Hi,

I’m Stella Giota, Education Specialist at Kindiedays, and I’ll be leading the next Kindiedays Academy cohort starting Saturday, December 20th.

I’m sending this to you because many private preschools I speak with—owners, principals, and academic coordinators—want the same outcomes:

• Parents who are impressed and confident (not constantly questioning “what is my child learning?”)
• Teachers who stay longer because they feel skilled, supported, and proud of their work
• A classroom culture that looks and feels modern, child-centered, and joyful—without losing structure, routines, or school readiness

But there’s a common gap: teachers often receive activity ideas, yet they haven’t been trained to consistently and high-quality implement playful, experiential learning. 

That is precisely what Kindiedays Academy solves.

What Kindiedays Academy is (and why it works)

Kindiedays Academy is a 10-workshop professional development program that builds teaching skills step by step—from learning 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 (you will practice, not just listen)
• Open discussion + Q&A and problem-solving
• Practical implementation tasks to try with children

And importantly: after every workshop, teachers receive an assignment to implement with children and get feedback—so the training becomes real classroom change, not “one more webinar.”

If someone misses a session, they can also attend the same workshop in the next cohort at no extra cost.

At the end of the program, each participant receives a Kindiedays Academy Diploma in Finnish Early Childhood Pedagogy, recognizing both learning and practical application.

What’s in the 10 workshops

Here’s the journey your teachers (and academic team) will go through:

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 December 20th. Check Kindiedys 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.

2. Thoughtfully Designed Learning Spaces

The classroom should be divided into learning corners that reflect different developmental areas:

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 ask

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

We discussed with Heli Parhiala, Lead Expert, Educluster Finland, and Leena Merikallio, Academic Principal, Um Nasser Finland Preschool, their experiences with Kindiedays and their collaboration with Parents.

Tell a bit about your preschool.

Um Nasser Finland Preschool in Bahrain opened in January 2025 and provides early childhood education for children aged 2 to 5 years. It was established through a partnership between S Eleven Educational and EduCluster Finland, which is part of the University of Jyväskylä Group. The preschool follows the Finnish ECEC model of learning, with a Finnish Principal and Finnish mentor teachers working closely alongside local teachers to ensure high-quality education. Its approach emphasises holistic development, creativity, and the joy of learning, blending Finnish pedagogical expertise with Bahraini cultural values.

Why and how did you start using Kindiedays?

This year at DIDAC India, the Kindiedays team, with Milla, Stella, and Ranjan, had the opportunity to speak with hundreds of preschool owners, academic heads, coordinators, and teachers from all over the country. With the new NEP, it’s clear that preschools must rethink how learning happens. Owners and academic heads understand the direction, but they need support to turn the NEP’s ideas into practical changes in their classrooms. Across conversations, one theme repeatedly surfaced:

There is strong interest in playful learning—especially the way it is practiced in Finland—but many educators feel unsure about how to put it into action.

Below, we share the key insights from these conversations and how Kindiedays supports schools in navigating this exciting transition.

1. NEP has planted the seed, but practical guidance is still missing

Preschool owners told us they understand that NEP encourages more:

• playful learning
• experiential activities
• holistic development
• child-centered classrooms
• formative assessment

However, the gap lies in practical implementation.

Many said:

“We know what NEP wants, but we don’t know how to make it happen in the classroom.”

And this is where the challenge begins:

• Teachers have not been trained in playful, experiential methods.
• Lesson plans alone are not enough—teachers need practical, hands-on training.
• Changing teaching practices overnight is impossible without guidance, support, and time.

2. The Top-Down Structure in Indian Preschools Shapes Implementation

Teachers visiting our booth shared something sincere:

“We want to teach differently, but we don’t have the power to change things.”

In most Indian preschools:

• Owners and academic coordinators make decisions.
• Teachers follow the structure given to them.

This means real change must begin with leadership, not individual teachers.

The good news? Many owners who visited us want to make changes—they need a clear, achievable pathway.