Projects Abroad volunteer working with children in Mongolia helps a child draw around their hands during an educational acitivity.

Volunteer with Children in Mongolia

Work with disadvantaged children in Ulaanbaatar and support early childhood development

Destination

Mongolia

Age

16+ y/o

Minimum Stay

2 weeks

Start Date

Anytime

Accommodation

Homestay

What’s Included

24/7 Support

Round-the-clock support on the ground and 24/7 back up from our global teams.

Accommodation & Amenities

Clean, safe, and welcoming accommodation. A home away from home with comfortable amenities.

Activities, Training & Equipment

All programme activities and equipment, including training and workshops from experienced professionals.

Certification

Certified record of service hours, workshops, and activities for your CV.

Request Info

Starting at £1,675 for 2 weeks

Flexible 0% Interest payments

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Trip Overview

Help children learn and grow

Support children in kindergartens or special needs centres, teaching English, creating fun activities, and nurturing their development.

Benefit children beyond your stay

Improve the learning environment by creating educational resources and colourful displays that will benefit children for years to come.

Work with local professionals

Collaborate with local teachers and caregivers, gaining valuable insights into Mongolian childcare practices and contributing to their efforts.

Discover a unique capital city

Experience the blend of modern and traditional life in Ulaanbaatar, from Soviet-era architecture to business districts and nomadic settlements.

Embrace Mongolian culture

Live with a welcoming host family, sharing meals and learning about the customs and traditions of this extraordinary country.

What you need to know

Overview

This project is perfect for anyone who loves working with children. You can put your time and energy toward a good cause and help little ones who are eager to learn, play, and explore. This experience will help you a great deal if you’re planning on a career in childcare.

You don’t need experience to join. Our trained staff are with you every step of the way. They will give you ideas and advice if you need it. We also hold regular workshops for all our Childcare volunteers, where you can share ideas and work through any problems.

In Mongolia, you’ll also learn skills like planning and teamwork. These are great additions to your CV and can be applied to any career you pursue. Use the experience to give your application an edge, or talk about it in interviews.

This programme runs throughout the year. You can join at any time and stay as long as you like.

A Day in the Life

After breakfast and morning chatter with your host family, you will walk or take a bus to your placement.

A typical day in Mongolia runs from about 9 am – 5 pm each day, Monday to Friday.

On arrival, you will help young children eat their breakfast. Then you will start activities like singing songs, teaching English, and playing games.

After lunch, children take a nap for two hours, starting at 1.30pm and ending at 3:30pm. You can use this time to help staff plan for the following day or work on your own activities. After nap time, you will help with more activities before the children go home.

At the end of a full day of childcare work, you can either meet up with other volunteers, relax at your host family’s home, or explore Mongolia by night.

Weekends in Mongolia are the time to relax and explore the country’s vast plains and history. You can visit the nomads, learn about Genghis Khan, or plan a tour through the Gobi Desert. With so much to do and see, each moment in Mongolia is precious!

Aims & Impact

The aim of this project is to support early childhood development and education in Mongolia. Projects Abroad has elected not to work with children in orphanages in Mongolia, but rather to focus on community-based programmes that allow children to remain within their families.

Our community-based partner placements in Mongolia are understaffed and have large groups of disadvantaged children attending. They need volunteers to support their work and to help more children reach developmental milestones for their age.

Our work with special needs children is also important. Staff need extra pairs of helping hands to care for the children and improve their quality of life. Your efforts here will also help support families. One of the special needs placements we work with cares for children from single-parent families while their mothers are at work. We also do outreach work at homes, helping families care for children with special needs.

We have identified five goals in our Childcare Management Plan to guide our work in Mongolia:

Promote early childhood development
Improve the hygiene levels of the children
Improve English
Improve the quality of life for children with special needs
Improve the level of stimulation of each child

Experience a volunteer opportunity with children in Mongolia and help us work towards these long-term goals.

Activities

You’ll be based in one of our partner kindergartens or day care centres. You can also work at a placement for children with special needs.

