The early years are when a child will be able to develop cognitive reasoning and reactive capacity. A playschool is a place where a child, therefore, be introduced to a lot of the concepts he/she must then live on with. With playschools having such a big effect on a child’s mind, a lot of thought must go into choosing the right school for them.

So here are 7 points that must be on your checklist while selecting the best playschool for your child:

1. Cleanliness and Hygiene:

Being young and energetic, children are bound to run around and play with anything they can get their hands on. So the primary check should be for the cleanliness and hygiene of the place. Ensure the washrooms are also easily accessible and sanitary for use. Since your child will be completely dependent on the school caretakers for everything, ensure they seem clean, appropriate and well groomed as well.

2. Security and Safety:

Security and safety on the playschool premises are crucial because children are always active and on the move. Inquire if all the main doors are locked with a child safety device and out of reach of the children. Another aspect to check for the safety of the premises is the proximity of the playschool entrance is to the main road. The farther it is the better since kids tend to run out the door quite often.

3. School Reputation:

Always look at school reviews and general social reputation to get an idea of how reliable it is. Also talk to parents who had previously enrolled their children in this particular school to get a clearer picture of the student-teacher relationship here. Since your child will spend the majority of his/her day here, it is critical to know that the playschool is of good standing and will, therefore, impart good values.

4. Interaction And Culture:

In lines with the previous point to consider, have a talk with parents of previous students and get a picture of how the teachers and the students interact on a day to day basis. Inquire whether the teaching staff are friendly and kind to the children since they will spend so much time with them. With the kids being at such an impressionable age, it is important to ensure the teachers are good natured and practice good culture there.

5. Student to Teacher Ratio:

For your child to adapt from individual attention to a classroom setup will be a difficult process. So the student to teacher ratio in each class in the playschool should be one they can transition to easily. One teacher for 20 students will be an ideal set up. This will also allow the students to be comfortable and cosy in the class.

6. Timings and Workload:

The timings of the playschool are an important factor to look at. To begin with, two to three hours of playschool is more than enough. By the time kindergarten approaches, they will be able to handle longer hours with this practice. Also, take a closer look at what kind of daily work they will be assigned. Starting from learning the alphabets to the words, ensure they are not overloaded with this.

7. Co-Curricular Activities:

Last but definitely not the least, make sure the playschool gives adequate importance to co-curricular activities such as music, art and dance to the children. It has been proven that this is the age when children will absorb and learn concepts the quickest. Confirm that the playschool gives the children a chance to learn at least one unique activity.

After considering all these factors, and shortlisting a few schools, take your child along and select the one which he/she feels most comfortable in. Look through the best playschools in the city and make a clear decision with your child’s comfort and safety in mind.