Parent guide
Playgroup or a parent-accompanied class? How to choose your toddler's first class
Published 4 November 2026 · Last checked November 2026
In Singapore, Playgroup is the preschool level for children from 18 months to below 3 years. It is usually a child's first drop-off class. In a parent-accompanied class, a grown-up stays in the room with your child: you, a grandparent or a helper. To choose, look at your child's age, whether you need drop-off and who is free on weekday mornings. We run both at our centre on Alexandra Road.
Which one fits your child?
| If | Consider |
|---|---|
| Your child is under 18 months | A parent-accompanied class. ECDA's Playgroup level starts at 18 months. |
| Your child is 18 months to 3 and someone can come on weekday mornings | Either. In a parent-accompanied class your child gets used to a room, teachers and other children with you close by. |
| You need drop-off on weekdays | A Playgroup class in a preschool. Check its hours and any afternoon extension against your working day. |
| You want to start together and move to drop-off later | A class that lets you stay first and step out in stages. Ask each centre whether it offers this. |
What does “playgroup” mean in Singapore?
Parents and centres use the word in two ways.
As a preschool level. ECDA, the Early Childhood Development Agency, sets Playgroup as the level for children from 18 months to below 3 years. In most preschools it is the first class where you drop off. ECDA's minimum is one qualified educator for every 8 children. With an assistant educator as well, the two can look after 12.
As an everyday word. Some parents and centres also say playgroup for a baby or toddler session where the grown-up stays.
A class called “playgroup” could be either kind. Ask each centre whether you stay or drop off and for how long. The level after Playgroup is for children who turn 3 during the year. ECDA calls it Pre-Nursery and many centres call it Nursery 1. Our guide to preschool ages in Singapore has the full list.
What is a parent-accompanied class and who is it for?
A teacher leads the session and you take part beside your child. You don't have to be a parent to stay. Ask whether a grandparent or a helper your child knows can come instead. At Agora they can.
It can suit:
- babies who are too young for Playgroup
- children who only want you for now
- parents on leave, working part-time or working from home who want time with their child in a group
- families who want one or two mornings a week before a full day
It won't replace drop-off care. Sessions are usually shorter than a preschool day and someone has to be free to come.
What should I check in a drop-off Playgroup?
In a drop-off Playgroup your child stays with the teachers without you. Hours differ between centres, so before you choose one, check:
- the ratio and group size in the Playgroup class your child would join
- the hours and whether there is an afternoon extension
- how the first weeks work, whether you can stay at first and when they will call you
- what they do when a child cries at goodbye and how they update you
- meals, naps and how they handle nappies and toilet training
- who is allowed to collect your child
At Agora we don't rush a goodbye. If your child had a hard morning, we tell you.
Can we start together and move to drop-off later?
Yes, at some centres. At Agora, Mini Explorers and Preschool Transition work in three steps:
- Stay. You are beside your child for the whole session.
- Step out. Once your child trusts the teachers, you leave the room for a few minutes, then longer.
- Drop off. You leave your child with the teachers and come back at the end. You hear how it went at pickup or by message.
It helps that your child sees the same teachers and the same routine each session. You can also stay every time.
Questions to ask any centre
- Do I stay or drop off? Can we move from one to the other?
- Who can come with my child: only a parent, or a grandparent or helper too?
- How many mornings a week? Is there a lock-in?
- How long is a session and what happens in it?
- What is the ratio and the group size in my child's class?
- What happens when my child cries?
- Can my child move into Playgroup during the year?
- Can I have the fees and session times in writing?
How Agora answers these
Playschool: you stay, or move to drop-off
- Babies and toddlers from 6 months to 3 years, on weekday mornings, one to five mornings a week.
- Monthly or ad hoc, no lock-in and no joining fee.
- You, a grandparent or a helper your child knows can stay.
- In Play & Bloom and Mandarin School you stay for the whole session. In Mini Explorers and Preschool Transition you move to drop-off once your child trusts the teachers.
- Two of our own teachers lead every session.
- Fees: we send this term's fee and session times in writing within 24 hours of asking.
Preschool: drop-off, starting with Playgroup
- Licensed by ECDA as a kindergarten, centre code PT9869, from 18 months to 6 years. Its first class is Playgroup.
- Weekdays, 7.30am drop-off to 2pm pickup, all year round, with a two- or four-hour afternoon extension.
- Up to one educator to five children in Playgroup.
- Fees: we send the current programme fee and the afternoon extension in writing within 24 hours of asking.
Weekend Wonders: one guided hour on weekend mornings for babies and toddlers from 6 months to 3 years. You stay and join in. Your first class is free.
Where: all three run in the same centre, Fragrance Empire Building, 456 Alexandra Road, beside ARC, near Labrador Park MRT.
“We appreciated the flexibility of the programme as other schools are usually unaccompanied or did not give us the option to enter the premises.”
See Playschool · See the Preschool
Questions parents ask
What is a playgroup in Singapore?
Playgroup is the preschool level ECDA sets for children from 18 months to below 3 years. In most preschools it is a child's first drop-off class. Some parents and centres also use the word for baby and toddler sessions where a grown-up stays, so ask each centre which kind it runs.
What age can my child start playgroup?
ECDA's Playgroup level starts at 18 months and runs to below 3 years. Agora Preschool takes children from 18 months, starting in Playgroup. For a younger baby, look at parent-accompanied classes. Agora Playschool starts from 6 months, with you, a grandparent or a helper in the room.
Is playgroup the same as pre-nursery?
No. Playgroup comes first, for children from 18 months to below 3 years. The next level is for children who turn 3 during the year. ECDA calls it Pre-Nursery and many centres, including Agora, call it Nursery 1.
What is the playgroup ratio in Singapore?
ECDA's minimum for Playgroup is one qualified educator for every 8 children. With an assistant educator as well, the two can look after 12. Centres can choose smaller ratios, so ask about the class your child would join. Agora runs up to one educator to five children in Playgroup.
Do I have to be the one who stays?
It depends on the centre, so ask. At Agora Playschool and Weekend Wonders, a grandparent or a helper your child already knows can stay instead of you.
How much does playgroup cost?
Fees differ between centres and between drop-off and parent-accompanied classes. Ask for the full fee and what it covers in writing before you decide. At Agora we send fees in writing within 24 hours of asking. For Playschool we include this term's session times. For Preschool we include the separate fee for the afternoon extension.
Related: How to choose a preschool in Singapore · Preschool ages in Singapore, Playgroup to K2 · Setting limits with love
Source: ECDA, What are the minimum qualified programme staff-child ratios?, ask.gov.sg, checked 4 November 2026.