Transformations of Gardens Summit Showcased the Latest Trends in Outdoor Education
Published: 14. november 2025
More than 40 people passionate about outdoor preschool education attended the foundation’s Transformations of Gardens Summit. Organised by the Karel Komárek Family Foundation (KKFF), the event aimed to provide participants with up‑to‑date information on current trends not only in outdoor learning but also in the design of school gardens. The discussions addressed systemic changes as well as the importance of choosing suitable play elements that allow children to experience so‑called “reasonable risk.”
The annual gathering of teachers, representatives of public administration, universities, landscape architects, and other professionals for whom outdoor education is a key part of their work had both an expert and a practical dimension. After an opening overview of the main activities of the Transformations of Gardens programme over the past year (the role of educational centres, cooperation with universities, and the launch of the new web portal), the discussion focused on the role of outdoor learning in updating the Ministry of Education’s strategic documents.
Ministry of Education: A key partner of the foundation
„The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports is our key partner in promoting systemic changes related to the transformation of the school garden’s role – from merely a play area to a fully‑fledged educational space. I therefore greatly appreciate that Ludmila Třeštíková, Head of the Strategy Department at the Ministry, joined us. In her speech, she highlighted a number of valuable points, including that teachers are already prepared for a higher level of outdoor education and are eager to implement it more widely.“
KKFF Program Manager
Ludmila Třeštíková also drew attention to the role of pedagogical leadership in driving school changes aimed at strengthening the emphasis on outdoor education. She further informed participants about the ongoing updates to the national education framework, which directly influence schools’ teaching activities.
Garden standards, the role of universities, and play elements
The morning session featured information on the creation of so‑called standards for designing kindergarten gardens – a kind of manual that should, in the future, serve as a guide for school founders on how to approach garden transformation comprehensively. Another topic of the morning block was the cooperation between the foundation and universities in introducing new university courses focused on outdoor learning into teacher education.
Participants were particularly interested in the presentation by Matěj Hájek from Skull Studio, who spoke about the role of play elements in developing a healthy approach to children’s experience of risk. His lecture was enriched with fascinating insights from neuroscience, which supported his conceptual approach to designing play environments.
Afternoon workshops
The afternoon part of the programme offered a series of thematic workshops in which participants worked in groups to discuss specific aspects of transforming school gardens and outdoor pedagogy. Martina Čermáková, Director of the Mnichovice Kindergarten, shared her experience with establishing a forest classroom, describing the initial idea, planning, funding, construction, and operation.
Jitka Hrazděrová, Director of the Vincenc Makovský Kindergarten in Ostrava‑Poruba, explained how their school garden has been transformed into a place open to community life. David Dvořák from the Faculty Kindergarten with Special Care Arabská then described the importance of children’s contact with freely available natural materials and how these differ from standard play equipment.
The role of fundraising
One of the most popular topics was fundraising for kindergartens. Vladimíra Hejdová from the Dušníky Kindergarten shared how her school successfully secured additional financial support for its garden renewal. The foundation’s fundraising team provided participants with valuable information on various ways to finance garden transformations, emphasising the crucial role of motivation – without it, school directors and teachers cannot inspire potential donors to support their vision.
The summit was moderated by Ondřej Cihlář, who, together with the Transformations of Gardens project team, received warm applause, smiles, and positive reactions from guests at the end of the event.
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