Read time – 4 minutes
Exodus leaders are great with children, engaging, teaching and entertaining, allowing parents to relax and simply enjoy it. Federica Fassari has been guiding guests to the volcanoes of her native Sicily since 2012. Her speciality? Clowning around…
Frederica in the mountains
Exodus Leader – Frederica Fassari
“Leading guests is a relatively new job for me — I was formerly a performer in the circus, physical theatre and street theatre, using skills such as acrobatics, juggling and being a clown,” says Federica. “I also worked in schools and had to find a way to relate to teenagers and children, so I based my communication on games.
I do something similar when leading groups, proposing riddles, treasure hunts and drawing to share information. I love to make children happy, encouraging their curiosity and creating a situation in which they can have fun and learn at the same time.”
There’s another benefit to Federica’s enthusiasm for teaching children in an engaging way – it allows the grownups to enjoy the moment, too. “I want parents to relax and have fun too, they are also on holiday even if the main focus is on the children.” Federica says. “It’s nice to create moments for them too and to take on some of their ‘work’ looking after the kids.”
Browse family holidays for 5 – 8 year olds
Italian sweet treats
Family Tours of Sicily
For her, part of her job is inspiring the next generation of adventurers. “Travelling is important at any age because it opens the mind. If children are lucky enough to travel, they carry lots of memories into the future, as well as have a different perspective on diversity — hopefully, they learn to respect different cultures.”
One of the popular stops around Sicily is a visit to a typical pasticceria, a bakery where all sorts of intriguing delights are on offer to taste.
Browse tours of Sicily.
Stromboli volcano
Family Volcano Adventure
When she’s leading, Federica is able to use the environment around her to bring to life the kind of lessons that can all too easily seem dull in a classroom.
Sicily’s volcanoes are the perfect example – she doesn’t have to rely on textbook diagrams to explain the geology that created them, because she’s able to take you to away on a boat trip to the island of Stromboli, to show you an erupting volcano in front of your very eyes.
“I think it’s very important for children and adults to be immersed in nature, to enjoy the simple things and the beauty that we are often overlooking in our daily life.” And there’s a lot of beauty to be found in Federica’s Sicily.
Mount Etna crater
“I hope the children have fun learning things about my country, and I hope the families take home great memories of wonderful landscapes and a beautiful experience.”
