Early Childhood Education in Nepal

Excited to be an early childhood educator in Nepal? Volunteering in early childhood education in Nepal has been a transformative experience that has not only enriched my own life but has also contributed to the development and well-being of the children in this vibrant and culturally rich country. Nepal, with its stunning landscapes and diverse communities, presented a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of young children who are the foundation of its future. Volunteers gain childcare experience while helping to provide a nurturing environment where young children can learn, grow and play with others their age.

Early childhood education in Nepal helps develop young brains and fosters an appetite for later learning and continuing education. Volunteers typically spend the day in an early childhood education setting at a local school using storytelling and structured play to help children develop their literacy and numeracy skills. They might also run classes alongside teaching volunteers or arts and crafts sessions to assist with fine motor skill development or sports sessions to assist with gross motor skill development.

Early childhood education in Nepal centres are active and fun places where children first get exposure to formal education and structured play with others. They can be an important part of early childhood education and allow parents to return to work. Many centres around Kathmandu are seeking volunteer assistance in order to better provide this nurturing environment. Volunteers can also assist with English classes for primary school-aged learners. The goal is to help them get more comfortable with using English in a real-world context, rather than seeing only the language in a textbook. This supports students to gain access to additional education and employment opportunities in the future.

As an early childhood education in Nepal volunteer, you will assist in centres in different areas in Kathmandu, including both in the city and in the surrounding hills. The specific tasks of each volunteer vary depending on the particular centre in which you’re placed. In general, you can expect to help with:

  • Structured games and lessons
  • Caring for children
  • Entertaining and playing with children
  • Helping with feeding and mealtimes
  • Light renovation work

Early Childhood Education in Nepal Highlights:

Curriculum Development: Collaborated with local educators to create age-appropriate curriculum and learning materials tailored to the needs of young children in Nepalese communities.

Teacher Training: Conducted workshops and training sessions for local teachers to enhance their skills in utilizing interactive teaching methods, promoting creativity, and managing diverse learning abilities among young children.

Interactive Learning Initiatives: Introduced innovative and engaging activities such as storytelling, art, music, and play-based learning to foster cognitive and social development among preschool-aged children.

Community Engagement: Organized parent involvement programs and community outreach initiatives to raise awareness about the importance of early childhood education and encourage parental participation in their children’s learning journey.

Improving Learning Environments: Contributed to the enhancement of learning spaces by setting up child-friendly classrooms, libraries, and outdoor play areas to create stimulating environments conducive to learning and exploration.

Health and Hygiene Education: Integrated lessons on basic health practices and hygiene habits into the curriculum, promoting healthy living habits among children and their families.

Monitoring and Evaluation: Implemented assessment tools and techniques to track the progress of children and evaluate the effectiveness of educational strategies, ensuring continual improvements in the program.

Cultural Exchange: Facilitated cultural exchange activities, sharing diverse perspectives and traditions between volunteers, local educators, children, and community members, fostering a sense of global citizenship and understanding.

Orientation begins on the morning of next day your arrival and covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in Nepal – an introduction to Nepal, Nepalese customs, language training details, rules and expectations, safety, travel opportunities in Nepal, and an introduction to your project and placement. The orientation will also give you a chance to visit local temples, sample authentic Nepali food, meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socializing. The program may vary depending on your time of arrival. We will manage to include all below mentioned activities in you introduction program.
• Arrival and introduction host family
• Survival Nepali lessons and cultural discussion
• Local amenities and sightseeing and project start

On arrival in Nepal, volunteers stay in a host family in Kathmandu for their orientation.

Volunteers are then accommodated together in homestays and hosted by local families who have been approved by our program staff. We give your host family a fee for your support, food and board. It is exciting to stay with a host family, providing you with a unique opportunity to learn about the Nepalese way of life, meet local people, try traditional food and speak the local language – especially when host families in Nepal tend to have limited English.

