What is a playgroup?

[IwantPeace]

Is it like nursery school? Do you leave your children?

Or is it like a mother and toddler where you stay?

How old are the children that attend playgroup?

Playgroup is usually a thing for kids aged two plus where you leave them with nice playgroup ladies for about two or three hours (while you go off shopping, having a cup of tea in Tesco or watching box sets of Prison Break).

Sounds great!

DD is very clingly though and very untrusting, shes only 16 months at the moment though so that might change.

I wonder if terminology is slightly different depending on where you live.
To me, a playgroup is like mother and toddler (where you stay and drink weak tea and soft biscuits) and is from aged newborn to pre-school age.

For the first couple of sessions, you can stay and see how she gets on.

round here it can be either

A pre school for children from 3rd birthday that just prefer to be called playgroup as it sounds less schooly.
or
a parent and toddler group where you stay with child aged 0-5.
or
a parents and children group mixed ages up to about 10 with a focus to the session - ie spanish families play group.
or
a pre pre school group run by local childrens centre to ease 2 yr olds and their parents into preschool type routines.

confused yet? safest to ask someone involved in the group in question.

Unis, when she reaches 2 I'll start investigating specific groups