream Village *

Get ready for a 4-day adventure where we dream, design, and build our very own Eco Village model! The fun starts with games that will help us to become a great team! Then we will discuss our village needs—treehouses, gardens and benches, or maybe rivers, muddy playgrounds and fences? After collective mapping, we’ll learn the secrets of earth, sand and straw and we’ll explore how to make the best cob mixture for our model! Together we’ll discover the difference between earth and concrete, microclimate and climate change and by the end, we’ll present our Eco Dream Village to the whole community of the European Ecovillage Gathering.

Eirune Cardeñosa

Workshop holder

Eirune is a youth facilitator passionate about emotional awareness, group connection, and non-formal learning. With experience in intentional communities and alternative education, she creates spaces where young people feel safe to express, reflect, and grow. Her approach blends mindfulness, experiential learning, and collaboration to support personal and collective transformation

Workshop title

Hidden Treasures: A Mindful Exploration

In this workshop, we’ll slow down and tune in to our surroundings through mindful exploration. By walking with curiosity, touching the soil, observing small details, and connecting with the land, we’ll discover the hidden treasures around us.
This is an invitation to awaken the senses, feel grounded, and connect more deeply—with the space, with each other, and with ourselves. A gentle and playful journey into presence, perfect for starting the gathering with intention

Necmettin Yıldız

Workshop holder

Necmettin is a movement coach and play facilitator with a background in strength training and holistic health. He believes children thrive through embodied learning and aims to create joyful spaces where movement meets curiosity.

Workshop title

Play & Learn

Play & Learn is a fun and interactive workshop where children explore movement, rhythm, and creativity. Through games and playful exercises, they build body awareness, coordination, and confidence — all in a safe and nurturing environment.

Kerstin Walter

Workshop holder

Körsti is a facilitator passionate about empowering young voices and co-creating future-oriented learning spaces. With extensive experience in educational transformation and participatory processes, she supports youth in building empathy, confidence, and authentic connection. Körsti believes in collective growth through values like care and solidarity and fosters environments where young people can explore, express, and shape positive futures together.

Workshop title

Future Skills in Motion – The Art of Relating

In a world of constant change, how do we stay connected – to ourselves and others? This dynamic workshop invites young people to explore essential future skills through mindfulness, movement, and group interaction. We’ll practice presence, emotional awareness, and non-verbal communication to build empathy and confidence. Through playful, body-based exercises and reflection, participants strengthen their ability to express themselves, relate, and navigate relationships with care. We’ll explore creative expression, active listening, setting boundaries, shared leadership, and group resonance to build trust, clarity, and connection.

Marta Barna

Workshop holder

My name is Márti. I’m a conductive teacher and a therapist specializing in sensory integration. What I truly do, I’d say I create worlds for children. These worlds are designed to let them experience themselves without the burden of the labels society has placed on them. I believe true development depends on our trust in nature—not only in plants and stones, but in human nature itself: our curiosity, our imagination, our hunger for new experiences, and movement, our most primal way of learning. Through movement, I support the development of the nervous system and personality, helping children grow holistically.

Workshop title

Sensory Braiding – Weaving Nature Into Growth

I invite children on a 4-day journey through story, movement, and the wild beauty of the world. We’ll climb trees, paint with plants, gather stones, and follow the flow of water—each element a doorway into deeper self-experience. This is not just play, but nervous system nourishment. A space where children can grow without labels, in rhythm with nature and their own wonder. Movement, story, and earth become tools for connection—with the world and within.