Find preschools near you

How to choose a preschool nearby

Distance matters more than most parents expect. A preschool within 10-15 minutes of home keeps mornings calm, makes pickups easy for grandparents or helpers, and means a sick-child call is never a crisis. Start with the centres closest to you, then compare on what actually differs: teacher-to-child ratio, safety practices, and how the centre communicates with parents.

Visit at least two or three centres before deciding. Look for clean washrooms sized for small children, secure entry, CCTV, and teachers who get down to a child's eye level. Ask how the centre handles settling-in weeks, what a typical day looks like, and whether fees cover materials, meals and transport or whether those are extras.

What ages do preschools take?

Most Indian preschools run programs from about 1.5 to 6 years: playgroup (1.5-2.5 years), nursery (2.5-3.5), LKG (3.5-4.5) and UKG (4.5-6). If you need care beyond school hours, many centres listed here also run daycare batches - check the programs section on a centre's page and confirm hours on a visit.

Playschool, preschool, daycare - what's the difference?

A playschool (or playgroup) is the very first step of school - a short, gentle program for children roughly 1.5 to 3 years old. Sessions usually run 2-4 hours and focus on play-based learning: rhymes, free play, sensory activities, and getting comfortable being away from parents. There is no academic pressure at this stage, and there shouldn't be. In India the words playschool, playgroup and preschool overlap heavily - most centres listed here run a playgroup batch alongside nursery and kindergarten.

A creche or daycare provides supervised care for long hours - typically 9 to 12 hours a day - including meals, naps and play, often from infancy up to 6 years or beyond. In practice, most quality childcare centres in India are hybrids: a preschool program in the morning with daycare hours wrapped around it, so a child can stay from early morning until a parent finishes work. India's Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act requires establishments with 50 or more employees to provide creche facilities - if your employer has a creche tie-up, centres near your workplace are worth checking alongside centres near home.

What to check for long-hours care

Long hours raise the bar on safety and comfort. Check the caregiver-to-child ratio (for toddlers, one adult per 5-8 children is a healthy sign), whether the same caregivers stay with the same group daily, how food is prepared and stored, where children nap, and how the centre updates parents through the day - many now send photo updates or use an app. Ask about sick-child policy, backup staffing and holiday schedules, since these affect working parents the most.