Norwegian kindergartens are a voluntary educational service that offers care, play and learning for children aged one to six years. The kindergartens follow the Kindergarten Act and the Framework Plan for the kindergartens content and tasks, which ensures that all children receive a safe and stimulating environment. In kindergarten, children and parents will meet, among others, kindergarten teachers who have at least 3 years of education from a university or college.

Within a municipality, you will find several types of kindergartens. Some kindergartens are municipal, others are private. Some kindergartens work with different concepts, such as nature-focused kindergartens, farm-based kindergartens, etc. Therefore, the information you find here is quite general, and is about what you will encounter in Norwegian kindergartens in general. What is common for all kindergartens is that they work according to the same legislation and framework plan, have educators with publicly approved education and that the same monthly fee applies regardless of whether your child has a placement in a private or municipal kindergarten. What may vary is how much you pay in food allowance. This text does not contain information that may change based on state and municipal regulations, such as exact costs, application procedures, etc. You can read more about these subjects elsewhere on the kindergarten pages here on the Moss municipality website. Here you will also find information about opportunities for shared placement and reduced parental payments. We have this information only in Norwegian, but there is a translation-option on the website.

Play, learning and development in kindergarten

Kindergarten gives children a good start in life by offering a safe place where they can develop in several areas in a social setting with other children. Here, children will have the opportunity to learn through play, interaction and activities with other children and adults. They get to know each other's interests, language, and culture. The children make friends and new experiences that provide them with useful knowledge and learning. Kindergarten prepares children for school by strengthening their language skills, social competence, and independence. Research shows that children who attend kindergarten have better conditions for success in school and later in life.

In kindergarten, children gain knowledge about nature, culture, and society. The kindergarten emphasizes promoting children's curiosity and desire to explore, and the children learn to cooperate, share and respect each other. Through daily routines and activities, the children also receive training in independence and practical skills.

The importance and role of play in kindergarten

Play is a fundamental part of children's lives and development, and play has a central place in kindergarten. The intrinsic value of play is recognizing play as an important activity, not just as a means of learning or development. Here are some important aspects of the intrinsic value of play:

• Joy and well-being: Play gives children the opportunity to experience joy, laughter, and well-being. Through play, children can express themselves freely, explore their interests and experience a sense of mastery. This contributes to a positive sense of self and general well-being.
• Social skills: Through play, children learn to interact with others, share, cooperate and resolve conflicts. These social skills are essential for children's ability to build relationships and function together.
• Creativity and imagination: Play provides space for creativity and imagination. Children can create their own worlds, roles, and stories, which stimulates their ability to think outside the box and develop new ideas.
• Exploration: Children explore their surroundings, experiment with materials, and develop an understanding of the world around them.
• Freedom and autonomy: Play gives children the opportunity to make their own choices and decisions about their own time and activities. This promotes their independence and ability to take initiative.

The importance of kindergarten for children's language development

Kindergarten plays an important role in children's language development. Here are some ways in which kindergarten contributes to the development of children's language skills:

• Play, activities, and conversations in everyday life: Through play and activities, children are given the opportunity to use language actively. They learn to express thoughts, feelings and wishes, and to cooperate and communicate with other children and adults. Adults and children have conversations on many topics during the day. Most kindergartens have gatherings with the children where they sing, tell stories, and read books with the children. Some kindergartens also have language groups where they work actively with language stimulation.
• Multilingualism: The kindergarten supports multilingual children by recognizing and valuing their native language while they learn Norwegian. This must contribute to the children developing skills in both languages. Children can easily learn several languages at the same time. This is done in collaboration with the parents so that the children initially learn Norwegian in the kindergarten and their native language at home. They must also facilitate the children's experience of linguistic diversity in kindergartens.
• It takes time to learn a new language, even for children. Research shows that it takes 1-3 years to learn a language well enough to cope in everyday life, and 5-7 years to be able to use the language in learning situations such as reading and writing at school. Therefore, it is important that children start kindergarten early so that they learn Norwegian before starting school where relevant.
• The kindergarten creates a rich language environment where children have many opportunities to hear, use and explore the language. This lays a solid foundation for further language development and learning.

Parental cooperation with the kindergarten

The kindergarten encourages parents to cooperate closely with the staff to ensure the child's well-being and development. This involves participating in parent meetings, development discussions and other events at the kindergarten. Parents should inform the kindergarten about the child's needs, interests and any challenges. The kindergarten needs information about the children in order to be able to provide good conditions for the children to cope, thrive and develop.