Living is basic but comfortable and most homestays have electricity and running water, with the exception of some rural homestays which are without these conveniences during the dry season. Squat toilets are the norm in Nepal and you will not come across many western toilets. Volunteers can also expect low-pressure showers that are generally not heated; however, this is refreshing after a day in the heat.

You can expect to share a room with one to three other volunteers and bedrooms have single beds and bunk beds with bedding provided. It is recommended volunteers bring their own sleeping bags and mosquito nets for any trips away.

WiFi is available in most of the volunteer homestays. If you would like to keep connected during your stay, we recommend bringing an unlocked mobile phone and purchasing a local SIM card when you arrive in Nepal.

The staple meal for most Nepali families is dal bhat, which consists of lentil soup (dal), rice (bhat) and vegetables in curry (tarkari) and/or meat (masu) with a side of pickle/sauce (achar). Volunteers are served two meals per day at their homestay and can purchase additional food to supplement this if they wish.

Volunteers can have a meaningful impact on Nepalese communities by providing assistance with a wide range of activities that help make life, and the future, better for local people. Volunteer World Nepal has a number of volunteer projects in Nepal. Some are located on the outskirts of the capital city of Kathmandu in rural and urban areas, while others are in Pokhara and Salleri. Pokhara is located in mid-western Nepal and is a popular tourist destination, renowned for its amazing mountain views. Salleri is the Everest Mountain region: beautiful landscapes, hillsides dotted with villages, a lively weekend bazaar, a Tibetan camp, and many spectacular Buddhist monasteries. In Salleri you can teach in Schools, teach English in a monastery, work in a Health Clinic or work in Construction. Salleri is a small Himalayan Region town that serves as the headquarters of the Solukhumbu District.

Low-cost, fully hosted volunteer abroad programs in Nepal.
Your registration fee and your program fee provide access to a fully hosted volunteer experience with Volunteer World Nepal. In order to apply to join Volunteer World Nepal you are required to make your registration fee payment of 100 dollars.

Key Information:

Provide a safe space for children to learn
Various locations in Nepal
Homestay accommodation
Based in schools across Nepal
Up to 4 - 5 hours volunteers a day
Fully hosted experience from 250 dollar for 1 week
Base camp treks and other tours available
Durations from 1 - 4 weeks
Volunteer's Choice
Program fee for two weeks: USD
  • Most Affordable Program Fee
  • Best Price Gurantee
  • No booking or Credit Card Fee
  • Free Cancellation

What's included:

  • Two meals (breakfast and dinner)
  • Accommodation
  • Orientation and survival Nepali language lesson
  • Cultural sightseeing in Kathmandu
  • 24/7 email and telephone support
  • Volunteer handbook
  • 24/7 hours emergency support
  • Dedicated VWN program and travel co-ordinator
  • Regular program inspection
  • Scholarships for low income students

What's Excluded:

  • Flights to Kathmandu
  • Visa cost
  • Travel and health insurance
  • Domestic flight costs
  • Transportation costs for the volunteers who want to work outside the Kathmandu Valley
  • Personal items, extra beverages and entertainment expenses
  • Personal travel and sightseeing
  • Transportation service during weekends travel
Volunteer's Choice

You might be interested in this

Teaching English to Buddhist Monks

Teaching English to Buddhist monks in Nepal is a wonderful and rewarding teaching volunteer opportunity .

Center for Children with Disabilities

The Center for Children with Disabilities is located in Kathmandu and has around 20 children .

Physiotherapy Volunteer Work

Physiotherapy volunteer work in Nepal with Volunteer World Nepal offers an immersive and impactful experience .

Read reviews of our optimistic volunteers.

"It is George and Anna. We had the best medical elective in Nepal. We are two medical students from the UK studying at the University of Warwick, and we decided to join Volunteer World Nepal's medical elective volunteer program for our medical elective volunteering placement in Nepal. We are both in our final year of being students and will start working as doctors this summer...."

Anna and George, England

Best Medical Elective in Nepal