By Kindiedays CEO Milla van der Burgh

Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with preschool leaders and educators across India through Kindiedays. These conversations, school visits and teacher trainings gave me a deeper understanding of both the opportunities and challenges of implementing play-based learning.

They also inspired my master's thesis, Play-Based Learning in Indian Preschools: Constructivist and Experiential Perspectives on NEP 2020 Implementation.

The research explored how Indian preschool educators interpret and implement play-based and experiential learning, and what supports—or hinders—the transition from policy to everyday classroom practice.

You can read the full thesis here:
https://www.theseus.fi/handle/10024/929191

The question has changed

One of the most encouraging findings was that educators no longer question why play-based learning matters.

Across the interviews, preschool owners, principals, teachers and academic coordinators shared a strong commitment to the vision of NEP 2020. They recognised the importance of curiosity, exploration, meaningful experiences and holistic child development.

The real question had become:

How do we make this happen consistently in everyday classrooms?

A preschool learning environment is much more than colourful walls and toys.

The entire ecosystem supports children’s holistic development through routines, interactions, materials, activities, and relationships. The most successful preschools intentionally design environments where children feel safe, curious, engaged, and supported.

A high-quality environment does not depend on expensive infrastructure. It depends on thoughtful planning and a clear understanding of how young children learn.

This guide explores 8 topics that help preschool owners and teachers build a vibrant, structured, and developmentally appropriate learning environment.

You can also join Kindiedays Academy online for interactive workshops where we explore these cornerstones. The next cohort starts on August 1st.

👉 Check Kindiedays Academy HERE.

1. A Child-Centred Philosophy

Every strong preschool begins with a child-centred approach—one that views children as active learners rather than passive receivers of information. This means:

• Activities encourage exploration
• Teachers guide instead of constantly instructing
• Children make choices within structured routines
• Learning happens through play, conversation, movement, and discovery

A child-centred philosophy creates confident, joyful learners who are genuinely ready for primary school.

Kindergarten Manager Ms. Dong Ha joined Cohort 13 of the Kindiedays Academy. Here is what she experienced.

Why did you choose to participate in the Academy?

I have always longed for Vietnamese early childhood education to be more open—one that truly places the learner at the center of every activity. I hope teachers no longer have to strain themselves by framing both the questions and answers on behalf of the children, as is currently the practice in most schools across Vietnam. Knowing that Finnish education embodies the ideal approach I have been looking for, I decided to enroll in this course.

What did you learn in the Academy? / What impressed you the most? / What is useful for teachers & educational managers?

Forward-looking preschools seek practical ways to move toward playful, experiential, child-centered learning—the learning young children truly need. 

But here is the real problem:

Most teachers have never been trained to implement these ideas in practice.

They receive textbooks or activity suggestions but lack the skills to translate them into meaningful classroom experiences.

Teachers are eager to learn

This lack of practical training means that curriculum goals often remain on paper rather than materialize in the classroom.

A Practical Solution: Kindiedays Academy

Kindiedays Academy is a 10-workshop professional development program that builds teacher skills step by step—from classroom environment and language development to STEM, art, community learning, parent partnerships, and documentation.

Every workshop includes:

• Live teaching (never pre-recorded)
• Real examples from Finnish classrooms
• Hands-on participation
• Open discussion
• Q&A and problem-solving
• Practical implementation tasks to try with children

Teachers don’t just learn theory. They practice, apply, reflect, and transform the way they teach.

Download the Full Program and SIGN UP HERE

🏆 Press Release by the Excellence Awards

The Excellence Awards are proud to announce the recipients of the Company of the Year Awards Scandinavia 2026, recognizing outstanding organizations that are driving innovation, sustainable growth, and long-term value creation across the Nordic region.

These awards celebrate companies that demonstrate excellence not only through commercial success but also through their commitment to responsible leadership, innovation, adaptability, and positive impact within their industries and communities.

💡Leading Through Innovation and Trust

Scandinavia has long been recognized as one of the world’s most forward-thinking business regions. Across Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Iceland, organizations continue to set global standards in innovation, sustainability, digital transformation, and responsible business practices.

📈 Today, businesses face an increasingly complex environment shaped by technological disruption, artificial intelligence, shifting market expectations, and growing demands for environmental and social responsibility.

☘️ In this environment, business excellence requires more than growth alone. It requires organizations to balance innovation with accountability, technology with human values, and ambition with long-term thinking.

🎯 The Company of the Year Awards Scandinavia 2026 recognizes companies that successfully navigate these challenges while continuing to create meaningful value for customers, employees, stakeholders, and society.

The most successful organizations are no longer defined solely by what they produce. They are defined by how they innovate, adapt, and lead.

💬 “Scandinavian businesses continue to demonstrate that innovation and responsibility are not opposing forces — they are powerful drivers of long-term success when combined effectively.” — Dr Yasemin Yazan, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Excellence Awards

Read the full press release here.

👉 What next?

Let me show you how Kindiedays can help you! Click to schedule a Zoom call or contact me on WhatsApp!

I look forward to meeting you.

Milla van der Burgh

Kindiedays home page