Here are some important aspects of parental cooperation:

• Daily contact: Parents and kindergarten staff usually have daily contact when dropping off and picking up the child. This provides an opportunity to exchange information about the child's day, well-being and any concerns.
• Parent-meetings: The kindergarten regularly arranges parent meetings where parents receive information about current issues in the kindergarten and can provide input. Several kindergartens also have parent meetings with various topics that can be useful for parents to gain more knowledge about.
• Progress and development talk: The kindergarten invites parents to a progress and develpment talk where parents and staff can talk about the child's development, strengths, and challenges. The talks provide an opportunity to set common goals and find good solutions for the child's best interests and usually take place twice a year.
• Parent-events: The kindergarten arranges various activities and events where parents can participate together with the children. This strengthens the community and gives parents insight into the everyday life of the kindergarten.
• Parent council: All parents who have children in the kindergarten are members of the parent council. The parent council exists to promote the common interests of the parents and contribute to good cooperation between the kindergarten and the parents.
• Cooperation committee (SU): consists of parents elected by the parent council and employees from the kindergarten staff. Important matters such as the annual plan, budget, changes in the form of operation or organization are discussed here.
• Collaboration on adaptation: The kindergarten and parents collaborate on adaptation for children with special needs, whether it concerns food, sleep, health, or other conditions. This ensures that the child has a safe and adapted everyday life in kindergarten.
• Children with special needs may be entitled to special educational help. The help must be adapted to the child's needs.

Kindergartens value the parents' input and want to create a safe and inclusive environment for all children. Good cooperation between home and kindergarten is the key to the child's well-being and development.

Starting kindergarten

The first meeting with the kindergarten is important for both the child and the parents. The kindergarten ensures that the child and the parents experience safety and trust from day one.

Children are different and react differently to starting kindergarten. Some quickly become safe in the new surroundings, while others need more time to adapt.

The kindergarten will make plans with the parents on how the first days will be organized. It is important to be present and available to the child during this period. Always let the child know when you are leaving, and tell the child that the staff at the kindergarten will take care of them when you are away. This helps the child feel safe and gain trust in both you and the staff.

The staff will usually want to have a conversation with the parents when the child starts kindergarten. The conversation will help the kindergarten-staff get to know the child. Here, the parents can inform the staff about the child's needs, such as food, sleep and interests, who is allowed to pick up the child, or other things the kindergarten should know. During the conversation, the kindergarten also has the opportunity to provide important information to the parents. Many kindergartens also have their own parents' meeting for new parents.

Some practical information

The kindergarten will give you all the necessary information you as a parent need to know on how to deal with different situations and everyday life in general. This can vary from kindergarten to kindergarten, but here is some general information that may be good to know about having a child in kindergarten.

• The kindergartens will give parents information on everything that takes place in terms of activities, trips and other things. Information about the kindergarten's content and activities can be found in the annual and monthly plans provided to you by the individual kindergarten.
• The kindergartens have fixed opening hours, and the staff will inform you of the opening hours that apply to your kindergarten. The kindergarten must be notified if someone other than you, the parent, is picking up your child. The kindergarten cannot hand over the child to others if no prior notice has been given, even if it is someone the child recognizes. You must always contact someone from the staff when picking up and dropping off the child, to ensure a smooth transition between kindergarten and home, and give you and the staff the opportunity to exchange necessary information.
• The child can usually eat breakfast, lunch and a fruit snack in the afternoon at the kindergarten. The kindergarten is responsible for serving and providing food for several or all meals, but it may be a good idea to inform the staff about special dietary needs. This applies, for example, to health, cultural, lifestyle and religious considerations. The kindergartens emphasize healthy and nutritious food, with bread, cold cuts, spreads, milk, water, fruit and vegetables, and preferably hot meals during the week.
• In Norwegian kindergartens, we emphasize that it is good for children to play outside in all kinds of weather. The child needs clothing that is suitable for the weather and activities, including rain gear, boots and warm clothes in winter. The children should wear comfortable clothes that allow them to play and move freely, and that you are not afraid of getting dirty or damaged. The staff at the kindergarten can give good advice on clothes that are suitable for different seasons and activities.
• The kindergartens expect parents to keep your children home if they are sick to prevent infection among the other children and the staff. The individual kindergarten will provide parents with information about the rules that apply, how long the child must be kept at home for various symptoms, etc. The kindergartens are not obliged to give the child necessary medication during the day, but can often help with this. The kindergarten staff will only administer medication that has been prescribed by a doctor, and it is important that parents provide thorough information about the child's medical needs.
• Parents are encouraged to plan holidays well in advance and inform the kindergarten of their holiday plans as early as possible. This helps the kindergarten plan staffing and ensure that there is sufficient staff present. Some kindergartens are closed for a period during the summer and holidays such as Christmas and Easter. The kindergartens are closed on public holidays, Saturdays and Sundays. Rules for holiday arrangements are provided to parents by the individual kindergarten.