Why play is key for children's development

The Power of Play

Play is a key instrument for the development of cognitive, social, emotional and physical skills in early age. It is considered to be the most important developmentally appropriate practice for young children.

A substantial body of recent research backs this up. And yet, in the drive to get children ready for school, many preschools and kindergartens become too focused on formal instruction at the expense of play time. At ICCC we try to strike a balance by providing lots of opportunities for high quality play, and also by making sure all pre planned learning activities involve play.

Because the best learning happens through play! Here are some of the reasons why we should let children play more:

Play helps cognitive development

  • Imaginative and rule-based play strengthen working memory, self control and flexible thinking

  • Pretent play helps children practice planning, perspective-taking and problem-solving

  • Role play promotes symbolic thinking, narrative skills and vocabulary growth
  • Playing with blocks and puzzles stimulates spacial awareness, counting, patterns and other key math skills
  • Experimenting and enquiry based play foster curiosity and mirror scientifc exploration

Play builds emotional and social skills

  • Children learn to manage impulses through rules based play and collaborative play
  • Empathy and social skills are developed in role playing as children begin to understant other’s emotions and points of view
  • Resilience and confidence are supported through play as it involves risk taking, making mistakes and provides stress relief and mental well being

Play helps physical growth

  • Outdoor play promotes physical health, helps develops gross motor skills, muscle strength and coordination
  • It helps children become aware of the environment and assess risk
  • It encourages independence and risk taking

Supporting Children To Develop Play Skills

When children are in their twos and threes they may need support in developing play skills. As nursery teachers often observe, some children already have good play skills when they start attending daycare, and others lack the ability to engage in meaningful play or sustain play for a longer time. Helping kids learn how they can engage objects, materials ot toys, and how they can build and enrich their play, involves intentional guidance, a well-prepared environment, and responsive interactions by teachers and parents.

At this age, children are beginning to shift from solitary and parallel play when they each do their own thing, toward more interactive and imaginative play. 

In our next article we will share how preschool teachers can help children build strong play skills.

Future skills for children in preschool

Preschool and essential employment skills

Can Preschools Help Kids Build Essential Skills for Employment?
Connecting essential employment skills with early education may seem a little far-stretched. However, new research in the UK highlights the need to prioritise the social and emotional development among pre-school children as key for their future employment opportunities.


The Skills That Matter Most

What Are Essential Employment Skills?

The research highlights a set of six skills identified in The Skills Imperative 2035 report as especially vital to the future workforce.

Two Key Categories

  • Social-Emotional Learning

  • Approaches to Learning


Six Critical Skills for the Future Workforce

Cognitive Skills

  • Problem Solving & Decision Making

  • Information Literacy

  • Creative Thinking

Social Skills

  • Collaboration

  • Communication

Self-Management Skills

  • Organising, Planning & Prioritising


Importance of High-Quality Early Education

Role of Kindergarten Teachers in Social-Emotional Development

The report concludes that high-quality early education with a focus on social-emotional skills is essential for children’s development. Kindergarten teachers should be highly trained to model and teach these skills.


How Schools Fail to Develop Employment-Ready Skills

Exam-Factory Culture

The exam-factory culture in schools is blamed for students lagging behind in socio-emotional skills.

Obsession with Memorisation

An over-emphasis on rote learning leaves little room for developing critical skills.

Rigid, Overloaded Curricula

Strict, content-heavy syllabi can alienate young learners and stifle creativity.

Impact on Arts and Wellbeing

Exams often force the arts out of the curriculum and drive a toxic league-table culture.


Further Reading

Read more in this article [here].

 

Two yellow plush smiley face toys placed inside a box decorated with various emojis.

Social Emotional Learning in Childhood

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) refers to the process through which children (and adults too) develop the skills needed to:

  • Understand and manage emotions

  • Set and achieve positive goals

  • Show empathy for others and understand social norms

  • Establish and maintain positive relationships

  • Make responsible decisions


Why SEL Matters

Building resilience, empathy, and interpersonal skills are crucial for both academic success and personal well-being. SEL in early years education can help shape these skills and lay the foundation for lifelong learning and healthy relationships.


