Fun Firsts: Preparing Your Child for their First Nursery School

Tissues at the ready, it’s time for your little one’s first day at nursery school. However old they are, here are some fun ways to prep them (and you!) for what’s ahead.

Parents will be more than familiar with the feeling of craving five minutes of ‘me time’, then missing your little one like crazy when they’re not around. It's much the same when you send your little one off to nursery school for the first time! You might be quite looking forward to reclaiming a little of your old life back, or you might be dreading being separated from them. Either way, it’s natural to feel anxious, but exciting to see the little person you’ve raised take their first solo strides out into the world.

To help prepare for baby’s first day at nursery school (or toddler’s), we've put together a few easy ways to help them feel ready and raring to go. They’re bound to be a little unsure at first, but they’ll soon grow to love it!

Three ways to prepare your child for their first day at nursery school

1. Through play

Besides the learning opportunities play brings, it's also just amazingly fun – and who wouldn't want more of that? To keep the idea of nursery school positive, why not incorporate a game or two in the run-up to the big day?

Playtime has the power to help children navigate change, and their first nursery school could be one of their first experiences of a big lifestyle shift.

For toddlers, harness the power of role play. Grab some LEGO^® DUPLO^® blocks and use them to create an imaginary nursery-school world. You might like to ask the staff at their nursery school what a typical day looks like, and then act out a range of moments; from lunchtimes to messy play. Make sure you’re asking your child lots of questions along the way, addressing any worries they might have and reassuring them they’ll be safe at nursery school.

If your child is very young, you might like to familiarize them with toys and activities they’re likely to have at nursery school, and try to imitate the nursery school routine at home.

2. Through communication

For older children, conversation is key. Plant the seed early, to give them plenty of time to get used to the idea of nursery school. Chat to them about meeting new people, playing with new toys and learning new things. In short, there’s a lot of fun to be had!

When you’re talking about nursery school, it’s important to maintain positive language. While there are lots of things you’ll want to explain to your little one, this is also an opportunity to hear from them. Allow for pauses, so they have time to process, repeat the new words they’re learning or ask questions. Try to be open, honest and reassuring. Nursery school will be a new experience, but you and the staff will always make sure they’re safe and listened to. And at the end of a fun day at nursery school, you’ll be back together again!

3. Through experiences

Lots of children thrive in a routine, so shaking things up can feel a little unsettling at first. It can help to start practicing your routine so that they are comfortable with the elements that bookend their nursery-school days before they start.

Routines might mean settling into new bedtimes, trying on a uniform – if they have one – or deciding what to pack in their nursery-school bag, demonstrating that there will be some parts of their new day-to-day that they have control over. It could even mean making practice trips to the nursery school a few times.

If your chosen nursery school can facilitate it, it’s also a good idea to take your child to see their new environment before they start. Lots of nursery schools will offer settling-in sessions, so you can stay and play for the first few visits, allowing your little one to gradually get used to spending time away from home, from you, and in the new, nursery-school environment.

You know your little one best and how they adapt to change. Try not to be disappointed or upset if they don’t take to nursery school right away, it can take weeks or months for kids to fully settle, but it will gradually get better and better. It's all part of them learning their independence and gaining confidence around others, which is a really great thing.

Now, grab those tissues and take a deep breath.... You got this, parents!