In a world that is changing quickly and becoming more diverse, social and emotional skills play a key role in how children adapt to their surroundings. EduSkills+ SEL is built on a clear conviction: these skills should be learned early, and the adults who support children need practical tools to teach them with confidence.
The project offers free, tested, and easy-to-access materials for kindergarten teachers focused on Social and Emotional Learning. The approach combines online guidelines with activity plans and ready-to-use materials, with a strong emphasis on outdoor activities and early media education. Information on SEL is also available for parents.
The primary target group is kindergarten teachers across Europe, with children and parents as important secondary audiences. The work has been shaped by practice from the start: an early survey of 307 kindergarten teachers informed the development of the materials based on their actual needs and preferences.
To ground our work in a solid theoretical foundation, we reviewed various theoretical frameworks and adjusted the European LifeComp framework, distilling it into learning objectives suitable for preschools and developing a coherent content structure.
A narrative approach emerged as the central creative strategy, using a recurring character and rituals to weave social and emotional learning naturally into the daily rhythm of kindergarten rather than isolating it as a separate unit.
All materials were developed collaboratively by researchers and practitioners, tested in real kindergarten settings, and further improved based on feedback from educators and children.