Proudly Called a "Playground" and Preparing for the Journey Ahead

Strict academic schools sometimes refer to us as a "playground"—and we couldn’t be prouder of that label. At Under the Rainbow, we understand that for young children, play is learning.

Through play, children develop critical skills that form the foundation for their future success:

• Social Interactions: Building empathy, teamwork, and communication skills.
• Problem-Solving: Fostering resilience, innovation, and the ability to think critically.
• Hands-On Exploration: Promoting curiosity, creativity, and a sense of wonder about the world.

We believe that joyful, purposeful play is the best way for children to understand and engage with their surroundings. While traditional academic models may emphasize testing and rigidity, we focus on fostering a love for learning that will last a lifetime.

At Under the Rainbow, our children consistently gain acceptance to the schools of their choice, whether Hungarian or international. They leave us not only well-prepared for the next step in their educational journey but also with a positive relationship with learning.

For our children, learning is not a chore—it’s an adventure. Education is a good thing, filled with curiosity, discovery, and excitement. This mindset, combined with the critical skills they develop here, ensures they are confident, creative, and ready to succeed wherever they go.

Why Experience-Based Learning?

1. A Path to Deeper Understanding

Experience-Based Learning allows children to dive deeply into topics at their own pace. By encouraging curiosity and exploration, children gain a solid, meaningful understanding of concepts that extend far beyond the classroom.

2. Learning Through Play

Play is the cornerstone of how young children learn and grow. It engages children, nurtures their natural curiosity, and develops essential skills. At Under the Rainbow, we integrate different types of play into our educational approach:

• Free Play: Empowers children to explore, create, and make decisions independently, fostering creativity and problem-solving.
• Guided Play: Gently introduces new ideas and concepts, enabling deeper learning while preserving the joy of discovery.
• Instructed Play: Combines structured activities with fun, helping children achieve specific learning goals in an engaging and interactive way.

This blend of play-based approaches ensures that every child thrives in a joyful and stimulating learning environment.

3. Tailored education to children’s development in each group 

This approach naturally adapts to the strengths, interests, and needs of each child. Every activity is designed to ensure all children feel valued, challenged, and supported, creating a truly inclusive learning environment.

4. Building Essential Skills

Experience-Based Learning nurtures critical skills across multiple domains:

• Cognitive Skills: Critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making.
• Social Skills: Collaboration, communication, and empathy.
• Emotional Skills: Resilience, independence, and confidence.
• Physical Development: Fine and gross motor skills through active, hands-on tasks and physical play.

5. Preparing for Tomorrow

By fostering creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking, Experience-Based Learning equips children with the skills needed to thrive in the modern world—far beyond what rote memorization and traditional methods can achieve.

What Makes Experience-Based Learning Unique?

1. Hands-On Exploration
   Interactive activities align with children’s natural curiosity and their desire to explore the world around them.
2. Fostering Creativity
   Through art, building, and imaginative projects, children are encouraged to think outside the box and express themselves fully.
3. Integrated Learning
   Subjects such as math, science, and art come together seamlessly in each project, helping children understand how different areas of knowledge connect.
4. Developing Problem-Solvers
   EBL empowers children to ask questions, experiment, and find creative solutions, laying a foundation for cognitive and intellectual growth.
5. Emotional and Social Growth
   Collaborative projects help children build confidence, practice empathy, and navigate social interactions, fostering emotional intelligence and positive relationships.

Why Choose Experience-Based Learning? 

Experience-Based Learning is perfectly aligned with how young children naturally interact with the world—through curiosity, exploration, and play. By blending free play, guided play, and instructed play, we create a comprehensive learning environment that nurtures every aspect of a child’s development.

At Under the Rainbow, we’re proud to transform education into an adventure where learning feels like play, children embrace it with joy, and every day is an exciting journey of discovery.

Academic excellence

At Under the Rainbow, we understand that academic preparation is a priority for parents. What sets us apart is how we achieve it:

• We don’t rely on worksheets or traditional classroom drills. Instead, children learn through doing, creating, and exploring.
• Literacy, numeracy, and cognitive skills are integrated into daily activities, ensuring learning is both purposeful and engaging.
• Children develop their problem-solving, critical thinking, and analytical skills naturally through hands-on projects and guided activities.

We equip children with the tools to understand the world, ask questions, and find answers—skills that set them apart when transitioning to primary school.

