Kindergarten vs. Nursery — What's the Difference?

A program or class for young children designed to prepare them for elementary school.

Childcare services provided for young children, including infants.

A preschool educational approach for children aged 4-6 years.

A place for the care of young children, especially those under three years of age.

The first year of school, focusing on social and basic academic skills.

A room or organization where infants and toddlers are looked after while their parents are at work.

A classroom or institution for young children before they begin compulsory education.

An establishment offering supervised care and play opportunities for young children.

The first formal, organized learning setting that a child attends.

A setting for early childhood care, often involving play-based activities.

Kindergarten (, US: (listen)) is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th century in Bavaria and Alsace to serve children whose parents both worked outside home.

A room or area in a household set apart for the use of children.

(in Britain and Australia) an establishment where children below the age of compulsory education play and learn; a nursery school.

A place for the temporary care of children in the absence of their parents.

A program or class for four-year-old to six-year-old children that serves as an introduction to school.

A nursery school.

An educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6; nursery school.

A place where plants are grown for sale, transplanting, or experimentation.

The elementary school grade before first grade.

A place in which something is produced, fostered, or developed.

(Philippines) The two levels between nursery and prep; the second and third years of preschool.

(countable) A place where breastfeeding]] or the raising of children is carried on.

A class within a primary school or a separate school for young children, usually between the ages of four and six years, designed to adapt children to the classroom environment before beginning academic training, on the theory that education should be begun by gratifying and cultivating the normal aptitude for exercise, play, observation, imitation, and construction; - a name given by Friedrich Froebel, a German educator, who introduced this method of training, in rooms opening on a garden.

(by extension) Especially in European countries: a room or area in a household set apart for the care of children.

A preschool for children age 4 to 6 to prepare them for primary school

A place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day; a crèche, a daycare centre.

A play]] at the same time.

(Philippines) The first year of pre-school.

A place where anything is fostered and growth promoted.

A place where animals breed, or where young animals are naturally or artificially reared (for example, on a farm).

(horticulture) A place where young shrubs, trees, vines, etc., are cultivated for transplanting, or (more generally) made available for public sale, a garden centre; also (obsolete) a plantation of young trees.

(sports) A club or team for developing the skills of young players.

(countable) Something which educates and nurtures.

Someone or something that is nursed; a nursling.

The act of nursing or rearing.

The act of nursing.

The place where nursing is carried on

That which forms and educates; as, commerce is the nursery of seamen.

That which is nursed.

A child's room for a baby

A building with glass walls and roof; for the cultivation and exhibition of plants under controlled conditions

A nursery provides care, supervision, and developmental activities for infants and toddlers.

Kindergarten covers basics like the alphabet, numbers, shapes, and social skills.

Yes, kindergarten is often the first stage of compulsory education in many places.

Yes, some nurseries operate within private homes, known as family daycare.

This varies but is generally higher than in kindergarten to ensure close supervision.

Children typically attend kindergarten around ages 4-6.

It can be, depending on local education laws.

Many nurseries offer year-round care to support working parents.

Yes, many kindergarten schedules include a rest or nap time.

While some may incorporate educational elements, nurseries primarily focus on care and play.

Yes, kindergartens are regulated and staffed by qualified educators.

Often, kindergartens are integrated into elementary schools.

Many nurseries provide meals and snacks as part of their services.

No, nurseries are for younger children and focus more on care than education.

Yes, play is a key component of learning in kindergarten.