Childhood in Bloom in the Pirin Mountains
At a time when screens and rigid schedules often dominate children’s lives, a different reality is unfolding amidst the serene Pirin Mountains. In Bansko—a small town that has quietly grown into a nexus for digital nomads and creative families—a network of Home‑ and Worldschooling Families (HWF) have chosen to redefine what education and childhood can be. Their mission is simple but transformative: to place childhood at the center, infuse learning into everyday life, and cultivate community through play, nature, and human connection.
A key physical and philosophical anchor for this movement is ubuntu‑ubuntu, a rustic‑chic guesthouse and creative gathering space nestled in the tranquil mountain village of Obidim, just above Bansko. Rooted in the African wisdom of “I am because you are,” ubuntu‑ubuntu offers retreats, workshops, outdoor classrooms, and communal spaces designed to foster collaborative learning, creativity, and shared growth.
What Is Homeschooling – Really?
For many, “homeschooling” conjures images of worksheets at the kitchen table with parents acting as teachers. But the reality among worldschooling communities is far more dynamic. Homeschooling adapts learning to the child’s interests, personality, and surroundings—whether through storytelling, nature exploration, art, coding, or travel.
Worldschooling takes the concept even further. The entire world becomes the classroom: history is learned through ancient sites, math through market transactions, and geography through travel. For numerous families, Bansko—and its surrounding nature—becomes the daily classroom.
Why Bansko? What Makes It Special
Bansko is widely known as Bulgaria’s premier ski resort, but in recent years, it's also become a global meeting point for digital creatives and nomadic families. Several factors make it ideal for worldschooling:
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Nature and outdoor learning – The Pirin Mountains offer hiking, skiing, cycling, and climbing, turning the outdoors into an extended classroom.
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Rich community – An international environment where children naturally absorb languages and cultures.
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Affordability – Lower cost of living compared to Western Europe allows families greater flexibility and freedom.
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Safety and accessibility – A small, walkable town where children can explore freely at a gentle pace.
This combination has transformed Bansko into one of Europe’s most attractive hubs for homeschooling and worldschooling families.
Ubuntu-Ubuntu: A Community Hub for Learning and Connection
Just a short trip outside Bansko lies Obidim, a picturesque village nestled in the foothills of the Rhodope Mountains. Here, at an elevation of 1,200 meters, ubuntu‑ubuntu stands as a haven for creative connection and holistic learning.
Ubuntu‑Ubuntu manifests the philosophy of togetherness, offering homestay-style accommodations, a garden, retreat spaces, and a studio for workshops. It’s a conscious, interconnected space where collaborative learning thrives, and the essence of humanity is celebrated through shared experiences.
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The Ubuntu Hub emerged from pilot workshops in summer 2024 designed for children to immerse in nature, arts, crafts, and creative play in the garden and surrounding spaces.
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The Ubuntu Garden, created in spring 2024, provides a pesticide-free growing space where children help plant strawberries, beans, and flowers; they even produced a natural nasturtium tincture through hands-on sessions.
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The event calendar showcases gatherings like “Den Build / Story / Picnic” and “Game Craft & Garden Time,” blending outdoor play with creativity and storytelling.
For HWF families, ubuntu-ubuntu serves as a natural extension of their educational ethos—rooted in nature, creativity, community, and freedom.
Community in Practice: HWF Activities Enriched by Ubuntu-Ubuntu
Families in the HWF Bansko Group center their activities around shared, unstructured experiences that ignite curiosity, collaboration, and authentic connection.
Water Fights in the Summer Heat
On hot afternoons, children gather at the town square, armed with water pistols and buckets. Within moments, phones are forgotten, laughter fills the air, and pure joy reigns supreme.
Mountain Hikes
Explorations into the Pirin Mountains become immersive learning: children learn local flora and fauna, track weather, and navigate terrain, while parents accompany as gentle guides.
Creative Workshops
Workshops range from drawing manga to building Lego robotics. Children often teach each other, while parents may step in as facilitators—always with curiosity over competition.
Weekly Forest Barbecue
Once a week, families head into the forest just outside Bansko for a barbecue. It’s more than food—it’s a ritual: children build huts, run free among the trees, and invent games, while parents share stories and strategies around the fire.
Ubuntu-Ubuntu Sessions
HWF families frequently gather at ubuntu-ubuntu for creative workshops, immersive play in the garden, and collaborative building sessions—whether a storytelling picnic or planting at the garden. These gatherings reinforce the ethos of community, creativity, and learning through connection.
Unplugged Childhood: No Phones, Just Play
A defining feature is the deliberate choice to leave devices behind. In a world where children can spend hours in front of screens, the HWF group prioritizes sensory, face-to-face interaction. Connection is analog, social, and active.
A parent shares:
“When we arrived in Bansko, everything changed. Our child stopped being tethered to a screen—he found friends from day one. He became happier, more open, and curious.”
Learning Through Life, Naturally
HWF families don’t replace schools—they redefine where and how learning happens.
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Picnicking becomes biology when insects and plants are discovered.
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Cooking together becomes math, chemistry, and cultural exchange.
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Temple visits spark history, art, and architecture lessons.
Ubuntu-Ubuntu enriches this ecosystem by providing structured creative spaces—gardens, studios, and workshops—where children learn through making, building, and co-creating.
Compared to Traditional Schooling
Traditional schooling offers structure but often lacks personalization and flexibility. Worldschooling in Bansko offers:
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Self-paced learning in areas of passion—nature, art, technology, language.
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Rich, cross-cultural social environments, with peers from across the globe.
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Organic, lifelong skills—creative thinking, collaboration, resilience, and adaptability.
Voices from Bansko
A mother from the Netherlands:
“We came for one winter and never left. My daughter has never been as joyful—playing outside daily with children from all over. She’s learning more than she ever did in a classroom.”
A father from Bulgaria:
“I was skeptical, but now I see the difference. My son learned English just by playing. He’s become more independent and curious.”
Looking Ahead
As Bansko continues to attract digital creatives and nomadic families, the worldschooling movement is poised to expand. The HWF Bansko Group, anchored by spaces like ubuntu-ubuntu, is modeling education as something holistic—not just knowledge, but experience, belonging, and joy.
Here, childhood isn’t a waiting room for adulthood—it’s itself, in full bloom.
Conclusion
The Home- and Worldschooling Families in Bansko show us that education can be rooted in connection, curiosity, and play. Ubuntu-Ubuntu amplifies this vision with its spaces for communal creativity, nature-based workshops, and shared storytelling.
When children run through fountains in the summer sun, build huts in the forest, or plant beans in a garden—unplugged and alive—it’s not just play. It’s life itself. And maybe, just maybe, it’s the most potent learning of all.
By Chris...
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