Outdoor Education – Getting Closer to Nature

Happy Kids International Kindergarten and Nursery is taking part in the Erasmus+ project “Outdoor Education – Getting Closer to Nature”, with the aim of making outdoor learning a meaningful and consistent part of everyday life across all six of our classes, welcoming children from 18 months to 7 years of age. Through this project, we want to develop a shared approach to outdoor education that is safe, inclusive and well integrated into our educational programme, while giving children more opportunities to explore, discover and learn from the natural world.

A key focus of the project is to strengthen our understanding of outdoor pedagogy and child-led learning, connect outdoor experiences more closely with the curriculum, and find ways to make nature-based activities accessible and enjoyable for every child. We also want to build confidence in assessing risks and opportunities outdoors, so that children can explore freely while feeling safe and supported.

To make this happen, our teachers will take part in Erasmus+ training courses and job-shadowing opportunities, where they can gain new knowledge, develop practical skills and discover different approaches to outdoor and experiential learning. They will then share what they have learned with their colleagues and introduce ideas that can be adapted to the needs and interests of our children at Happy Kids. As a result, we plan to introduce at least 12 new outdoor learning activities across our six classes and develop an Outdoor Education Framework that will become part of the Happy Kids Curriculum Plan, supported by shared planning and a common methodology.

The project is also an opportunity to strengthen our professional connections with other European educational organisations, exchange experiences and good practices, and work together on developing useful resources for outdoor learning.

Ultimately, we hope to see greater confidence and competence among our teachers in planning and delivering outdoor learning experiences, as well as positive changes in children's everyday experiences. Spending more time learning outdoors can support their wellbeing, independence, social skills and curiosity, while encouraging them to take an active interest in the world around them. Our goal is to make outdoor learning a regular, inclusive and enjoyable part of kindergarten life throughout the year.

Our approach is simple: Learn, Share, Apply and Develop. Teachers learn through Erasmus+ mobility, reflect on their experiences and share new ideas with colleagues. Together, we put these ideas into practice, learn from the children's experiences and continue developing the approaches that work best for our kindergarten. In this way, outdoor education can grow into a lasting part of who we are and how we learn at Happy Kids.

Follow Our Journey

As the project develops, this page will grow with teacher reflections, outdoor-learning activities, professional resources, photographs, project updates and results.

Erasmus+ KA122-SCH | Outdoor Education – Getting Closer to Nature

Funded by the European Union

Project duration: 1 June 2026 – 31 May 2027