Muzeiko stands out as a leading example of successful approaches and tools for designing effective public interactive play areas for children. Such thoughtfully crafted play environments can greatly support children’s development by providing a safe and enriching setting for structured play and learning. The environments are not only innovative resources for educators but also offer inspiring experiences for parents. This is the assessment of international experts on early childhood development who participated in the recent conference, "It Takes an Early Childhood Ecosystem, for All Young Children to Thrive."

The ISSA conference serves as a unique platform, bringing together the world’s leading experts in early childhood development to exchange knowledge, share experiences, and discuss best practices. The event gathers researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from across the globe in discussions, interactive sessions, and the exchange of successful strategies and research-based insights. Over 500 professionals from 60 countries, together with experts from institutions and policymakers, discuss the future of children, the link between childhood issues and career development, support for families from vulnerable groups, and much more.

Learning through play, a natural and effective approach to building children’s skills, was the central theme of a presentation by Alexandra Dimitrova, Head of the Educational Team at the Muzeiko Science and Education Center for Children. As a respected expert at the forum, Dimitrova shared successful methods and tools for creating engaging play areas. Such well-designed recreational spaces for children greatly expand learning opportunities and enrich how families spend their free time together.

The international conference, "An Early Childhood Ecosystem is Needed for All Young Children to Thrive," was held in Sofia, Bulgaria, with the support of Sofia Municipality, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, and the Ministry of Health, in partnership with leading NGOs dedicated to children’s rights, including UNICEF, For Our Children Foundation, and the Global Fund for Children.

The event also celebrated ISSA’s 25th anniversary as a learning community dedicated to early childhood development, along with the 30th anniversary of the Step by Step program. ISSA’s international membership comprises over 90 non-profit organizations from almost every continent, mainly Europe and Asia. ISSA supports the development of quality, equitable, and integrated services for children, parents, and professionals.