By teaching a love for learning and discovery, we lay the foundation for your child’s lifelong success. In our care, your child will thrive emotionally, socially, and intellectually in an environment designed to spark joy, curiosity, and growth.

This approach isn’t the easiest path, but it’s the most rewarding. Our team of dedicated teachers pours their hearts, time, and expertise into creating a vibrant, enriching environment that truly puts children first.

Join us at UTR, where every day is an adventure, every experience is a lesson, and every child is valued for who they are. Together, let’s create a brighter future—starting with your child.

Close to Nature 

At Under the Rainbow Kindergarten, we believe in the transformative power of nature’s classroom. 

Our Forest School program provides children with a unique opportunity to explore, learn, and connect with the natural world, all while building confidence, independence, and essential life skills.

Outdoor learning at Under the Rainbow integrates formal education with the wonders of nature. 

For example, math lessons take place as children count and sort leaves, or measure tree trunks; science concepts come alive through studying ecosystems and observing animals in their natural habitats. Even literacy can be fostered through storytelling inspired by the sights and sounds of the forest. These activities seamlessly connect the curriculum with hands-on exploration, making learning engaging and memorable.

The Role of Nature in Development

Outdoor play is fundamental to children’s physical, cognitive, and emotional development. Running, climbing, and exploring helps strengthen muscles, improve coordination, and develop motor skills. Being in nature also fosters curiosity and creativity while encouraging problem-solving and teamwork.

In addition to physical benefits, nature provides countless real-world learning opportunities. Observing plants, animals, and the changing seasons sparks curiosity and helps children make meaningful connections between classroom concepts and the environment around them.

Nature as the Heart of Our Curriculum

At Under the Rainbow, nature isn’t just part of the curriculum—it is the curriculum. Each outdoor session is carefully designed to complement and enhance classroom learning. Children engage in structured activities that align with formal education goals, including:

• Math: Counting, sorting, and measuring natural objects.
• Science: Observing ecosystems, identifying plant species, and understanding life cycles.
• Art: Creating patterns and textures using natural materials.
• Social Skills: Collaborative tasks such as building structures and group problem-solving.

These hands-on experiences bring formal education to life, helping children retain knowledge in ways traditional classroom settings cannot replicate.

Accessible Outdoor Learning

Our three campuses in Budapest’s 2nd District are uniquely positioned to make outdoor learning an integral part of every child’s day:

• At the Feketerigó Campus, the forest is just a short walk away, offering immediate access to outdoor exploration.
• At the Torockó and Levél Campuses, children are transported by bus to nearby forested areas, ensuring every child can benefit from these immersive experiences.

Animal Assisted Education

At Under the Rainbow Kindergarten, we are proud to offer Animal-Assisted Activities (AAE) that nurture kindness, empathy, and confidence in children. These monthly sessions, led by our wonderful therapy dogs, Mokka, Secret, Merlin and Rafi, combine fun, learning, and emotional growth in a unique and joyful way.

Activities are carefully planned to align with the principles of our experienced-based education. Each session is tailored to the developmental needs of different age groups, ensuring that activities are not only engaging but also contribute to cognitive, emotional, and social growth.

Emotional growth is fostered by building confidence, overcoming apprehension, and learning empathy through calm and patient interactions, while cognitive skills are enhanced through playful games that encourage focus, memory, and recognition abilities. Through AAE social development is supported as children learn to take turns, share, and communicate gently and respectfully with others. Finally, physical coordination is improved through simple motor activities, such as dressing the dogs or participating in team-based games, which promote both fine and gross motor skills.

Movement: The Foundation for Physical and Cognitive Development

Movement plays a vital role in fostering a child’s physical and cognitive growth. By enhancing motor skills, children build confidence, develop better posture, improve coordination, and sharpen focus—key abilities that contribute to their readiness for school and success in everyday life.

Our movement sessions are carefully designed to feel like play, making the experience both enjoyable and highly effective. Each activity, from balancing games to sensory exercises, is purposefully crafted to engage children while promoting essential developmental skills.

Led by a highly experienced movement specialist with expertise in movement development and conductive education, our program delivers personalized support tailored to each child’s unique needs. With a holistic approach and individual attention, we nurture progress across multiple developmental areas, including:

• Gross and fine motor skills
• Coordination and balance
• Posture and foot arch development
• Cognitive focus and problem-solving abilities
• Social interaction and teamwork

By integrating purposeful movement into a dynamic learning environment, we empower children to thrive physically, mentally, and socially.

