The “Outdoor Play Hub” project aims to create a model for an active and healthy lifestyle for children from the “Hristo Botev” neighborhood and to improve their health status by encouraging outdoor play and healthy eating. The project is inspired by an experience exchange visit to Norway and for the first time pilots in the territory of Sofia Municipality the concept of promoting development through outdoor play in Norland kindergartens, the “Tasty Food” concept—viewing food cultivation as a social and educational activity for developing social and life skills—and the “go green” concept for improving the connection with nature.
The project responds to the identified needs of children in the “Hristo Botev” neighborhood for creating a safe outdoor play environment aimed at building habits of physical activity and sports, reducing the risk of obesity, and preventing screen addiction.
The “Outdoor Play Hub” is the latest initiative of the “Health and Social Development” Foundation, supporting the implementation of an innovative and comprehensive approach to changing the attitudes and lifestyles of the community in the neighborhood.
We plan to use a comprehensive approach to shift attitudes and work simultaneously in three directions:
- Transforming the environment to create conditions for developmental play outdoors in a safe and well-maintained setting.
- Offering active activities to improve children’s psychomotor development and enhance their social skills through games and sports.
- Promoting healthy eating through the “Tasty Food” approach, where children grow the vegetables that are later offered to them for consumption.
The direct beneficiaries of the project activities will be at least 150 children from the “Hristo Botev” neighborhood, aged 1 to 12 years.
Territorial scope of the project: Sofia, Hristo Botev district
Project duration: July – November 2025
The “Outdoor Play Hub” project is funded by the Sofia Municipality’s “Social Innovations” program.