Here’s a glimpse into what you will do:

Teach children to read, write, and count in English
Improve the learning environment
Improve the quality of life for children with special needs
Encourage best hygiene practices

Your work will focus on the following areas:

Teach children to read, write, and count

A key part of our Childcare Project is to give children the building blocks needed to learn English. You will create fun, engaging and educational activities for the children. You can do things like singing a song about the ABCs, or using a rhyme with gestures to count from one to 10.

This time is perfect to also monitor the progress of each child, which is part of your role. You will note areas of improvement and areas that need work.

Improve the learning environment

When they are young, the social, physical and cognitive development of children is crucial. You will focus on boosting these areas through games, activities, and a colourful environment.

Put crayons to good use as you make flashcards, or intricately piece together recycled items to create a mobile of our galaxy. Well-thought-out activities like these will stimulate a child’s brain, and encourage a love for learning.

The best thing about your efforts? The resources you create will be used by staff and future volunteers long after you’ve left.

Improve the quality of life for children with special needs

You can choose to work with children who have special needs. You will support local caregivers and help teach and look after the children. You will focus on activities like feeding children, teaching basic English, and providing stimulation.

For work at this placement, we will guide and support you as best we can.

Encourage best hygiene practices

Part of your role will involve making sure that all children practice good hygiene every day. They need to brush their teeth properly, and wash their hands before meals and after using the bathroom. You’ll use a hygiene checklist to ensure children are doing everything they’re supposed to.

Map & Location

Mongolia, known as “The Land of the Eternal Blue Sky”, is a true one-off. Discover a country rich in history and culture, where one-third of people live as nomads, moving their traditional ger homes with the seasons. Witness an ancient way of life and enjoy stunning landscapes.

With 250 sunny days a year, it’s perfect for outdoor adventures. Attend the Naadam festival, a showcase of wrestling, horse racing, and archery. And don’t miss the world’s largest equestrian statue, a tribute to Genghis Khan.

Ulaanbaatar

Home to half of Mongolia’s population, the capital city of Ulaanbaatar is a fascinating blend of old and new. Located in north-central Mongolia, it is at a crossroad between it’s better known neighbours, China and Russia.

You will see skyscrapers and traditional tents side-by-side, workers in suits and monks in conversation, and surviving monasteries from pre-soviet occupation.

It is the world’s coldest capital city, but often reaches warm temperatures in the summer!

Food & Accommodation

Settle into your home away from home in Mongolia. We provide everything you need for a comfortable and enriching stay, including a clean bed, three meals a day, and access to clean drinking water. You’ll be welcomed into the home of a carefully vetted local family, hand-picked by Projects Abroad, who will introduce you to a brand new way of life.

Your host family’s house will be safe, secure, and clean, giving you somewhere to relax and rest with other Projects Abroad participants. Speak with your host family, share your culture, and experience theirs while enjoying delicious home-cooked food.

Transport to and from your placement is organised entirely by our team, so you’ll never need to stress about navigating somewhere you don’t know.

Free Time and Leisure

Mongolia is one of the most remote countries in the world. Volunteering here is a chance to experience a completely different way of life.

Our projects are based in Ulaanbaatar, the country’s capital. This city is an eclectic mix of modern and traditional. The Government Palace is a perfect example of this, with it’s old-world style architecture and glowing blue and gold lights.

Even when you’re in the city, you’re never far from the countryside. Just a quick trip can take you out to a nomad settlement, where you can meet travelling families who live in traditional gers. We recommend going on a horse ride or trek to take in the beauty of the endless countryside horizons.

The famous statue of Genghis Khan, the largest equestrian statue in the world, is a must-see. You can also learn about the country’s history at the National Museum of Mongolia.

We run a range of different projects in Mongolia so there will likely be other volunteers in the country with you. So you can travel alone or explore the country with a group of like-minded new friends.

Your Arrival Made Easy

When you arrive at your respective airport, a member of Projects Abroad staff will be there to meet you. You can find more detailed information on arrival airports, orientation, and visas on our Mongolia Arrival Procedures page.