UTR is running its kindergarten program at three locations in the 2nd district of Budapest accepting children aged 3-7:

• Adyliget: 20 Feketerigó street 1029 (itt lehet a terkepes oldalhoz kötni mindharmat?)
• Pasarét: 6/b Torockó street 1026
• Rózsadomb: 6 Levél street 1023

All of our kindergarten classes are following a curriculum in English designed for  Project-Based Learning (PBL). We believe that Project-Based Learning is the best method for teaching in kindergarten because it aligns with how young children naturally learn and interact with the world around them. 

In PBL, children learn through hands-on experiences, exploration, and problem-solving, which is highly engaging for young learners. Instead of passively receiving information, children become active participants in their learning, which increases retention and understanding.

Kindergarteners are naturally curious and often learn best through play, exploration, and sensory experiences. PBL offers a platform to tap into that curiosity by presenting real-world problems and projects that are relevant to their lives. It provides opportunities for hands-on, collaborative, and interdisciplinary learning that are essential for fostering curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, and social-emotional skills. By embracing PBL, kindergarten teachers create an engaging, dynamic, and supportive learning environment that encourages children to explore, discover, and develop the foundational skills they need for their future academic success.

As a complement to the PBL method, Forest School and Animal Assisted Education are also implemented into our curriculum appearing regularly in our children’s life. Both Forest School and Animal-Assisted Education provide rich, dynamic experiences that support the core principles of Project-Based Learning. They encourage curiosity, responsibility, and emotional growth, while also connecting learning to the real world in meaningful ways. By integrating these elements into a PBL framework, kindergarten children can engage in authentic learning experiences that support a wide range of developmental goals.

At Under the Rainbow, we blend a strong theoretical foundation with a joyful, hands-on approach to early childhood education. Our days are filled with music, arts and crafts, movement, ukulele, and puppet play, creating a vibrant and engaging environment where every child can thrive.

We provide a safe, supportive, and inspiring space for toddlers aged approximately 1.5 to 3 years.

• Adyliget: 20 Feketerigó street 1029  (link?)
• Pasarét: 6/b Torockó street 1026
• Rózsadomb: 6 Levél street 1023

 

The Pikler Approach: Building Trust and Independence

Our nursery program is deeply rooted in the philosophy of Emmi Pikler, a renowned Hungarian pediatrician and educator whose methods are internationally acclaimed. Her pioneering approach emphasizes:

• Respect for Autonomy: Supporting toddlers to explore their environment at their own pace, fostering confidence and self-reliance.
• Free Movement: Allowing children to develop motor skills naturally, without interference, promoting physical strength and coordination.
• Trust-Based Relationships: Caregivers build secure emotional bonds with each child, fostering a foundation of trust and well-being.
• Individualized Attention: Caregivers are trained to attentively observe and respond to each child’s unique needs and developmental stages.
• Self-Initiated Play: Encouraging unstructured, child-led play to stimulate creativity, problem-solving, and independence.

A Meaningful Caregiving Experience

Daily caregiving routines—such as feeding, changing, and dressing—are seen as opportunities for connection and learning. Our caregivers:

• Approach routines with calmness, respect, and patience, creating a secure and comforting experience.
• Establish trust by engaging with children one-on-one, ensuring every child feels valued.
• Maintain a carefully prepared environment designed to encourage safe exploration, curiosity, and independence.

With a teacher-to-child ratio of 1:4, each child receives the focused care and attention they need to thrive, ensuring a truly individualized experience.

Why Choose Under the Rainbow Nursery?

• Blending Theory and Fun: A robust educational foundation combined with activities like music, movement, ukulele, and puppet play ensures your child learns while having fun.
• Internationally Acclaimed Philosophy: The Pikler Approach is recognized worldwide for its effectiveness in early childhood development.
• Highly Trained Caregivers: Our staff undergo continuous professional development to deliver consistent, high-quality care.
• Holistic Development: A nurturing environment that promotes emotional, physical, and social growth.
• Premier Locations: Beautiful, secure campuses in Budapest’s most desirable neighborhoods.
• Personalized Attention: Our 1:4 teacher-to-child ratio ensures every child is supported and cared for on a deeply individual level.
• Parent Engagement: We offer workshops and resources to help parents understand and apply the Pikler principles at home.