Is outside or inside more important?

[lukewarmcupoftea]

Trying to decide between two pre-schools for DD1 in September at the moment. Its all new to me so any help on how to decide is very welcome!

One of them is in one room of a new building, the facilities inside seem structured (eg a literacy corner, numeracy corner, painting area, theme/number/sound of the week). They spend half the session in the inside room, then the other half outside. It falls down on the outside area - its quite small, not shaded (although they are buying a sail shade, but that will only help a bit) and right next a main road. However, as the pre-school is new, the equipment is all new - eg small climbing tower, slide, water play etc.

The other is well established and is part of a cricket pavillion. So the outside area is a huge field, they have a large covered porch area for running around on rainy days, and two rooms inside. I visited today, and the inside bit seemed OK, but a little chaotic. I couldn't see much evidence of crafts going on, but the lady said that they do different things on different days so they don't get bored or overly possessive (e.g. no climbing frame today as they had that out last week).

How on earth do I decide? The staff all seemed friendly and able to deal with DD's allergies. I suppose DD1 will know a couple of children going to the newer one, so that could swing things, but on the other hand she loves being outside and running around, and perhaps she could get a bit bored in the setting for the new pre-school.

Any thoughts much appreciated - even if not, thank you for reading this mammoth post!

Oh, should also say, they both seemed to have slightly higher than the necessary adult/child ratio, and all the minimum qualifications.

I got a nicer 'feel' about the new one (maybe just because it was shiny and new), but then I really like the old one's setting.

I saw two I really liked for DS. One very shiny and new with fab outside facilities. The other very shabby in a scout hut. On the face of it there's no competition. However, he'll be going to the shabby one because it just gave me a better feeling - I feel like he would be happier there as it seemed less formal, even though the facilities aren't as shiney and new. Go with your gut feeling and where you feel your daughter would be happiest.

Thanks - I think my impressions are a bit false because they saw shiny/new vs old/shabby, and were a bit swayed by the shiny/new façade (plus also because I thought at the time that was the only option, and its the one that two of her friends will be going to).

I think DD would love the outside facilities of the old/shabby one. But then they didn't seem as organised for the inside stuff, more like a toddler group than a slight step up iyswim. And she is quite shy, so going somewhere with a couple of kids she knows already must be a plus?

Oh god, my brain hurts. I don't know.

You really need to go with how you feel about the staff/way it is run/atmosphere etc as much as the actual premises. Must say the outdoor area at the pavilion sounds better than a main road but if there's other factors which outweigh that then so be it.

I started one of my DC at a shiny new place and withdrew her after a month - the staff were not yet into a well-established routine and things kept changing and no one seemed to take responsibility for little things like helping my DD when she hurt herself. One of the reasons I chose it was its outdoor space - we ended up moving to a well-established place with less wonderful outdoor space but my DD was happy there.

I know that after a while the new place did settle down and friends of mine are happy with it now - but when it is newly established it can take a while for things to settle down - with new children arriving all the time etc and staff being introduced as well.

I wouldn't bother about the organisation inside. They probably change activitieseveryday and have the kids to help setting and cleaning. The no shade outside would worry me too. but it is england so lot more rain than sun. If I had no worries about the staff and their abilities. I would go with the established one as they can do stuffs outside even if it is raining. The fact that she doesn't know anybody wouldn't worry me either. If she is shy she will probably denefit by making new freinds, and I am sure that if you tell the staff they will make sure she doesn't get left out.
good luck, you will see even after chososing you will still wonder if you have made the right choice (even if your DD is happy)

??? *choosing
sorry at the moment my hands are typping independently from my brain. I do try to correct all the weird stuffs before sending though

For most of the day it should seem a bit chaotic though - child led activities are what is recommended at this age group, so they should be choosing what to do.

DS's room is free flow too - they can choose to go out whenever they like, which the children love, but must look chaotic to visitors

Wierd stuff? Now you've got me wondering...

Thanks - so, if I shouldn't be swayed by where her friends are going, then that makes it a bit more evenly balanced.

I think part of my problem is that I keep thinking that pre-school is about learning stuff, so am subconsciously evaluating on their educational merits, whereas objectively I know its really about socialising and playing, so how 'organised' the activities are shouldn't come into it I suppose. Why couldn't they just be called playschools like they used to be?

I did like that, at the cricket pavillion one, they can be in or out as they choose in both halves of the session - whereas, in the new one, it was out then in, no choice.

But then that contradicts what I just said about the structured environment being a plus. I think I've lost all ability to make decisions in the last 3 years of pregnancy/childrearing!

School is for formal learning. Preschool is for developing the skills to prepare to learn - so painting and drawing develop fine motor skills in preparation to write, talking about numbers in terms of hopscotch or measuring their plants is as formal as numeracy should be, sharing books and talking about them in their literacy.

I notice that the children love the unstructured craft and drawing - they can do it anytime as they feel the urge and do really imaginative things as opposed to when they were told that it was painting time. Theres still organised crafts, but although they encourage everyone to join in, they aren't forced

Yes I totally agree with you CMOT (great name by the way - TP possibly the greatest author of all time... I digress)

Would you expect craft stuff to be out every day? Just that at the new one, there is a painting area out every day (in fact that is all one of my friend's kids seems to do there!). The cricket pavillion one, from what I saw today, didn't seem to have anything 'crafty' out at all, although the lady did say that they usually had a craft table, but it had the numbers box stuff all over it today. That's what I mean by chaotic - presumably the numbers stuff was out because that's what some kids had asked for (although if I'm being cynical, it could also be because craft = extra mess to clear up).

Go with your gut instinct.
For the all the craft out all the time, I think it is not that good, because some of the kids go for one thing all time. They should at least learn to do different things. DD1 went to a playschool were activities were out, but the children had to move on every 15 min. So everybody did a bit of everything and learned to share.
If your freind DS is only painting I would be concerned.
Did you go with your DD? Did she like some staffs better?

Hooray! I made a decision, went with the cricket pavillion one. Think both of them would be fine, so just chose the nicest one. Thank you all.