Indoors good – outdoors best

How can nature contribute to children’s learning, health, and well-being – while also creating better working conditions for preschool staff? The project “Indoors good – outdoors best” is a cross-border pilot study between Sweden and Norway that explores precisely this question.

Several children holding upp a colorful sail in the forrest

The pilot study focuses on mapping and analysing working methods in so-called “I Ur och Skur” preschools in Sweden and nature kindergartens in Norway. These types of institutions are based on the idea that children spend a large part of their day outdoors and have developed established pedagogical models and practices over time. The project aims to identify success factors, but also challenges, associated with this pedagogy – particularly in relation to children’s health and employees’ working conditions.

Through knowledge gathering and a joint workshop with stakeholders from both countries, a foundation is created for the exchange of experiences and comparisons between different contexts. The result of the pilot study is a summary report that highlights opportunities and challenges, and contributes to the development of both preschool practice and preschool teacher education.

The project is carried out in collaboration between Mid Sweden University and Queen Maud University College (Dronning Mauds Minne Høgskole) in Norway, and is part of Interreg Sweden–Norway within the programme area Nordic Green Belt.