# Preparing Your Child for Kindy

- Link: https://stayathomemum.com.au/family/school/preparing-your-child-for-kindy/
- Published: 2016-01-21T10:00:06+11:00
- Author: Clare Whitfield

## _There comes a time in your child’s life when they must leave the nest and attend school. _

For some kids, this happens when they are toddlers or younger if you decide to return
back to work. For other kids, this will happen when they start attending kindergarten
or prep.

[⌊Childrens classroom activity for kindy preparation⌉⌊Childrens classroom activity
for kindy preparation⌉[

Whenever your child starts to attend school, keep in mind that the world of learning
for your child always begins at home.

## **At Home Education**

Many mums will choose to keep their children home with them until they are ready
for kindergarten. What this means is that your child may not experience the ‘school’
setting in [daycare](https://stayathomemum.com.au/my-kids/daycare-options/preparing-your-child-for-daycare/)
and thus may be a little lost and a little confused when the first day of school
does come. However, there are several ways to educate your child and prepare them
for school without actually going to daycare.

Daycares for infants and toddlers as well as for pre-kindy students focus more on
the concept of learning through play and imagination which you can achieve at home.
Pick a time of the day to do a creative activity with your child, such as painting,
colouring, playing with playdough, baking a cake, playing with clay, water play 
or sand play. How long your child stays interested in the activity will depend on
their temperament and their age.

Try to also focus on reading to your child every day, even if it is just a quick
story before bedtime or naptime. Reading is an excellent learning tool and a stepping
stone for literacy. Attending playgroups and other social activities can also give
your child a sense of individuality and learn how to socialise with other children
in a structured setting.⌊Happy children celebrating at a play centre ready for kindy⌉

## **What Your Child Should Know Before Attending Kindergarten**

When your child does go to kindergarten or prep, he needs to be ready to focus and
to learn. A lot of teachers need to spend more time than they should with menial
tasks that a child should have learned at home.

If every child is educated on these tasks at home, then they can focus on teaching
them art, science, math and writing skills instead of blowing their noses. Although
every child will learn these tasks at a different rate, there is no better time 
than the present to start practicing and no better learning ground than home.

### **Some of the things your child should have mastered before attending kindy include:**

 * Using the toilet and flushing
 * Washing and drying their hands when requested
 * Putting their own lunchbox and bag away in the designated area

![Child washing hands at sink in bathroom](https://i0.wp.com/stayathomemum.com.au/
wp-content/uploads/2014/01/child-at-sink-washing-e1452728133219.jpg?resize=510%2C411&
quality=89&ssl=1 "Preparing Child for Kindy")

 * Opening and closing their lunch box
 * Opening and closing their water bottles
 * Throwing away their rubbish
 * Putting on sunscreen
 * Blowing their nose and putting the tissue in the bin
 * Covering their mouth when coughing or sneezing
 * Dressing (putting on a coat, a hat, and shoes)

Taking off socks and shoes (it is often best to start your child with slip-ons or
velcro shoes as mastering the fine art of tying shoelaces is normally not accomplished
until a children is five or six)

[⌊Child playing on the floor in a classroom setting with a teacher and another child
in the background⌉⌊Child playing on the floor in a classroom setting with a teacher
and another child in the background⌉[

via dailymail

Practice these things on a regular basis. Furthermore, get your child to help out
as much as possible at home with simple tasks like clearing the table, putting away
the spoons from the dishwasher, putting the laundry in the washing machine and making
the bed in the morning. Getting them involved in simple tasks will help them develop
and refine these skills and prepare them for the big day when they start school.

## _How do you prepare your child for kindy?_

![author avatar](https://i0.wp.com/stayathomemum.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/
12/clare_whitfield_profile.webp?quality=80&ssl=1)

 Clare Whitfield Chief Editor

 Clare Whitfield is the Editor of Stay at Home Mum and a recognised voice in practical
home management for Australian families. Based in the northern suburbs of Sydney,
she balances editorial leadership with life as a stay at home mum to two school 
age children. Her background in home economics and more than a decade of experience
in recipe development, family budgeting, and household systems inform her work.

 [See Full Bio](https://stayathomemum.com.au/author/clare_whitfield/) [  ](https://stayathomemum.com.au/author/clare_whitfield/)