A look at what some top childcare and infant care centres in Singapore offer
Are you a busy parent looking for infant care in Singapore? Infant care centres often have set times for little ones to have meals, nap and play in a safe environment while interacting with kids of their age. This routine enables children to develop motor, social-emotional and literacy and numeracy skills. Here are the programmes of some infant care centres and childcare centres in Singapore.
Kinderland Infant Care and kindergartens
Kinderland Infant Care was launched in 2004 by Kinderland Academy & Preschool and provides high-quality early childhood education for infants and toddlers. The diverse mix of children at their infant care centre include American, Japanese, Australian, British, French, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Filipino, Thai, and Indonesian backgrounds, with more than half being Singaporean.
As it was established in 1978 as Yamaha Kindergarten, music is at the heart of Kinderland’s curriculum. Starting in the infant care centre, music education begins with introducing the sounds of different percussion instruments. The preschool says that infants develop listening and concentration skills as they learn to respond to rhythms and beats through bodily gestures. Classical music is also played during nap time – its more complex structure, instrumentation and harmony helps in developing higher cognitive abilities. Progressing to the toddler stage, songs and rhymes are introduced. Learning words by sound-action association hones their language and literacy skills. As children grow, they participate in music and movement activities that enhance motor skills, language and numeracy through rhythmic patterns and beat counting. When they reach kindergarten, the children are ready to play keyboard musical instruments.
Besides music appreciation, the infant care’s daily schedule includes ample time for gross motor activities, social-emotional development, reading, exploratory play, naps, meal times, snacks and milk times. The menu is planned by a certified in-house nutritionist, which is in line with the Health Promotion Board’s (HPB) Healthy Meals in Preschools Programme. This ensures that Kinderland children absorb the necessary nutrients for each development stage.
Guiding the infants are educatorswho have been in the early childhood industry for more than five years and are experienced in the Kinderland curriculum. They also meet the professional, academic and language requirements set by Singapore’s Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA). What’s more, Kinderland Infant Care in Singapore adheres to the ECDA teacher-to-child ratio of 1:5, and some locations offer a 1:3 ratio.
Kinderland advocates a strong relationship between school, parent and child. Parents are welcome to participate in various celebrations and events at the preschool and infant care, promoting open communication and dialogue. There are also home-learning activities where parents can encourage stronger learning bonds with their children.
Ages: 2 to 17 months old for infants; 18 months to 6 years for preschoolers
Hours: Mondays to Fridays, 7am to 7pm
6881 8818 | enquiry@kinderland.com.sg
bit.ly/KDL-infantcare-EL
Mosaic Preschool infant care in Singapore
The infant care centre at Mosaic Preschool was established in August 2023. It follows a 3R approach – Respectful, Responsive, Reciprocal interaction – for child-led learning for fostering meaningful engagements. Children experience play-inspired learning through various activities in line with the Early Years Development Framework of Singapore. The activities include musical/art play, gym play, dramatic play, sensorial play, and chatterbox/book club. Activities incorporate both English and Mandarin to promote sensory exploration, early communication and motor skills development in infants.
The centre welcomes families from diverse backgrounds from various parts of the world, including Asia and Singapore. The Mosiac team says that this multicultural environment promotes inclusivity and broadens social interactions among their young learners.
Mosaic’s infant care educators are certified to provide infant care in Singapore. Additionally, all of them hold valid first aid certification. The infant care centre ensures each child receives tender care and attention. This is by having a nurturing, safe and stimulating environment and by keeping the teacher-to-child ratio at 1:3.
Meals consist of fresh and nutritious foods that are natural and minimally processed. Children enjoy vegetables, wholemeal food, cereals, chicken and fish. Softer options like carrot sticks are available for infants who are teething.
The infant care centre believes in fostering strong partnerships with parents. Parents are regularly updated on their instant’s progress through Mosaic’s app and playbooks. Family Day sessions also provide parents opportunities to engage and stay connected with their child’s overall development.
Ages: 2 to 18 months
Hours: Half-day, 7am to 1pm; full-day, 7am to 7pm
168 Changi Road, #03-01
9615 3641 | mosaicpreschool.sg/infant-care
ELFA Preschool – infant and childcare centre
Established in 2000, ELFA Preschool provides education and care for children from two months to six years. The children at their infant care centre include French, Korean, Indonesian, Indian and Chinese, with more than half being Singaporean.
ELFA focuses on Mandarin acquisition in young children. Guided by both English and Chinese teachers, infants and toddlers pick up pre-reading skills by singing nursery rhymes and storytelling. The English-Mandarin bilingual curriculum for preschoolers uses a story-based approach, enhancing language skills while incorporating moral values. Additionally, the childcare centre caters for the holistic development of young children through various programmes. These include ELFA Higher-Order-Thinking Maths, Creative Arts, Chinese Speech & Drama and Coding. The centre ensures the healthy growth of children with meals planned by their certified in-house nutritionist, according to the Meals in Preschools Programme by HPB.
The infant care centre in Singapore says that its educators meet the requirements set by the ECDA for professional, academic and language proficiency. Most of them have more than five years of experience in early childhood education and are experienced with the ELFA curriculum.
Throughout the year, parents are invited to various celebrations and events. This helps to foster strong school-parent-child relationships and positive learning outcomes for the child.
Ages: 2 months to 6 years
Hours: Mondays to Fridays, 7am to 7pm
6881 8818 | bit.ly/ELFA-infantcare-EL
Like this article about infant care in Singapore? Head to our Kids section for more, including where to get baby clothes and baby gear and cool kids’ birthday party places in Singapore.
