How to choose a playschool: what really matters on a visit

Every playschool has a bright gate and a cheerful brochure. Once you step inside, what should you actually look at? Here is a calm guide for your visit, so that you choose a place where your child will feel safe and happy.

Before you go

Write down your family's must-haves: distance from home, timings, language, budget, food arrangements, and who will pick up. Visit two or three schools if you can, ideally while children are present, because an empty building tells you little.

Watch the teachers first

The warmth of the adults matters more than the paint on the walls.

• Do teachers get down to the child's eye level and speak kindly?
• Do they smile, listen and answer children's questions?
• How do they respond when a child cries or has an accident? Calmly, or with scolding?
• Do the children look relaxed around them?

Ask how many children each teacher looks after, and whether there is a helper in the room. Ask about training and how long teachers have stayed at the school.

Look at what children are doing

Look for a mix of activities: free play, songs, stories, drawing, sand or clay, outdoor time. Be a little careful if every child is sitting silently with a notebook. Early childhood experts widely say that children this age learn best through play and talk. For India's own framework, see what NCF for the Foundational Stage means for parents.

Look at the walls: is it children's own work, even messy, or only shop-bought charts?

Check safety and cleanliness

• Secure gate, and clear rules about who may pick up a child
• Clean toilets that are child-sized or supervised, and clean drinking water
• Safe furniture without sharp edges, covered sockets, safe stairs
• A safe outdoor or play area
• Cameras or open-door visibility, if the school uses them (ask how footage is handled)
• A plan for illness, injuries and emergencies, and how parents are informed

Ask about policies on child safety and staff checks. A good school will answer openly. See body safety for young children to understand what you can talk about with your own child.

Ask about the day

• What does a typical day look like? Is there outdoor play, rest and a snack break?
• How long is the day? Does it suit your child's sleep?
• How are meals and tiffin handled? How does the school deal with allergies?
• What language do teachers use with the children? Is the home language welcome?
• How is toilet help handled for children who are still learning?
• How much homework, if any, is given at this age?

Ask about the connection with parents

• How will you hear about your child's day?
• Is there a settling-in plan for the first days? See first days at playschool.
• How are concerns handled, and who do you speak to?

Trust your child's reaction and your gut

Notice how your child behaves on a visit. A child who wanders off to explore the toys is a good sign, although a child who is shy is not a bad sign. Also notice how you feel. If something feels wrong, you do not have to explain it.

Beware of promises

Be careful if a school promises that children will read or write by a certain age, or leans heavily on early exams. Children develop at different speeds. See Playgroup, Nursery, LKG, UKG explained.

How Child Runway helps

Child Runway is not a school, but it can sit alongside one. Story lessons of 2 to 5 minutes by class (Playgroup, Nursery, LKG, UKG), each with a song and a game, let your child answer, move and sing along, with something to try at home afterwards. There are no ads, no tracking of children and no chat, and a daily time limit you set.