Through my program in Copenhagen, our class took a study tour to Helsinki, Finland. Our focus has been Nordic education and parenting, so we focus mostly on the important elements of child development. These would generally include development and competence in social, physical and academic areas. The difference between Nordic education and U.S. education would be where we place our priorities.

In the U.S., academics are our primary focus whereas Scandinavian countries invest a lot into the social and physical development that evolves through the key developmental years. In Finland, the children don’t start learning, such as reading, until they are 7! The Scandinavian countries invest a lot of resources and opportunities into early childhood care and education. More specifically in Finland we had the pleasure of visiting a forest preschool.

This forest acts as an outdoor learning environment. We explored themes like the importance of outdoor/nature play which emphasizes ideas of environmental sustainability. They also go outside whether it rains or shines! They play no matter what. Furthermore, their play is mostly unstructured and unguarded. They are encouraged to take risks and the adults should not interfere. In the U.S., we tend to be overprotective and initiate proactive safety measures, when research actually supports that risk taking is crucial during play and development. Caution and awareness is gained through making mistakes themselves.

Getting to experience these ideas in practice and actually play with these kids in the forest was an unforgettable experience. I’ve been inspired to bring these ideas back to the states and implement them into my future career. There have been a multitude of ideas and perspectives I’ve gained from this experience in Finland, and I could not be more grateful. I feel so lucky to get to see practices and research come to life!

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: DIS Summer Courses