Extracurricular activities: characteristics and specific practices in preschool education

This study investigates the characteristics and implementation of extracurricular activities in Romanian preschool education, within the framework of national legislation and educational policy. Recognized for their critical role in fostering children's holistic development, these activities are shaped by legal provisions and operationalized through teacher planning, institutional coordination, and parental engagement. Using a descriptive-comparative methodology, data were collected from preschool educators in both urban and rural settings through surveys and interviews. The research aims to: (a) describe current practices across four thematic areas—frequency, implementation modalities and locations, activity diversity, and stakeholder partnerships; (b) compare these practices between urban and rural environments; and (c) develop unified criteria for planning and implementing extracurricular activities in preschool education. Findings indicate that while extracurricular activities are prevalent across settings, substantial variations exist in frequency, diversity, and implementation approaches, shaped by contextual factors such as educator experience, child age, and institutional resources. The study underscores the need for coherent, developmentally appropriate, and equitable criteria to guide extracurricular programming across Romania’s early childhood education system.