ERASMUS+ Course
Course Overview
In today’s rapidly changing world, early childhood education must go beyond routines to spark curiosity, creativity, and lifelong learning from the very start. This course supports institutional goals by empowering educators to design joyful, inclusive, and future-ready kindergarten experiences that align with European priorities—fostering creativity, sustainability, digital competence, and emotional well-being. It strengthens teaching quality and nurtures the next generation of learners through playful, research-informed practice.
For teachers, it’s a chance to rediscover the wonder of learning through the eyes of a child. Together with peers from across Europe, participants will explore how to blend play, storytelling, STEM, art, and technology in ways that make learning meaningful and inclusive. The course invites educators to reimagine their classrooms as spaces of joy, curiosity, and belonging—where every little mind can grow into a big idea.
“Play is the highest form of research.” — Albert Einstein
Learning Outcomes
After the course, participants will be able to:
- •Foster 21st-century skills such as creativity, collaboration, communication, and curiosity in early learners through play and exploration.
- •Design inclusive activities that address diverse learning styles and multiple intelligences, ensuring every child feels valued and successful.
- •Incorporate gamification and storytelling to make learning joyful, meaningful, and intrinsically motivating.
- •Integrate early STEM and CLIL strategies in age-appropriate ways that build curiosity, problem-solving, and language development.
- •Apply formative assessment techniques through observation, reflection, and responsive teaching practices.
- •Use digital tools safely and creatively to support early literacy, numeracy, and artistic expression.
- •Bring nature into learning through outdoor exploration and sustainable, sensory-rich experiences.
- •Encourage emotional intelligence and social skills that nurture empathy, confidence, and cooperation.
- •Reflect on real classroom case studies to adapt solutions for diverse challenges in early childhood settings.
- •Build professional networks and intercultural competence through European collaboration and exchange.
Teaching & Learning Methods
All our methods are designed to be highly interactive and hands-on, ensuring a practical and engaging learning experience.
- •Hands-On Workshops: Using play-based learning and arts integration for active engagement.
- •Collaborative Discussions: Idea sharing among early years professionals across Europe.
- •Practical Activity Design: Develop activities that can be implemented immediately in classrooms.
- •Reflective Practice: Focus on child observation, documentation, and responsive teaching.
- •Outdoor & Sensory Elements: Encouraging holistic, whole-child development through nature and movement.
EU Competence Frameworks
This course aligns with key EU competence frameworks:
- •European Key Competence Framework for Lifelong Learning: literacy, multilingualism, digital competence, personal and social learning, and cultural awareness.
- •DigCompEdu (Digital Competence Framework for Educators): supporting educators to confidently and creatively integrate digital tools in early years.
- •ET 2030 Strategic Framework: improving quality, equity, inclusion, and lifelong learning opportunities across Europe.
- •GreenComp (European Sustainability Competence Framework): fostering awareness, responsibility, and sustainable thinking in early education.
- •Council Recommendation on Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC): ensuring quality, accessibility, and inclusive early learning environments.
Erasmus+ Priorities
This course equips participants with skills that respond directly to key Erasmus+ priorities:
- •Inclusion and Diversity: Celebrating multilingualism, cultural heritage, and diverse learning needs through play-based, inclusive approaches.
- •Digital Transformation: Integrating age-appropriate digital tools and creative technologies that enhance curiosity, collaboration, and early digital literacy.
- •Green Transition: Promoting sustainability, nature-based learning, and outdoor exploration that connect children with their environment.
- •Participation in Democratic Life: Fostering teamwork, empathy, and respect for European values through cooperative classroom practices.
- •Teacher Professional Development: Empowering educators with innovative, research-informed, and reflective teaching strategies.
COURSE MODULES & SCHEDULE
DAY 1 – The Joy of Learning
Module 01 – Teaching 21st Century Skills in the Kindergarten Classroom
Explore what next-gen skills look like in early years—such as communication, collaboration, and adaptability—and how to foster them through play.
Module 02 – Helping Young Minds Think Critically and Creatively
Use open-ended questions, storytelling, and playful challenges to build curiosity, imagination, and early problem-solving.
Orientation Walk with a Local Guide (optional, complimentary)
A short post-class city walk for orientation and networking.
Voluntary, no fee, separate from the course, and not counted in Erasmus+ hours or outcomes.
DAY 2 – Every Child Shines
Module 03 – Using Multiple Intelligences to Reach Every Child
Discover how to recognize and nurture children’s unique strengths—whether musical, spatial, social, or physical—and plan inclusive activities accordingly.
Module 04 – Learning Through Play: Gamifying Your Classroom
Turn routines and learning goals into joyful games, treasure hunts, and challenges that build intrinsic motivation and delight.
DAY 3 – Little Scientists at Work
Module 05 – Introducing STEM the Fun Way in Kindergarten
Explore science, math, engineering, and tech through hands-on building, sorting, storytelling, and discovery.
Module 06 – Using CLIL in Early Years: Real Examples
See how language and content can grow together naturally with simple, age-appropriate, bilingual or multilingual classroom routines and activities.
DAY 4 – Creativity and Expression
Module 07 – Bringing Learning to Life with Art and Drama
Use roleplay, puppets, movement, and visual arts to help children explore feelings, stories, and concepts in expressive, embodied ways.
Module 08 – Simple Digital Tools for Playful, Interactive Learning
Explore safe, age-appropriate apps and digital games that support creativity, collaboration, and early tech literacy.
DAY 5 – Learning Beyond Walls
Module 09 – Outdoor Adventures in Learning
Bring learning into nature! Use outdoor spaces for sensory play, exploration, wellbeing, and connection with the world around them.
Module 10 – Real Classrooms, Real Challenges: Case Studies and Solutions
Explore real-life classroom scenarios and the everyday challenges kindergarten teachers face—from managing mixed-ability groups to supporting emotional regulation or dealing with unexpected behaviour.
Final Reflection
Action Plan • Certificates & Farewell