As an Academic Director, you play a crucial role in ensuring that your preschool stands out as a center of excellence. However, many preschools struggle with challenges that impact their growth: low admission rates, disengaged parents, and high teacher turnover. To build a thriving preschool business, you need a solution that enhances your curriculum, empowers teachers, and delivers measurable learning outcomes.

The Challenge: Balancing Quality and Growth

Preschools today face increasing competition. Parents are looking for institutions that offer more than just daycare—they want high-quality early childhood education that sets a strong foundation for their children. However, delivering the quality education that parents expect without a well-structured curriculum and motivated teachers becomes difficult.

At the same time, teachers often feel overwhelmed with administrative tasks, struggle with outdated teaching materials, and lack professional development opportunities. This can lead to burnout and high attrition rates, making maintaining a stable and experienced teaching team difficult.

So, how can you create a preschool that attracts more students, earns parents' trust, and retains its best teachers?

The Solution: A Proven Approach to Preschool Success

Preschool education is evolving. The best learning happens not by rote memorization but through hands-on experiences that engage a child's natural curiosity. Experiential learning—where children learn by doing—has been proven to foster creativity, problem-solving skills, and a love for lifelong learning.

However, how can preschools implement this approach effectively while maintaining structure and high-quality education? That’s where Kindiedays Pro comes in.

Why Experiential Learning Matters in Early Childhood Education

Inspired by global best practices—especially Finland’s renowned early childhood education model—experiential learning focuses on active exploration, inquiry, and real-world problem-solving. Here’s why it’s essential for your preschool:

✅ Develop Critical Thinking: Hands-on activities encourage children to explore, ask questions, and experiment, strengthening cognitive skills.
✅ Boost Engagement: Children retain information better when actively participating rather than passively receiving instructions.
✅ Encourage Social Skills: Group activities foster collaboration, communication, and teamwork.
✅ Bridge the Gap Between Theory and Practice: Children connect what they learn to real-life scenarios, making learning meaningful.

How Kindiedays Pro Creates a High-Quality Experiential Learning Environment

Kindiedays Pro is designed to help your preschool seamlessly integrate experiential learning into daily routines. With a structured approach that balances play-based learning, curriculum development, and teacher empowerment, the program equips your school with the tools, training, and support needed for success.

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1. Curriculum Design that Encourages Exploration

At Kindiedays, we understand that quality education begins with empowered teachers and center heads. We’re thrilled to announce the start of the 2nd cohort for Kindiedays Academy, a live online training program for private preschools. 

Starting February 26th, this program offers an unparalleled opportunity to elevate teaching practices by combining the best elements of Finnish and local early education curriculums.

Why Kindiedays Academy?

Running a successful preschool means more than just providing childcare; it’s about creating a nurturing environment where children thrive and learn. Teachers need the right skills, knowledge, and confidence to achieve this. Kindiedays Academy is here to equip preschool educators with world-class training that enhances their pedagogical skills and aligns with parents' evolving expectations and regulatory standards.

Whether you’re a teacher seeking professional growth or a preschool academic coordinator aiming to build a competitive and profitable institution, this program offers tangible benefits that will set your preschool apart.

Education Specialist Stella Giota leads the Kindiedays Academy.

Watch her greetings!

Said by our Customer

"Thank you so much for bringing your expertise to Chresmonde World School. Your sessions left a lasting impression on our teachers, students, and parents, inspiring us to embrace the possibilities of Finnish pedagogy. We look forward to collaboration further as we strive to shape a brighter learning journey for children".

Transitioning from rote learning to experiential learning requires a shift in mindset, teaching methods, and classroom environment. Finnish preschools provide an excellent example of how experiential learning can be successfully implemented. The Finnish education model is based on playful learning, child-led exploration, and holistic development. Unlike traditional preschools that focus on early academic performance, Finnish preschools prioritize learning through play, discovery, and real-world experiences—and Indian preschools can adopt many of these principles while aligning them with local cultural and curriculum requirements.

Step 1: Shift from Teacher-Centered to Child-Centered Learning

One of the most significant differences between the Finnish approach and traditional Indian preschools is the role of the teacher. In a rote-learning system, teachers act as instructors who deliver information. In an experiential learning environment, teachers become facilitators who guide children through self-directed exploration.

🔹 How to Apply This in Your Preschool?

• Encourage child-led learning by letting children choose activities based on their interests.
• Instead of explaining a concept, ask open-ended questions like: "What do you think will happen if we mix these colors?"
• Give children time to explore and make mistakes instead of providing immediate answers.
• Observe children's natural curiosity and use it as a foundation for learning.

✅ Example: Instead of teaching shapes through memorization, provide building blocks and let children discover and categorize different shapes through play.

Step 2: Create a Play-Based Curriculum with Hands-On Learning

In Finland, play is the most essential way for children to learn. Learning activities are designed to be fun, engaging, and developmentally appropriate. This approach contrasts with the preschool tradition of early academic pressure, where children are often required to sit still and memorize information.

🔹 How to Apply This in Your Preschool?

1. Children Learn Best by Doing

Young children are naturally curious. They learn best when they can see, touch, and experience new concepts firsthand rather than simply memorizing facts from a book. Experiential learning aligns with the way the brain develops in early childhood—it promotes active engagement, which helps children form stronger neural connections and retain knowledge more effectively.

For example, instead of memorizing the names of animals from a textbook, children in an experiential learning environment might visit a mini farm, engage in role-play as different animals, or use sensory play to understand textures, sounds, and movements. This active participation makes learning fun and memorable.

2. Experiential Learning Builds Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills

Rote learning often focuses on right or wrong answers, leaving little room for creativity or exploration. In contrast, experiential learning encourages open-ended questions and real-world problem-solving.

For example, a teacher could present a simple challenge: "How can we build the tallest tower using only paper and glue?" Children would then experiment with different structures, make mistakes, and learn from their experiences. This process strengthens logical reasoning, creativity, and persistence—essential for lifelong learning.

3. Play-Based Learning Improves Social and Emotional Development

Many traditional preschools emphasize individual performance—children are evaluated based on their ability to recall and reproduce information. However, early childhood is also critical for social and emotional development. Experiential learning fosters collaboration, communication, and empathy by encouraging children to work together on activities like:

• Group storytelling sessions
• Role-playing everyday situations (e.g., a visit to the market)
• Problem-solving tasks that require teamwork

When children engage in play-based learning, they learn how to express emotions, negotiate with peers, and handle conflicts—skills that are just as important as academic knowledge.

4. Experiential Learning Boosts Engagement and Motivation

When learning feels like a chore, children may lose interest. Traditional rote learning methods often make children feel pressured to perform, leading to anxiety and disengagement. Experiential learning, on the other hand, turns learning into an adventure where every discovery brings excitement.

For example, instead of teaching numbers through worksheets, a preschool could organize a "market day" where children role-play as shopkeepers and customers. As they count money and measure goods, they naturally absorb mathematical concepts in a fun and relevant way.

Research has shown that children who learn through active experiences are more motivated, curious, and excited to explore new ideas. This love for learning lays the foundation for long-term academic success.

What is Experiential Learning?