Who’s Involved

Families

Parents model emotional regulation, empathy and decision-making at home and can use everyday moments (mealtimes, play, routines) to coach children in naming feelings and solving problems together.

Schools & Preschools

Teachers create safe, supportive environments, use structured lessons and games to teach SEL competencies, and embed social-emotional check-ins throughout the day.


Practical Strategies

For Parents

  • Emotion Coaching: Help your child put words to feelings (“I see you’re upset because…”).

  • Family Meetings: Invite input on plans and rules to build decision-making skills.

  • Role-Playing: Act out common social situations (sharing toys, making friends).

For Preschool Teachers

  • Morning Check-Ins: Use a feelings chart or circle time to name emotions.

  • Collaborative Play: Assign small-group tasks that require turn-taking and communication.

  • Storytime Discussions: Pause during a story to ask “How do you think she feels?” and “What would you do?”


Further Reading

To discover more about the core SEL skills and how to build them, read this article.

Social Emotional Learning in the Early Years

Why teach children social and emotional skills

What is Social-Emotional Learning

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) refers to the process through which children (and not only children) develop the skills needed to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, show empathy for others and understand social norms, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

Building resilience, empathy, and interpersonal skills are crucial for both academic success and personal well-being. SEL in early years education can help shape these skills. Both families and schools play their part. Parents and preschool teachers need to understand what these skills are, and what practical strategies to use to support children to learn and apply them..

The Importance of SEL in Early Years Education

Children begin to understand their emotions, form relationships with peers and adults, and develop a sense of self, from an early age. Emotional development during this period influences how children interact with their peers, solve problems, cope with challenges, and manage conflict. Children who are socially and emotionally competent are better equipped to manage stress, engage in positive peer relationships, and demonstrate higher levels of motivation in school.

Components of SEL

SEL is typically broken down into five core competencies (CASEL framework, USA), which provide the framework for nurturing social and emotional development in children:

  1. Self-awareness: Understanding and recognizing one’s emotions and how they affect behavior. In Early Years children learn the names of basic emotions and how they make them feel; learn that it is all right to experience all kinds of emotions but not all behavior is acceptable. Children learn about their strengths and weakness, what they like and dislike.

  2. Self-management: The ability to regulate emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively. Children learn what behavior is unacceptable and how they can use different strategies to get back into regulation when they have strong emotions; they learn to control impulses and wait for a turn, or wait for an award; they learn to set small goals and focus to achieve them.

  3. Social awareness: The capacity to empathize with others and understand social and cultural norms. Children learn to understand and accept differences in appearance, abilities and points of view; they learn social and cultural norms
  4. Relationship skills: The ability to form and maintain healthy relationships with others, including communication, cooperation, and conflict resolution. Children grow special relationship with other kids and adults, using good listening and communication skills, empathy, and cooperation.
  5. Responsible decision-making: Making constructive choices about personal and social behavior. Children learn to make healthy choices, keep safe, treat nature and the environment with care and respects. They learn to solve problems and resolve conflicts.

Strategies to Integrate SEL in the Classroom

Social emotional learning can happen throughout the whole life time but the first years in a child’s life are crucial for laying solid foundations. In preschool education, SEL is integrated into the daily routines and play, and special activities and interventions can support children to learn about, and practice all essential social emotional skills, attitudes and behavior.

Here are some strategies to effectively integrate SEL into the preschool classroom by embedding it into everyday practices, routines, and activities:

  1. Teachers model positive behavior: Educators serve as role models for social and emotional skills. By demonstrating empathy, active listening, and conflict resolution in their own interactions, teachers provide a living example of SEL in action.
  2. Books and storytelling: Stories are a powerful way to teach children about emotions, empathy, and problem-solving. Books that feature characters navigating emotions or social situations allow children to reflect on their own feelings and practice empathy.
  3. Circle time, including practices like Complements Circle: A daily or weekly practice where children sit in a circle and engage in open dialogue about their emotions and experiences. This time can be used for children to express how they are feeling, listen to others, and practice sharing and turn-taking.
  4. Role-play and dramatic play: Pretend play provides children with opportunities to act out different social scenarios. They practice social interactions, problem-solving, and emotional responses in a safe environment.
  5. Emotional regulation and mindfulness practices: Giving children tools to understand their emotional state and how they can calm down it when in distress helps them eventually begin to self-regulate. Simple mindfulness exercises, such as deep breathing, counting, guided relaxation, calm corners can help children become more self-aware and manage stress or anxiety. These practices teach children how to calm themselves when feeling overwhelmed.
  6. Teaching kids emotional regulation: Introduce and practice different strategies for
  7. Encouragement and positive reinforcement: Reinforce positive behavior and choices by acknowledging children’s efforts to regulate their emotions or demonstrate empathy. Positive reinforcement encourages children to continue practicing and applying their SEL skills and is more effective than negative comments or restriction.
  8. Conflict Resolution Tools: Teach children simple conflict resolution strategies, such as using “I” statements, taking deep breaths, or asking for help from an adult. These tools empower children to navigate social challenges independently and responsibly.

Conclusion

Early years education that prioritizes SEL ensures that children not only excel in their academic pursuits but also grow into well-rounded, compassionate individuals. The benefits of SEL extend far beyond the classroom, as children learn to approach life’s challenges with resilience, empathy, and a sense of responsibility.

SEL at ICCC

At ICCC we strive to become better at understanding and supporting children’s social and emotional development. Our team receives training and ongoing support in the Positive Discipline approach

young family with toddler smiling on first preschool day in kindergarten

Open for registration for School Year 2025-26

Registration for School Year 2025-26
Registration opens January 2025. We look forward to meeting with your family and hearing all about your child—your aspirations and priorities.


Available Places from September 2025

Children aged 20 months – 2 years

  • 10 places

Age groups 3, 4, 5+ years

  • Limited places

Children can join from September 2025 or from the end of June when the Summer program starts. Starting earlier is possible if a space is available.


Learn More

Find out more about our:


Visit Us

Saturday Open House Sessions

(please complete this booking form)

Next dates:

  • 15 February 2025 10:30 – 12:00

  • 15 March 2025 10:30 – 12:00

Weekday Visits

Organize a visit at your convenience: request form


We look forward to seeing you soon!

Illustration for a workshop titled 'The Power of Books' featuring children reading with an adult.

The Power of Books

Interactive Workshop for Parents and Kids (2-5 years)

ICCC invites you the first of several Saturday Parent and Kid Circle session held in our beautiful preschool in Dragalevtsi. At these sessions, as parents you will get hands-on ‘lessons’ from our teachers on how to make learning at home so much fun for both you and your young child.

The first event will be dedicated to reading. We will show you a special way of reading books with kids that can sparkle their language learning, imagination, math skills and motor development.

Join us for a book reading session with Ms Petya that will include engaging activities for children and tips for parents.

Who is the session for:

  • parents of toddlers and preschoolers (you can come with or without your child)
  • it is essential that both parents and children can understand and interact in English.

We will be glad to share with parents something our teachers know and do well at ICCC each day. We will also be happy to show you around our beautiful preschool and playgrounds.

A young child lying on the floor with a plush toy and two books, one titled 'Rhino in Disguise'.

Calling all rhino friends!

ICCC is happy to present Rhino in Disguise, by Anja Nolte, read by the author

If you hear this story, you will become a rhino friend for life! 
Join us at ICCC on Saturday, 16 November from 10am at ICCC for the first public book reading of Rhino in Disguise!
Make sure you book your spot for the reading by completing this form: 
 
We are excited to host the first reading of the first book of ICCC’s great friend and member, mom of three kids, and now author, Anja Nolte!
Rhino in Disguise will take you on a wild adventure with Rhino who has a BIG problem – he is hiding from humans to protect his precious horn. His friend the chameleon helps him try to find the perfect disguise to keep his horn safe.
Anja Nolte has written a powerful story that teaches us to live in harmony with the world around us. The clever rhymes and the story, both funny and moving, will leave no child or parent indifferent to the fate of rhinos and other endangered species. Join us to help your child learn to care about the environment and endangered animals, and discover more about the animals in this story.
The event is recommended for parents and children age 4 and older. Kids can do a craft after hearing the story, and will also ‘meet’ on video a baby rhino who survived thanks to the care he received in a rhyno orphanage. The sale of the book will help support rhino orphanages in South Africa, Anja Nolte’s home country. 
International Children’s Creativity Center (ICCC)

Dragalevtsi, 20 Akademik Hristo Hristov Street, Sofia 1415

Why Limits Are Good for Children

Why Limits Are Good For Children

How Often Do You Deal with Power Struggles at Home?
Claire Lerner, child psychologist and therapist, nailed it!

“For the vast majority of the families I see each year, *the root cause of the challenge for which they are seeking consultation is an absence of limits and the power struggles that flourish in this void. That is what is making everyone miserable—parents and children. It is resulting in less, not more, emotional regulation (for kids and parents!)”


Pre-School Teachers’ Biggest Challenge

With over 27 years of experience at ICCC, we’ve found that the absence of limits doesn’t just make children and parents miserable—it exhausts teachers too. There’s nothing more time- and energy-consuming than working with children who expect everything their way. Managing these power struggles demands skill, patience, and experience.


Are You Setting Healthy Limits for Your Toddler?

Many parents, with the best intentions, inadvertently reinforce power struggles by bending rules when their child protests. Examples include:

  • Extending bedtime for “just one more story.”

  • Allowing extra screen time.

  • Buying a toy they really want.

By giving in, we teach children that persistence pays off—and power struggles only escalate.


Expert Advice

Numerous resources offer practical strategies for setting respectful, healthy limits. Two excellent Adlerian-psychology-based blogs are:

Both emphasize positive discipline approaches and provide articles and tools for dealing with challenging behavior.


Positive Discipline at ICCC

In 2024, our teaching team began training in the positive discipline approach. We’re already seeing positive changes and look forward to confidently addressing a wide range of discipline challenges in our preschool.

Photo by Freepik (www.freepik.com)

A child sitting on grass, arranging pine cones and red apples in a line.

Earth Day Open House family event at ICCC

ICCC preschool is opening its doors- literally- to welcome families from Sofia’s Expat and International community to an Open House “Earth Day” event for your toddler aged children (aged 1-6). If you’re in Sofia on Sunday, April 28th from 11am to 1pm, come up Mount Vitosha to our cozy schoolhouse and experience a morning of Earth day themed recycling crafts, events, and outdoor play. You are welcome to bring snacks and drinks.
This is a unique chance to get to know our international community of families and see for yourself what our school environment will be like for your little one. We have lots of fun in-store in our natural outdoor backyard setting.
If you have been curious, or are still researching a “kindergarten” for your children, this is your chance to spend a sunny morning with us during our free Open morning. Our ICCC kids and families will be in attendance. Parents and siblings are welcome to join in the fun.
A child sitting on grass, arranging pine cones and red apples in a line.
Registration required!
Please RSVP by April 26th to office@iccf-bg.com

Useful Information

Clothing

  • Each child should have a small bag containing a complete set of clothing labeled with their name,  including underpants and socks. All extra clothes are stored in each child’s cubby in the foyer for easy access.
  • Indoor shoes are required for all children; these could be slippers or some other form of comfortable footwear and should be left at ICCC each day.
  • Parents should provide comfortable clothes and shoes for outside play and activities – especially running, jumping and climbing (no flip flops or slippery shoes).
  • For children still in diapers parents should provide a sufficient supply of diapers and wipes each week.
  • During colder months, children should have appropriate outdoor clothing, including warm and waterproof shoes/boots, jackets and pants. Hats and mittens/gloves are essential during winter.
  • All clothes, shoes, bags, etc. kept at school should have the name of the child written on the inside label with permanent marker. This will help us keep track of belongings.

Snack / Lunch

Each day, ICCC offers a healthy mid-morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack provided by a local licenced caterer. The cost of the catered food is covered by families (currently 10.4 BGN per day). If your child has or develops any food allergies please inform the staff immediately.        

For morning snack we provide a choice of at least three seasonal fruits. The lunch includes a healthy salad, soup and main course and the afternoon snack provides energy for the rest of the afternoon – read more  here.

Parents can send snacks and lunch each day if their child has special dietary requirements.

Absences

Parents should inform ICCC of any planned absence in advance. For unplanned absences or illness, please inform the office by telephone or email as early as you can.

Caregivers and others

We understand children may have caregivers other than their parents. If your child will be dropped off or picked up by another caregiver, please introduce this person to the office and add their name to your child’s file.

If your child is being picked up by another parent please inform the class teacher through the appropriate channels.

Toys from home

We ask children not to bring toys and similar belongings to school. They are often the cause of arguments and fights between children as most kids are not prepared to share their toy, or are distracted throughout the day, or toys may get lost or broken. This is why when toys are brought to school we will ask children to leave them in a special place outside the classroom.

Each Friday is toy sharing day and children are welcome to bring a toy, game or another belonging that is special to them, to share during circle time and tell their friends why they like it.

Celebrating birthdays

We are happy to celebrate each child’s birthday at ICCC. Parents are welcome to bring cupcakes or birthday cake to share with their child’s group at snack time (please ask the shop to provide the certificate, required by the health authorities). 

We request that parents do not provide additional candy/sweets or gift bags on the occasion of their child’s birthday to avoid eating unhealthy food at school. Instead, the birthday child can donate a book to the school library to mark their birthday if they wish, with a suitable inscription inside. We do not allow outside entertainment (clowns, puppets, etc.) for birthdays. We organize a birthday celebration during class time when we sing songs, dance, and play games.

Outings and field trips

ICCC organizes outings and field trips to enrich children’s learning. Parents may be asked to volunteer as additional supervisors of such trips. Prior to any outings, we will ask you to complete and sign a permission slip.

Sample outings include theatre, museum, fire brigade, dentist clinic, bakery, zoo, horse or animal farm.

Do you have questions?
Call or visit us.

+359 879 403 677
office@iccf-bg.com

Address: 20, Akademik Hristo Hristov Str., Dragalevtsi, Sofia 1415

Monday – Friday:
08:00 AM – 06:00 PM

Application Form

    FemaleMale

    *DATE OF BIRTH:

    *PREFERRED STARTING DATE AT SCHOOL:

    *ATTENDANCE PLAN: 5 full days5 mornings (LLB and BBB only)


    MOTHER'S INFORMATION


    FATHER'S INFORMATION


    *What language(s) is /are spoken at home?

    *Does your child speak English?

    *Does father speak English?

    *Does mother speak English?

    Have you already visited ICCC?

    If yes, when did you visit? If not, are you able to visit and when?

    Has the child been in a nursery / pre-school before? YesNo

    If yes, please give details below:

    HEALTH: Please indicate any medical concern of which the centre should be aware of (allergies, illness, medication, etc.)

    How did you hear about ICCC?


    ICCC Membership is annual and is paid in full for the school year in attendance (September – June). Attendance in July and August is optional. When a child joins after the start of the school year the fee is calculated proportionally. There is no discount for longer absences for holidays or other reasons.

    ICCC is open 12 months a year between the hours of 8.00a.m. to 18.00p.m.. While all care and attention will be given to safeguard the children during these hours, the Center will not be responsible for any injury caused beyond the control of staff. No responsibility will be taken outside working hours.

    ICCC admits children based on space availability and age. Priority is given to siblings, English native speakers and expat families.

    Copyright © 2022 Sofia’s First English Kindergarten Founded By Expats in 1997. All Rights Reserved