Heritage Education with Children: the Educational Project “Living Heritage for Childhood”

Heritage education has often positioned children as recipients rather than active interpreters of cultural heritage. Addressing this limitation, this study analyses Living Heritage for Childhood , developed at the Roman Theatre of Braga, examining how children construct heritage knowledge through participatory experiences. Grounded in participatory qualitative research, the project recognised children as subjects of rights and producers of knowledge. Through playful and creative practices, children interpreted archaeological heritage, mobilising their cultural repertoires. Findings highlight the potential of participatory heritage education to foster belonging and connections between children’s cultural repertoires and heritage knowledge, while supporting greater integration into cultural and educational policies.