What to Look for on a Kindergarten Tour: 8 Questions Every Parent Should Ask

A tour is your best chance to see what a centre is really like — beyond the photos and the website. Here are 8 things to look for, and questions to ask, when you visit any early learning centre.

1. How are children spoken to?

Listen to the language educators use. Are they at the children's level? Do they listen as much as they talk? Are children spoken to with respect, even in busy moments?

2. What does the outdoor space look like?

Great outdoor spaces include natural elements — sand, water, plants, climbing — not just plastic equipment. Children should be outside for a significant part of every day, in all but the worst weather.

3. How is the day structured?

Ask for an example of a typical day. There should be a balance of child-led play, intentional teaching, group times, meals and rest. Beware of rigid schedules with little flexibility.

4. Who is in the kinder room?

For a 3 or 4 year old kinder program, ask:

• Is there a qualified Early Childhood Teacher (ECT) in the room?
• What's the educator-to-child ratio?
• How long has the team been together?

Low staff turnover is one of the strongest signs of a healthy centre.

5. What do the children eat?

Ask to see a sample weekly menu. Is food cooked on-site? How are allergies and dietary needs handled? Do children sit together at mealtimes as a social, learning moment?

6. How will I know what my child is doing?

Look for centres using a documentation app (we use Storypark) that shares photos, learning stories and observations with families regularly.

7. How does the centre handle settling in?

A good centre will offer multiple orientation visits and a gradual settling-in process for new children. Trust takes time to build.

8. What's the National Quality Standard rating?

Every Australian centre is independently rated by ACECQA against the National Quality Standard. A strong rating is a useful signal, but newer services may not yet have completed their first Assessment and Rating visit — ask the centre about their approach to the seven quality areas and how they continually improve.

Come see Meraki for yourself

We run tours at both our Bayswater and Mooroolbark centres. They take about 30 minutes and you'll meet the team, see the rooms and ask all of these questions and more.