AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD: THE BUTTERFLY LIFE CYCLE AS A POETIC AND EDUCATIONAL PATHWAY

Abstract

Aesthetic experience in Early Childhood Education represents fertile ground for meaningful learning, especially when it integrates inquiry, nature, and artistic expression. This study is justified by the need to understand how pedagogical practices that combine science and art can enhance children’s sensitive, cognitive, and investigative development, overcoming mechanistic and fragmented curricular approaches. The central research problem asks: how can an aesthetic activity based on the butterfly life cycle contribute to expanding children’s investigative perspectives and poetic expression in early childhood settings. The general aim is to analyze the educational impacts of a thematic studio on the butterfly cycle, integrating nature exploration, material collection, and artistic creation. The specific objectives include: understanding how children attribute meaning to natural elements; identifying investigative processes triggered during the activity; and examining the relationship between aesthetic expression and the construction of scientific knowledge. This qualitative research employed direct observation, conversation circles, analysis of children’s artistic productions, and process documentation, grounded in the theoretical perspectives of Dewey, Freire, Vygotsky, and Ostetto. The findings indicate that the aesthetic experience fostered integrated learning, strengthened children's investigative engagement, encouraged autonomy and creativity, and deepened their connection with the natural world. The study concludes that interdisciplinary pedagogical practices that value experiential time broaden cultural repertoires and significantly contribute to holistic development in early childhood education.