Between play and closures – examining the effects of Covid-19 on preschools in the Nordic Countries

Björn Rúnar Egilsson, assistant professor at the School of Education, University of Iceland, is leading the Icelandic part of a large Nordic research project examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the preschool system.

“We want to try and understand what lessons can be learned from the pandemic, how we can support social sustainability, and strengthen the system’s resilience in the face of shocks that may arise in the future,” says Björn.

The project is titled “EXPECT: Exploring Practices in Early childhood of Tomorrow: Developing resilience in socially sustainable childhoods after Covid-19” and is a collaboration between seven universities: the University of Stavanger in Norway, Oslo Metropolitan University in Norway, the University of Oulu in Finland, Copenhagen University College in Denmark, the universities of Jönköping and Kristianstad in Sweden, as well as the University of Iceland. The study began in 2023 and will run through 2026.

Björn Rúnar, who is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education and Pedagogy, and Jóhanna Einarsdóttir, Professor Emerita at the Department of Education and Diversity and Björn’s PhD supervisor, are working together on the Icelandic part of the project. They will also contribute to joint Nordic academic articles presenting the project’s results, highlighting the shared experiences of parents and teachers across the Nordic countries.

The research began by compiling all studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was followed by interviews with both parents of children who were of preschool age at the time and preschool teachers who worked during the pandemic. In Iceland, 13 parents were interviewed, each with children aged 3 to 5 when the pandemic struck. In autumn 2025, a survey was distributed to parents and teachers, and around 500 people have already responded, although analysis of the results has not yet begun. In the final phase, the findings from all Nordic countries will be brought together, and the project aims to offer recommendations to authorities on how to respond should another pandemic occur.

Parents describe a “graveyard” and broken connections

The final results of the project are not yet available, but the research has already shown that, in general, parents in Iceland were satisfied with the preschool system and supported the measures introduced during the COVID-19 period.

“It was very interesting to speak to them about how they experienced this. Of course, it had a major impact on them and on the children,” Björn says.

Some parents, however, felt that the atmosphere changed once restrictions came into effect. Mask mandates, distancing requirements and bans on physical contact affected communication and the overall flow of daily life in preschools. In many cases, parents had to drop off their children outdoors and collect them again outdoors in the afternoon, without meeting teachers or other staff members.

“Some described it as if they were arriving at a cemetery or sending their children into some kind of void. All connections were cut off,” says Björn.

The relationship between parents and preschool teachers weakened, and parents lost all insight into daily activities. Many said they no longer knew anything about what happened in preschool, neither about children’s interactions nor friendships, and pointed out that messages from the preschools mainly focused on rules and infection-control decisions, rather than on children’s wellbeing or their everyday lives.

Despite the way the pandemic radically changed daily life for parents and children, positive aspects also emerged. When restrictions were at their strictest, parents were only allowed to bring their children to preschool every other day, which encouraged more time together at home. Many described how their children spent more time at home baking, playing games and doing other activities with their parents, strengthening family life. Several parents said it had been a cosy and calm period.

Others, however, are concerned about the generation of children who experienced these restrictions and are now beginning primary school, as social isolation can have long-term effects. In Iceland, preschools remained open for most of the period, so these concerns are less pronounced than in countries with more extensive closures.

He himself had a child in preschool during the COVID-19 period

Björn is personally very interested in the topic, as he had a child in preschool when the pandemic occurred. He says his son’s preschool handled the challenges well and that he did not notice any negative effects of the restrictions on his child’s well-being or development. On the contrary, he believes the period strengthened their bond.

“My son was always happy to go to school and happy when I picked him up. For me personally, there were no particular difficulties connected to this, we simply tried to make it cosy at home together when we weren’t allowed to attend.”

He points out that there are no established studies documenting the best course of action when a pandemic strikes, partly because the last pandemic of this kind occurred more than a hundred years ago. In modern society, however, infections spread much faster: people travel more, remain in constant contact, and rely on services from a wide range of providers both domestically and internationally. This makes planning and the right response even more important, Björn says.

Author: Líf Ramundt Kristinsdóttir, journalism student.