A guide for parents
Choosing a play school and starting well. Plain advice, whichever school you pick.
Guide · 01 of 04
Is my child ready for play school?
There is no test. Most children start somewhere between 1.5 and 3 years, and many are more ready than their parents expect. These signs can help, but none of them is a rule:
- They notice other children, even if only from a distance.
- Another caring adult can comfort them.
- They have a rough routine for sleeping, eating and using the toilet.
- They try to tell you what they want, in words or in gestures.
Ask each school what it expects about toilet training. If your child is not quite there yet, waiting a few months is fine.
Guide · 02 of 04
How to choose a play school: ten things to check
- Visit while children are there. An empty school shows you rooms. A working morning shows you the school.
- Count the adults. Ask how many children each teacher looks after.
- Ask who checks the staff. Anyone who works with young children should be verified before they start.
- Look at the gate. Who can collect a child, and how is that checked?
- Watch how teachers speak to children. Calmly, at the child's height, by name.
- Look for play. Children should be moving, making and talking, not sitting through worksheets. India's National Curriculum Framework for the Foundational Stage recommends play based, activity based learning for young children.
- Check the space. Clean, child sized washrooms, a safe outdoor area, soft flooring, rounded edges, drinking water within reach.
- Ask what happens if a child is unwell or hurt. Who is called, and how quickly?
- Ask for the full cost. What is included, what is extra, and how often you pay. Ask for it in writing.
- Trust how the visit feels. Could you picture your child happy here?
Here, at Little StepsTwo teachers for every fifteen children, children released only to adults you have authorised, and you are welcome to visit any morning, Monday to Saturday without an appointment.
Guide · 03 of 04
Getting ready for the first day
In the bag
- A water bottle
- A snack box. At Little Steps, children bring their own snack from home.
- A spare set of clothes
- Hand wipes or tissues, and a small cloth napkin
Tell the teacher
- Any food allergy or food your child cannot eat
- Any medicine, and how it is given
- What your child likes to be called, and a favourite song or toy
The night before
An early night. Lay out the uniform and pack the bag together, so your child feels part of it.
At the gate
Leave in good time. Keep the goodbye short and warm, and say in simple words when you will be back. Please do not slip away while your child is not looking. It is harder for them the next day.
At pickup
Give a snack and some quiet. Save the questions for later, when your child is ready to talk.
Guide · 04 of 04
Settling in: what is normal
Every child takes their own time. In the first days and weeks it is common to see:
- Crying at the gate, often stopping soon after you leave
- Clinging in the evenings
- Tiredness, and more sleep than usual
- A few colds, as children meet new germs
What helps most is a steady routine, the same goodbye every morning, and a parent who stays calm. If crying is not easing after a couple of weeks, or something about your child's mood worries you, call the school and talk it through.
Come see it yourself
Call us and visit any morning, Monday to Saturday. No appointment needed. If we miss your call, we ring back the same day.