A student at a rural kindergarten in Jurong, Jiangsu province, paints seashells. [Photo/jyt.jiangsu.gov.cn]

Planting flowers and vegetables, observing insects, conducting experiments, reading books and raising animals. For Liu Xiaomiao, a third-year student at Wenchang Road Kindergarten in Jurong, Jiangsu province, the fingers on her hands are not enough to count the "games" she and her classmates play every day. 

Near her, some children gathered in a circle to play whac-a-mole, while others fed their animals and others prepared a barbecue meal, oiling meat and adding cumin powder. 

These peculiar scenes are commonplace at Wenchang Road Kidergarten, where principal Sun Jianxia has implemented course reform initiated by the provincial department of education in 2014. The reforms focus on enhancing the children's language skills, and their social and explorative abilities using "edutainment" to boost their all-round development. 

"We have arranged at least two hours every day for kids to play," Sun said. "Children, for example, may attend indoor classes in the morning while taking part in outdoor activities in the afternoon, depending on their interests."