KKFF Helps the University of South Bohemia Become the First in the Czech Republic to Introduce a Course on Outdoor Education in Kindergartens

Modern pedagogy is constantly evolving. One of the areas currently seeing a surge of new trends is outdoor education. Preparing future teachers is a key condition for its wider adoption in Czech kindergartens. The University of South Bohemia has therefore decided to guide future teachers not only to understand why it is beneficial to teach outdoors, but also how to work effectively with children outside.

“The specific goal of the course is to teach students how to use the kindergarten’s outdoor environment as a natural space for learning, play, and development. They will gain skills to plan and implement outdoor education, foster children’s curiosity, and strengthen their relationship with nature. The course is closely linked to practice – students design their own activities for outdoor settings, visit the inspiring DUHA Kindergarten in Soběslav, and learn to create concepts for school gardens following the philosophy ‘A Garden Is Also a Classroom’. This approach develops creativity, cooperation, and responsibility among future kindergarten teachers,” explains Marie Najmonová, Head of the Department of Primary and Preschool Pedagogy at the Faculty of Education, University of South Bohemia.

Cooperation for systemic change

The creation of the new course is the result of collaboration between the University of South Bohemia and the KKFF, which has long promoted the idea that outdoor education, especially in a well‑designed school garden, plays an irreplaceable role in children’s healthy psychological and physical development and in building their relationship with nature. The foundation brings together experts in a multidisciplinary working group to lay the groundwork for a broader systemic change in education – an initiative launched by the foundation itself.

“The creation of this new course represents one piece of our carefully constructed puzzle, which continues to grow with new elements. Beyond universities, we are involving other key stakeholders and experts. Together with them, we aim to change the perception of outdoor learning across the education system,” said Ivana Procházková, KKFF Programme Manager, adding that the foundation’s partner kindergartens – which have transformed their gardens and actively practice outdoor education – help disseminate these ideas.

The foundation’s multidisciplinary working group collaborates not only with the University of South Bohemia but also with representatives of other universities, public administration (including the Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Education, and Czech School Inspectorate), teachers, students of pedagogy and architecture, and parents. The group’s work builds on extensive experience with outdoor education and relevant scientific research.

What do the data say?

“Time spent outdoors is absolutely crucial for the healthy development of preschool children. It has a proven effect on the development of social intelligence and empathy, which is currently declining in the population. It also helps reduce tension and stress. Activity in the brain’s frontal cortex, which is associated with stress, decreases, as does the level of cortisol that accompanies higher stress,” explains psychiatrist and lecturer at the First Faculty of Medicine of Charles University, Vladimír Kmoch, adding that being in a garden provides a multisensory experience that smart boards in classrooms simply cannot replace.

According to last year’s Czech Children Outdoors study commissioned by the KKFF, 34 % of children never go outside during lessons. The main reason is that teachers lack motivation or suitable conditions to include outdoor learning in their schedules. Having an appropriate outdoor space near the school, such as an outdoor classroom, would help.

The systemic change also takes into account the insufficient conditions of kindergartens for outdoor learning. “Part of the systemic change is the creation of school garden standards. These will help kindergartens and their founders design gardens that are of high quality and meet the needs and trends of the 21st century,” concluded Ludmila Třeštíková, Head of the Strategy Department at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.