Children run ahead on the path toward the forest shelter. Kindergarten assistant Terje Johansen follows behind with a backpack full of sleeping mats and firewood. He watches to make sure no one falls behind.
Johansen has worked in kindergartens for 20 years. He recognizes the situation described in a new survey of Norwegian kindergarten staff. Many report being alone with large groups of children during the day.
Some have been solely responsible for 18 to 21 children for over an hour. Some have been alone with children for up to two hours. Seven out of ten staff have been solely responsible for children for more than ten minutes during the day.
Kindergartens with strengthened basic staffing have slightly better situations. There, the proportion who work alone drops to 31 percent.
The survey is part of the research project 'Staffing and Quality in Kindergarten,' supported by the Education Union and the Parents' Committee for Kindergartens.
'The workload is enormous. My big worry is that people will leave the sector,' Johansen said.
He shares this concern with many others. After months of warnings about staffing cuts, rising sick leave, and declining applicant numbers, the new figures show the pressure on Norwegian kindergarten staffing.
When someone calls in sick at opening time, or when he works alone at closing, Johansen has been left with up to 15 children by himself.
He has been in situations where he needed to act quickly to help a child without other staff to support him.
'I'm afraid something serious will happen. If an accident occurs, the first question will be: Where were the staff? You can imagine how that feels,' he said.
When asked if he's more worried today than 10-15 years ago, Johansen responded: 'Yes, I am. I think development is going in the wrong direction. What makes me most angry is that we're still not taken seriously.'
He believes politicians should visit kindergartens to see the reality staff face daily.
Despite the challenges, his passion for the job remains strong.
'There are two professions where you're met with cheers when you arrive at work. Football players entering the field and kindergarten staff coming to work. The joy children show makes everyday life okay no matter what we face,' Johansen said.
Tor Eirik Rasmussen, leader of the Parents' Committee for Kindergartens, felt sick to his stomach when he saw the survey results.
'We've heard stories before, but seeing it in black and white was terrible. It took time to digest,' Rasmussen said.
He questions children's safety when staff work alone.
'How do you ensure children aren't overlooked or that staff get help if they feel unwell or fall and get injured? This is hugely problematic and potentially very dangerous.'
Although pedagogical leaders have the right to four hours of planning time weekly, 56 percent do this planning after work hours, often at home without pay.
'This shows how dutiful our staff are, but unfortunately they're being exploited. They stretch themselves far for the children's sake,' Rasmussen said.
In the survey, 35 percent report staffing is so low they cannot complete basic tasks like meals, rest, and hygiene.
'These numbers contain something very serious that we as a society must address,' said Karin Hognestad, education professor at the University of Southeast Norway, who leads the research project.
Norwegian kindergartens must follow staffing norms requiring at least one staff member per three children under three years, and one per six children over three.
Hognestad says the survey confirms what the kindergarten sector has warned about for years. Tasks have increased without corresponding staffing growth.
The findings challenge many people's image of Norwegian kindergartens.
'Many think children are always cared for by multiple adults as a quality assurance, but the data shows a different picture. There are gaps in the structural quality we like to believe Norwegian kindergartens have,' Hognestad said.
She warns consequences could be significant for both children and staff.
'When one adult stands alone, care relationships, language development, and play come under pressure.'
Hognestad notes individual cases in recent years show what can happen when staffing becomes too low, including children being injured or not receiving needed follow-up.
'We expect much from Norwegian kindergartens, but then we must also dare to discuss staffing politically to a much greater extent,' she said.
Rasmussen believes staffing problems stem from kindergartens being run with overly tight budgets.
'The staffing norm is meant as a minimum but is used as a maximum,' he said.
He sees a simple solution: 'There must be more adults at work when children are present. The system as it's set up today isn't good enough.'
The reality is that Norway's celebrated kindergarten system is showing clear strain, with understaffing becoming routine rather than exceptional. This raises serious questions about whether current funding and staffing models can sustain the quality Norwegian families expect.