Smart Steps
March 20, 2025

Preschools In Singapore: Discover A Typical Day For Your Child!

Preschool is the first step in setting the foundation for your child’s educational journey. As parents, it’s crucial to find the one that suits your child’s needs best. 

While factors such as the school’s proximity to home, its credentials and educational approach, and their meal offerings are important, one aspect that is sometimes overlooked is knowing what a typical day in preschool looks like. 

It’s not enough to simply send your child to a preschool; parents should also be involved in understanding their child’s day-to-day activities. 

From the morning drop-off to play time and everything in between, here’s a glimpse of what a typical day at a preschool in Singapore might look like! 

A Typical Day For Your Child In A Singapore Preschool!

1. Morning Arrival & Warm-Up Activities

 

AIS Early Years Curriculum_Play Based Learning

 

It’s morning arrival for the kids—time to settle in!

First thing in the morning, the students will be greeted by their teachers once they arrive and conduct an attendance and health check. This would typically involve checking their temperature and following any necessary hygiene routines. 

This ensures that each child is fit to participate in the day’s activities and helps teachers identify potential illnesses early, which may require sending the child back home. Monitoring the students’ general health daily is essential to creating a safe environment for them. 

Once the routine checks are done, the children are given free play or quiet reading time to get warmed up and ease into their day (and the fun activities ahead!)

 

2. Circle Time & Language Development

After all the students are finally settled in, it’s time to start the day!

This is where teachers set the tone for how the class is going to go by introducing the theme or lesson for the day. The children are gathered together in a circle for a variety of group activities such as storytelling, singing songs, or social play time, among many others. 

This portion of the class is meant to focus on language skills, communication, and social interaction. 

3. Learning Through Play & Structured Lessons

While some may think preschool is all fun and games for the kids, it’s important to remember that there are still structured lessons and activities throughout the day.

Preschool is meant to help children between the ages of two and four develop social, emotional, and cognitive skills that they will carry on with them across their formative years. 

During these structured lessons, there will be interactive learning sessions covering math, science, and early literacy. Hands-on activities like puzzles, arts and crafts, and sensory play are also incorporated to hone the children’s fine motor skills, problem solving, and creativity. 

For parents who want to take a deep dive into the teaching approaches of the different preschools in Singapore, you may want to look into the Montessori or Reggio Emilia approach.

The Montessori curriculum focuses on a more structured approach and encourages independent learning, while the Reggio Emilia approach is more flexible, open-ended and fosters collaborative learning among students. 

 

4. Outdoor Play & Physical Activities

A day at preschool is not complete without some physical activities! 

At the end of the day, we need to remember that children tend to be more restless, have higher energy levels, and shorter attention spans at the preschool level. That is why outdoor play and physical activities are an integral part of every preschool programme. 

This usually involves either unstructured play, where the children are free to engage in their own activities but are still supervised by their teachers, or structured play, which consists of planned activities and games led by the teachers. 

This would consist of supervised outdoor play in the playground, garden, or even dance activities and movement exercises. The outdoor activities would vary from school to school, but these are just some of them to give you an idea of what to expect. 

Physical activities like these during play time highlight the importance of gross motor skill development and social teamwork, which is important for kids at this age. 

What’s more, it’s a great way for the kids to get some sun and fresh air!

 

5. Lunchtime, Nap, & Wind-Down Activities

After a long day of playing and learning, it’s time for the kids to settle down and move on to lunchtime and rest time.

Most, if not all, preschools place a strong emphasis on nutrition during mealtimes to encourage the development of good eating habits at a young age. 

Typically, naptime would also be included in the day-to-day schedule, but this might not be the case for parents who have only enrolled their little ones in a half-day preschool programme. This is to maximise the time within the day and pack it with activities. 

However, there may still be a quiet rest period after any physical activities and before parents arrive for pickup.

 

 

Why Choose AIS – The Preschool For Your Child In Singapore

Holistic & Internationally Recognised Curriculum

AIS follows the Early Years Learning Framework, balancing structured learning with play-based exploration. We focus on developing language, numeracy, problem-solving, and creativity from an early age.

Strong Language & Social-Emotional Development

Our English literacy support and exposure to additional languages helps your child build a strong communication foundation. Our small class sizes ensure personalized attention and a nurturing environment.

World-Class Facilities & Seamless Academic Pathway

Enjoy and explore purpose-built early learning spaces, outdoor play areas, and specialist programs. 

In addition, we also provide a seamless transition from preschool to primary and secondary education. Allowing your child to progress forward without any interruption.

Finding the right preschool for your child

While every school’s preschool programme might be different, this is typically how the day-to-day looks! 

Here at the AIS Early Years curriculum, we are committed to your child’s early development and giving them the best preschool education possible. That is the AIS promise. 

Want to find out more? Book a tour with us today!