From Retreats to Little Learners: How Universival Is Growing With Our Community

At Universival, our heart has always been about creating spaces where adults can step away, breathe deeply, and reconnect with their true selves. Whether you join one of our wellness retreats or a mindful workshop, the focus has remained the same: nurture wellbeing, connection, and growth.

Today, we’re excited to share how that same spirit is expanding—now to the youngest members of our community. We’re delighted to announce our new English‑through‑play pilot project in partnership with the local ONG Caraíva Viva, bringing playful English lessons to children aged 3‑5 in Bahia, Brazil.

Why Children?

We believe that well‑being begins early. Language learning isn’t just about words—it’s about confidence, expression, and connection. For children, especially when introduced through play, movement, and joy, a foreign language becomes a natural extension of their curiosity and growth.

The opportunities for children to learn English here are limited, so that's why i decided to step up!

What the Sessions Look Like

Each age‑group class is structured, but always playful. For example:

• Age 3 (Body Parts): Little learners bring their doll or action figure and point to “head, shoulders, knees and toes” in English, sing the song, and move their bodies to embed the vocabulary.

• Age 4 (Colours & Emotions): Children dance with coloured scarves, link colours to feelings (happy, sad, calm, excited), and explore emotional vocabulary in English.

• Age 5 (Animals & Letters): Using animal cards with letters (C for Cat, D for Dog, etc.), kids play the “Sound & Letter” game—making animal sounds, guessing the names, and matching them to letters. They also sing “Five Little Ducks Went Out One Day” in English, which they already know in Portuguese.

How This Aligns With Universival

Expanding into children’s education doesn’t change our core mission—it enriches it. Here are the key ways this aligns with what we already do:

• Holistic growth: Just as our adult retreats support mind, body & soul, these kids’ sessions support language, movement & confidence.

• Community connection: We’re investing locally in Bahia, engaging children, families, and the next generation.

• Joyful learning: Retreats often focus on introspection; kids’ sessions emphasize playful discovery—two sides of the same well‑being coin.

• Scalable & meaningful: While our retreats have global appeal, this programme roots us locally and gives back where we work.

How You Can Join or Support

• Parents & families: If you know a child aged 3‑5 who might benefit, please reach out—they’re welcome to join the pilot.

• Community & sponsors: We’re open to collaborating with local organisations, schools, or sponsors who believe in early‑years education through English and play.

• Our retreat guests: When you visit for a wellness retreat, you’ll now see children’s learning happening nearby—feel free to ask about the programme, support it, or learn about how we integrate community wellbeing into everything we do.

Looking Ahead

This pilot is just the start. Once we complete our 3‑session trial with the ONG, our plan is to expand themes such as emotions, actions, and weather, and to include family‑friendly workshops or “parent & child” mini‑sessions during retreat weekends. In this way, Universival can increasingly bridge adult wellbeing and early childhood growth.

We hope you’ll join us in celebrating this new adventure. Because learning English at age 3‑5 isn’t just about vocabulary—it’s about courage, curiosity, connection, and laughter.

Thank you for being part of the journey—with your support, our community grows stronger, kinder, and more connected.