What was a playgroup and do they still exist?

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I know that when I was 2 I went to playgroup 3 mornings a week, for the year before I went to nursery school. As a mum now I’ve never heard of a playgroup. Does anyone know what they were and why they don’t appear to exist any more?

It was just a small part time nursery, in a church hall or similar.
You might still find the odd preschool church hall set up that takes 2yos. But more mums work now and need full days of childcare.

They catered for the younger end of preschools. Back in the day there was no EYFS curriculum so you literally had free play for much of the time, story time, music maybe. Held in church halls and run by volunteers/parents at minimal cost.

Similar to a nursery school but more informal.

I think more mothers work now, so the provision has got folded into nursery schools. You never hear of mother’s helps now either, only Nannies. Childcare has become more formalised.

I did too, it was in the church village hall. Not sure if this is a true memory, but there was just lots of toys to play with. My parents are still friends with parents they met there 38 years later!!

There are still playgroups round here...

I remember playgroup! I think it was a voluntary thing staffed by the mums on a rota. I remember sometimes my mum was on 'duty' when I was there.

Playgroup is IMO where the parents are with their young child. Yes they still exist, often called toddler group.

I think Ofsted took over and childcare became an expense you had to fork out.

There was one near me 10 years ago when my 2 were small. It was run by a church and was really popular- whole church full of toys, donation of £2 I think and you got a free cup of tea and a biscuit. Sometimes there was a bible story but easy to skip that if you didn’t want to do that part. They did a Saturday morning one with bacon sarnies too which was supposed to be for dads but of course there were both mins and dads at both. It was much appreciated by all the parents and children

In my childhood they were held in churches or village halls and usually run for just a morning (maybe 9-12) and it was usually free or minimal cost but the parents didn’t stay. Toddler groups are different.

Mine are 11 and 13 now and a few local churches did play group one morning a week when they were small. So we had the option of 3 weekday mornings of play.
They were run by volunteers, were such an incredible resource.
Parents had to stay and play, it wasn't a drop off and leave situation, so maybe not quite what you're thinking of (I went to a play group as a child that was parents dropped off, but suspect all the risk assessment etc needed now would make that impossible).

Playgroup in our village is what we'd now call a toddler/baby group. The only difference I can think of was the playgroup was two rooms, one where the children played and the other (adjoined) where the mums drank tea/coffee. There was a rota for every week, 2 of the mums to watch the children in the room. It was for walkers-3yo only, no babies, although there may have been a baby equivalent - I wouldn't remember.
It was run in the Health Centre, and I think the HVs were around to talk, and the mums could pick up the vitamin C drops they were meant to give. I only remember that because they were very sweet, and I remember secretly licking the top of my brother's drops because it tasted good, and asking mum if she could get more.

At 3yo you then went to playschool, which was similar but watched by a couple in their house. The equivalent of preschool now, but much less to do. There were only toys and I don't think even crafts.
We were picked up by the owner of the playschool driving his car around. 20 3-4 year olds in his estate car. 3 on the front seat, two in the foot rest etc.

When I was small in the 80s I went to Playschool where I was dropped off for a couple of hours. It was in the local church hall. I don't think it was regulated and was a voluntary thing.

Mine went to a paid one about 3 mornings a week.

They had to be toilet trained to go at 2.9 months then it dropped down to 2.5 I think

It probably evolved into a nursery

Do you live where you grew up OP? These do still exist in some places, but when I had my children in a bigger city, playgroup there meant the parents stayed (drop-in toddler group). In my home town there are still playgroups like you describe, although they are struggling to survive as they don't really work as childcare options for working parents.

Playgroups that the parent stays with the child (and the children are usually under 3) are mostly called "Stay and Play" or similar these days.
Playgroups that are for over 3s and the parent doesn't stay is now called nursery and will be in a nursery school (also called pre-school) or a class within a primary school.
(daycare which can be from babies all the way up to school age is also usually called nursery - which often confuses parents)

Do you mean toddler groups or more like crèches where you leave your children?
There’s loads of playgroups around still in churches where you stay with your toddler and they play, you have a cuppa. But do you mean leaving your toddler there? That sounds more like a non school based pre school, which there are a lot of still around here, normally from aged 2 and run in halls, much cheaper than nursery!

Mine went in the 80s and 90s
Church all. 2 mornings a week.. cost about £2.. l left them.. sometimes l volunteered..

I went as a child, and my DC went ( in their 30s now)

Mother and Toddler groups - 6 months to 3 years- parents stayed with child

Playgroup -3 to 5 years usually run by a volunteer with mums on a rota to help. Parents only stayed if it was their turn.

My eldest went to playgroup twice a week, they could go from 2 and a half until they started preschool nursery. He loved it. It was only 2 hours a morning. Mums had to take turns at helping out occasionally usually with the snack, washing up.

I remember playgroup being for 2-3 year olds and a couple of mornings a week. Parents didn’t stay.

probably aimed at non working parents as an intro to nursery

Parent and toddler

I went to playgroup in the 70s. They were held in church halls, for 2-3 hours whilst the mums (usually in the 70s) stayed and had coffee or popped to the shops for an hour.

We still have them here - turn up with your child, parent stays, cup of tea for parent and maybe a cup of squash on offer for the little ones. Usually mainly free play, they might gather in a circle at some point and do a few songs or a story together.

I went to playschool too, which was more like a small private preschool. Drop children off for about 3 hours. A bit more directed than preschool is nowadays but similar kind of idea.

Ours was two or three mornings I think from age three, paid and drop off. Free play, painting, storytime type activities. My mother worked evenings to pay to send my sibling to two different playgroups five mornings a week.

At the playgroup my son went to mums only stayed when it was their turn to help