Kids Get To Build Lifelong Skills At This School Where The Outdoors Becomes The Classroom

Canadian International School’s Outdoor Discovery Centre shows how exploration, freedom and movement can encourage learning and build lifelong skills.

What if preschool looked less like sitting at desks and more like a day of discovery, where children chase butterflies and play in the mud kitchen? That’s daily life at the Outdoor Discovery Centre at the Canadian International School (CIS), where curiosity drives learning and builds confidence.

Here, outdoor time isn’t a break from class, it is the classroom. We discover how CIS’ Outdoor Discovery Centre (ODC) gives kids the freedom to explore, while guiding them toward academic, social and emotional milestones.

Building confidence and curiosity

As parents, we all want our kids to enjoy learning and not just memorise facts. Students are continuously encouraged to ask questions, take risks and find joy in discovery. From Pre-Kindergarten, teachers turn simple activities into meaningful lessons: a “sound walk” sharpens listening skills through birdsong, while a game on outdoor chalkboards makes literacy fun. And because kids are moving by balancing, jumping, digging and climbing, they’re also building their gross motor skills and becoming risk-takers.

Parents of CIS students love that their kids are understood and each child has tailored lessons to suit their needs. Along the way, kids not only grow in confidence and even pick up multi-lingual skills, but they also develop the CIS IB Learner Profile attributes like being caring, curious, reflective and open-minded.

Learning comes alive beyond the classroom

Of course, it’s not all about outdoor learning here. Inside, CIS’ Kindergarten follows the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP), which emphasises developing the whole child academically, socially, emotionally and physically. For example, the World of Wonder programme sees kids role-playing, storytelling, experimenting with numbers or diving into art and movement.

Another highlight is the “Flow and Grow” sessions, where the youngest learners (Nursery to Kindergarten) spend 90 minutes every morning in nature, freely moving between indoor and outdoor spaces, guided by their own interests. One might be weaving with natural materials, another painting with water outdoors, while a group builds something together in the garden.

Bring your little explorer down for the Magical Garden Party on 22 November from 9.30am to 11am, and see how CIS makes learning magical. Your child will get to try hands-on, outdoor activities designed just for young children, including an exciting obstacle course, craft sessions and more. Secure your spots here.

Canadian International School, 7 Jurong West Street 41, Singapore 649414, [email protected], Tel: (+65) 6734 8088, www.cis.edu.sg