Videos which show daily routines at kindergartens in China, where pupils are instructed in basic life skills and take part in a range of physical activities, have captivated international audiences on TikTok. The preschools for very young children, aged 3 to 6, have been dubbed military-style for their intense programmes. In viral videos, children are seen engaging in rope training, playing basketball and ping pong, climbing ladders and vaulting.
They also prepare meals, do washing up, embroidery, and interestingly, make shoe insoles. One video shows children rhythmically moving to music while standing inside bamboo cross frames, jumping in and out with impressive agility. Another scene captures a child balancing on a yoga ball while jumping over a rope with other children.
They demonstrate remarkable discipline, coordination and teamwork. In the same video, a little girl is filmed jumping over some tires as tall as she is and then performing a somersault on a mat. Aside from physical training, the classes also emphasise the teaching of practical life skills.
One particularly popular video, which attracted 516,000 likes and 8.8 million views, features students starting a fire and cooking. A narrator says: “While kids in other kindergartens eat, sleep, and play games, kids in this Chinese kindergarten do laundry and cook, learning self-reliance.
“They have outdoor stoves corresponding to their height and they make their own meals every day. From washing and chopping vegeta.
