Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Starting Nursery Welcome Pack: Free Printable Guide for Ages 2 to 4
- ForAges 2 to 4
- StageEarly Years
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Starting Nursery Welcome Pack is a free printable guide for ages 2 to 4 in the Early Years. It gives a grown up and child a bag checklist to tick off and a simple goodbye routine to practise before the first day. It is screen free and needs only a pencil. Page 2 has notes, help, a stretch idea and answers for the grown up.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, use page 1 with your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Page 1 is a checklist for the nursery bag. The grown up and child look at each item together and tick it off as it goes in. The list covers spare clothes, a drink, outdoor wear, something comforting from home and any medicine the nursery has agreed to. The sheet also sets out a simple goodbye routine, so the child knows what to expect at drop off. Nothing is right or wrong. It is a calm way to talk about nursery before the first morning.
- Spare clothes
- Nappies or pull-ups if needed
- Named water bottle
- Named coat
- Wellies
- Comforter or favourite toy
- Sun hat or warm hat
- Photo of family
- Any medicine the nursery has agreed to
Build your own goodbye routine
Keep it the same
Use the same few steps every morning. A hug, a wave and the same goodbye words work well. Children feel safer when they know what comes next.
Keep it short
A short, warm goodbye is easier than a long one. Say goodbye clearly, then go. Lingering can make the moment harder for a young child.
Say what happens next
Tell your child one simple thing that will happen after you leave, such as playing outside or having a snack. Then say who will collect them.
Practise at home
Rehearse the routine in the days before starting. Do it at the front door or in the playroom, so the steps feel familiar by the first morning.
Getting ready for the first days at nursery
Starting nursery is a big change. For many children it is the first time they spend a long stretch away from the people they know best. Children often cope better when they can guess what will happen. A packed bag and a regular goodbye give them something familiar to hold on to, even in a new place.
Many nurseries give families their own list of what to bring, so check it alongside this sheet. Putting your child's name on coats, bottles and spare clothes helps staff return things to the right child. Letting your child help with the bag gives them a small job and a sense of control.
Medicine is for adults to handle. Only pack medicine the nursery has agreed to, and hand it directly to a member of staff. Children should not carry it, open it or play with it. Keep it out of reach at home too.
Skills and curriculum link
- Routines
- Getting ready
- Feeling secure
- Talking about feelings
- Making simple choices
Ideas for the grown up
- Name everythingWrite your child's name on items that travel to nursery. Let your child see you doing it, so the bag feels like theirs.
- Ask about a visitAsk the nursery whether they offer a visit or settling in session. Seeing the room and meeting staff first can make day one feel less strange.
- Share a storyRead a picture book about starting nursery or school. Pause to ask what the character might feel and what might help.
- Listen to feelingsLet your child say they feel worried or excited. Name the feeling kindly and do not rush to fix it. Feeling understood helps children settle.
Key words
- RoutineThings we do in the same order each day, so we know what comes next.
- ChecklistA list of things to tick off so nothing is forgotten.
- ComforterA soft toy or blanket that helps a child feel calm and safe.
- Drop offThe moment a grown up brings a child to nursery and says goodbye.
- NamedHaving your name written on it, so everyone knows whose it is.
- SettleTo start feeling calm and comfortable in a new place.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for the child and grown up to share. Keep page 2 for the grown up.
- Do this together in the days before starting. Read each item on the checklist aloud and let your child help find it.
- Tick each item as it goes into the bag. Check the nursery's own bag list as well, in case it asks for something different.
- Read through the goodbye routine together, then practise it at home. Talk about each part and let your child choose the goodbye words.
- Come back to the sheet on another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence, and you can use page 2 for notes and answers.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Let your child pack the bag with you. Hold up each item and ask them to place it in the bag. Ask them to choose a comforter to bring. Do a few items at a time if their attention drifts, and come back to the rest later.
To stretch confident children
Draw a picture of your family for your child to keep in their bag. Talk about who is in it and who will collect them. Your child can add their own marks, colours or a drawing of themselves.
Make it a game
Practise the goodbye routine with a teddy. Your child is the grown up and teddy is the child going to nursery. Wave, hug and say the goodbye words, then say who will collect teddy. Swap roles so your child plays the nursery child too.
Talk about it
- What do you think you will do first at nursery?
- Which toy or comforter would you like to bring, and why?
- What could we do if you feel a bit sad when I go?
- Who will be there to help you at nursery?
- What do you need to keep you warm, dry or cool outside?
- What are our special goodbye words?
Take it off the page
Pack a teddy's bag
Use a small bag and let your child pack it for a toy. Name each item as it goes in. Then take the toy on a pretend trip to nursery.
Name labels
Make labels together with your child's name on. Let them add stickers or drawings, then stick them on a bottle or bag with an adult's help.
Nursery role play
Set up chairs and cuddly toys as a pretend nursery. Take turns being the key person, the child and the grown up who drops off and collects.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child and let them lead. Keep sessions short and stop while it is still fun. Use the checklist to talk about nursery in a calm, positive way, and check the nursery's own list too.
Teachers
Use it as a take home pack for new starters' families, a circle time prompt or a role play starter. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 gives support and stretch ideas.
Home educators
Use it before a child joins a nursery, preschool or childminder, or before any new group. It pairs well with picture books, pretend play and talk about what a normal day will look like.
What comes before and after
Before this sheet, children build the ground by spending short times away from a parent or carer with trusted adults, and by joining in with everyday routines at home such as getting dressed and tidying up.
After it, children can move on to talking about feelings, taking turns and looking after their own belongings. In the early years, these skills sit within personal, social and emotional development, and they support the move on to school.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Starting Nursery Welcome Pack for?
It is written for ages 2 to 4 in the Early Years. A grown up works through it with the child, so it suits children who are about to start nursery, preschool or a similar setting.
- What will children practise?
They practise routines, getting ready and feeling secure. They help pack a nursery bag using a checklist, and they rehearse a simple goodbye routine with a grown up before the first day.
- Do I still need the nursery's own bag list?
Yes. Check the nursery's list as well. Settings can ask for different things, so use this checklist as a helpful guide and follow the nursery's advice if the two differ.
- What if my child does not want to take part?
Keep it light and short. Let your child pack the bag with you and choose a comforter to bring. You can also play the goodbye routine with a teddy, then try again another day.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers and sisters, or for another child who is starting later.
- Can nursery staff and teachers use it?
Yes. Staff can share it with new families, use it as a circle time prompt or use it to start role play. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and black and white works well.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It is a screen free printable that needs only paper and a pencil. It works well as a quiet moment together in the days before your child starts.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.