Volunteer with Children in Peru

Work with local teachers to support early childhood development at disadvantaged childcare centres

Destination

Peru

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 £1,550 for 2 weeks

Flexible 0% Interest payments

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Trip Overview

Support early childhood development

Assist teachers and caregivers at daycare centres, kindergartens, or special needs schools surrounded by the Sacred Valley in Cusco, Peru.

Teach literacy and numeracy

Help children develop essential reading, writing, and counting skills through fun and engaging activities, working alongside childcare professionals.

Explore enchanting Peru

Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, enjoy the village markets of Pisac, or delve into Cusco’s rich history during your free time.

Embrace Peruvian culture

Live with a welcoming host family, experience the warmth of Peruvian hospitality, try the local cuisine, and practice your Spanish.

Grow and develop as a person

Challenging yourself like this can lead to personal growth, newfound confidence, and discovering new passions, all while fully supported by our staff.

What you need to know

Overview

If you want to help support disadvantaged children, this project is for you.

It’s also a great option if you’re planning on a career where you’ll work with children. For future social workers and teachers, for example, this is relevant work experience to add to your CV. You’ll also develop skills like planning and leadership, which can help you in any career you choose.

Best of all, you’ll be working toward long-term, sustainable goals we’ve set, and helping where it’s needed most.

You don’t need any previous experience to take part when doing childcare volunteering in Peru. We’ll teach you everything you need to know, and our staff and the local teachers are there to guide you. We also run regular workshops for all Childcare and Teaching volunteers, where you can exchange ideas for activities and get advice.

A Day in the Life

Your typical day in Peru will depend on which placement you are assigned. Generally, volunteers begin work at about 8am during weekdays, and finish in the afternoon at around 4pm. At some placements, volunteers finish slightly earlier in the afternoon.

During the day, you will help run the centre’s activities. For example, you’ll plan and run educational games to help the children learn a skill. You can also be involved with teaching children the basics of reading and writing.

There will be a break at about 10:30am, where you’ll supervise children while they play. You’ll also get a lunch break. Remember to remind them to wash their hands when they come running back inside!

In the evenings, you will return to your host family for dinner.

We sometimes organise community activities on days when there is no school. These can include visits to a centre for the elderly, where you can spend a day providing companionship and support to elderly people. You could help prepare meals, or take members for walks. Other community activities can include planting vegetable gardens and painting educational murals at schools.

You can use your free time and weekends to explore Cusco and go beyond the city. We recommend being adventurous and trying as much of the local food as possible! Also: a visit to Machu Picchu is a must!

Aims & Impact

The main aim of this project is to support early childhood development and the work of local staff at disadvantaged care centres.

Many of these children are from underprivileged families, and their parents work long hours during the day to earn an income. The placements are often limited in their staff capacity, and local teachers struggle to provide individualised care and attention to all the children. We need volunteers to support the staff, and make sure the children learn the skills they need to thrive at school.

We have set goals for this project to ensure our impact in Peru has a responsible long-term impact. They cover these main areas:

Promote early childhood development
Increase literacy
Increase numeracy
Improve English
Improve the quality of life for those living with disabilities

Experience volunteer opportunities with children in Peru, and help us reach these goals.

Activities

You’ll work with children at one of our partner organisations, and be a source of support for local teachers and caregivers. These are some of the activities you could take part in:

Promote early childhood development through fun, educational activities
Improve literacy and numeracy among children
Support local staff at care centres and kindergartens
Encourage regular hygiene practices, like hand-washing and brushing teeth
Work at summer schools to run educational activities during school holidays

Your role at your placement will focus on the following areas:

Promote early childhood development through educational activities

Children learn a great deal in their early years. These skills ensure that they can thrive as they grow up and start school. With each child we work with, we have identified areas where they need improvement. These areas are related to their physical, social, and cognitive categories.

You’ll help by running activities and games. For example, a ball game can help improve hand-eye coordination.

Help children improve literacy and numeracy

Learning the basics before they start school can boost a child’s confidence and get them off to a good start once they start school. You’ll help raise literacy and numeracy levels by doing fun, creative activities and playing games. You could also do things like singing a song about numbers to learn about counting.

Support local staff at care centres and kindergartens

As a volunteer, you’re a welcome pair of helping hands for staff at the care centres. You can assist with tasks like preparing teaching materials, planning classroom activities, and more. It’s also worthwhile to spend time creating resources like posters and flashcards. Teachers and other volunteers will be able to use these materials to teach long after you’ve left.

Encourage improved hygiene, like hand-washing and brushing teeth

An important part of your role is helping to keep the kids healthy. The best way to do this is to encourage good hygiene practices every day. Make sure they wash their hands before meals and snacks, and show them the most effective ways to brush their teeth.

Work at summer schools

If you choose to volunteer with children in Peru during the school holidays from January to February, you’ll work at a summer school. The children attending are between the ages of 7 and 14. At the summer school you’ll teach basic English, and do fun activities like arts and crafts or sports.

Map & Location

Step into the home of the Inca Empire, where the Andes Mountains meet the Amazon Rainforest. Peru is the third-largest South American nation and about 60% of it is covered by rainforest. It’s also the origin of the mighty Amazon River.

Peru is a popular tourist destination for its rich history and culture, incredible biodiversity, and, of course, Machu Picchu. If you aren’t persuaded yet, this ought to do the trick: it’s home to about three-quarters of the global alpaca population!

Cusco

Cusco, nestled in the Andes in southeast Peru, was the capital of the mighty Inca Empire. Now home to half a million people, the stunning city welcomes over two million tourists a year, many of which hike the nearby Inca Trail to find the famous Machu Picchu.

Thanks to a high elevation and subtropical climate, Cusco benefits from comfortable temperatures year round. You’ll also find a lively city centre with busy social spots, a fascinating mix of architecture, and easy transport access.

Food & Accommodation

We’ll take care of all the essentials during your time in Peru. You’ll have a comfortable living space with a carefully selected host family, three nutritious meals a day, and access to safe drinking water. We’ll also organise all your travel to and from your placement.

Your host family’s home will be clean, safe, and secure, and you’ll be welcomed as a local from the moment you arrive. Share your stories and culture with your host family and other Projects Abroad participants over incredible home-cooked meals and experience Peruvian culture and hospitality every day.

We will try to match you with another person of the same gender and similar age so you can share your experience with a like-minded traveller. Who knows, you might just make a new friend (or a few) on your travels!

Meet your team

Free Time and Leisure

Peru is a vibrant country with a mix of activities for every kind of volunteer. Whether you’re into arts, culture, history, or nature, there’s sure to be something for you!

One of the biggest attractions of Peru is the Inca history. There are awe-inspiring archaeological sites like Coricancha, Tambomachay, and of course, Machu Picchu (which is easy to get to from Cusco).

Over a weekend, you can take a trip to the village of Pisac, where you can browse bright, eye-catching textile markets. Don’t miss out on seeing the llamas and alpacas too!

There are also lively restaurants everywhere you look, the perfect place to spend an evening chatting to the locals, relaxing, and enjoying local cuisine, like ceviche.

We run a variety of projects in Peru so you’ll likely meet many other volunteers on your trip. It’s the perfect opportunity to connect and travel as a group. However, you’re welcome to travel independently if you prefer.

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 Peru Arrival Procedures page.