The learning environment is a broad and profound term. It is much more than the physical environment with walls, furniture, and some toys here and there. It is vital to consider its design.

How do we assess the classroom as a learning environment?

A typical learning environment is a classroom. It is not indifferent what kind of environment children have around them. The environment affects how children behave during the day; do they get restless or stressed easily? Are children able to focus on their play and activities? Can children find things to do that interest them?

Assess your classroom according to these points and enhance every corner of it!

The participation of the child:

• Are children "present" in the classroom? Are their artworks, toys, and photos visible?
• Are children able to choose what they want to play?
• How are the toys available in the classroom? Can children find the toys they look for easily?
• How can children affect the functionality of the classroom?

It is important that children experience outdoor play in early childhood. Outdoor play has different possibilities for learning than indoor play. According to a study by Claire McCarthy from Harvard University, outdoor play has many benefits for children. Outdoor play promotes children's health, creativity, ability to take risks, and appreciation of nature.

Read more about the importance of outdoor play!

How to promote children's play outdoors?

Of course, to gain the benefits of outdoor play, children need suitable materials, space, and inspiration.

Children love to be creative and messy, so they'd love a mud kitchen! They'll have lots of fun making mud pies and other slimy treats! Mud kitchens are great for sensory play, as children mix water, sand, mud, rocks, sticks, and whatever they have!

Book recommendation: Let the children play!

Starting a new term as a preschool owner or center head is not just about welcoming new faces; it’s about setting the tone for success and innovation throughout the year. Staying ahead is crucial with the ongoing changes in educational expectations and the increasing demand for high-quality early learning experiences. Here’s how you can leverage the Kindiedays Pro program to make a flying start this term, ensuring your preschool meets and exceeds educational standards.

1. Refresh Your Curriculum with Playful Learning

Embrace Holistic Development: Start the term by integrating holistic and playful learning methods into your curriculum. Kindiedays Pro offers thematic, Finnish-inspired learning materials designed to foster creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking among young learners. These materials make learning enjoyable and engaging, helping to spark a love for learning right from the start.

💡 Action Tip: Review the learning themes available through Kindiedays Pro and select those that align best with your educational goals for the term. Plan a curriculum alternating between different themes to keep the content dynamic and engaging.

2. Empower Your Teachers with Professional Development

Nowadays children (and adults) spend more time inside, which is not a good thing. Playing outdoors has many benefits, but playing indoors is lacking. Read more about what the study from the Harvard University says about the benefits of outdoor play.

5 reasons why children need outdoor play

1. Sun

Children (as well as all people) need sun exposure for our bodies to make Vitamin D. Vitamin D is important in terms of the immune system and bone development. So, our bodies work better if they get some sun every day!

Remember sun lotion, hat, and sunglasses to make playing in the sun safe!

2. Exercise

Different countries seem to have their own guidelines about how much time children should exercise per day but the golden line is that all children need some active exercise every day!

According to the Harvard University, children should move 60 minutes actively per day.

According to a Finnish UKK-institute, the timelines are higher. Children under 8 years should move around 3 hours a day. One hour should consist of active physical play and exercise (eg. jumping on the trampoline, running, swimming). Children should also get two hours of light exercise on top of that (eg. walking in the forest, swinging, cycling).

3. Executive function & Self-regulation

According to the Harvard University executive function and self-regulation skills are important mental processes that enable us to: plan, focus, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks. These skills are crucial for learning and development, and they enable positive behavior.

Children are not born with these skills but with the potential to develop these skills. To develop these skills it is important to encourage children to creative play, involve vigorous exercise, and over time, provide opportunities for directing their own actions with decreasing adult supervision. Free outdoor play promotes all of this.

The global demand for high-quality early childhood education is on the rise, prompting preschool owners everywhere to seek innovative solutions to enhance educational quality, increase enrollments, and improve staff retention. Integrating Finnish educational methodologies—renowned worldwide for fostering creativity and holistic development—could be the key to distinguishing your preschool in a competitive market.

Kindiedays Pro Program: Building Teacher Competencies and Retention

Continuous professional development is crucial for adopting and sustaining new educational practices. The Kindiedays Pro Program is designed to enhance teacher competencies through: