Nature-oriented daycare centre Pilke Kurki opened in a beautiful, ecological log building in Aura in August 2017

Pilke’s nature-oriented daycare centre Kurki opened in a beautiful log building on Urpontie Street in Aura. The daycare centre has 84 places for children aged 0–6 years. Early childhood education at the daycare centre emphasises natural topics to provide the children with a positive attitude towards nature and a sustainable lifestyle.

At nature-oriented daycare centre Kurki, children participate in a wide variety of outdoor activities, come rain or shine. The activities place emphasis on wondering and exploring various natural phenomena. The daycare centre’s operation is based on play, common activities and paying attention to the children’s ideas. Everyday phenomena experienced and perceived by the children form the cornerstone of learning. Imagination, recycling and the use of nature’s gifts as part of play and learning are an integral part of the daycare centre’s everyday operation. In the spring, the daycare centre applies garden pedagogy by establishing a greenhouse and a small garden for growing useful plants in the daycare centre yard.

The Aura-based daycare centre is the first unit Pilke established in a log building as a response to the strongly growing demand for daycare premises with clean indoor air. In the ecological log-built daycare centre, children get to enjoy fresh indoor air, good acoustics and the calm, peaceful atmosphere created by solid wood elements. The healthy environment is good for the senses and increases the everyday well-being of both the children and the educators.

The municipality decides on the organisation of pre-primary and after-school activities on a year-by-year basis depending on the number of children attending daycare.

Families residing in nearby municipalities may also apply for a daycare place at Kurki if their municipality is part of the service voucher system.