Montessori Playgroup in Orchard
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Orchard Plaza · Since February 2007
Montessori Playgroup in Orchard — From 18 Months
For many families, this is your child’s very first classroom. Our Montessori Playgroup keeps groups small — a 1:6 teacher-to-student ratio — so your child is known, settled and supported from day one. And if they’ve never been to school before, you can start together in our accompanied Mum/Dad & Tot class first.
Why parents choose us
The Brainy Child Difference
Every child is a unique individual with varying needs — never more so than at 18 months. Here’s what that looks like in our Playgroup room.
Small classes, more attention
A 1:6 teacher-to-student ratio in Playgroup. Teaching is done according to each individual child’s level, so a quieter or younger child isn’t swept along by the group.
Proven Montessori teaching method
A carefully prepared environment where your child chooses their own work, repeats it as often as they like, and builds concentration and independence at their own pace.
Hands-on learning
Practical Life and Sensorial materials your child can actually hold — pouring, sorting, threading — building fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination through real activity.
Trilingual curriculum
Playgroup covers all three languages — English Phonics, Mandarin and Japanese — with native Mandarin and native Japanese teachers, at the age children absorb language most readily.
Flexible school hours
Start with 2 days a week and build up to 3 or 5 when your child is ready, choosing the morning session that fits your routine.
Experienced teachers
Our Playgroup teachers hold International Diplomas in Montessori Education (MMI London) and degrees in Education — many teachers have over 10 years of teaching experience caring for children aged 18 months to 4 years.
A gentle first drop-off
Two ways to start — whichever suits your child
If your child hasn’t been to school before, we recommend starting with our accompanied weekend class, then moving into Playgroup once they’re happy working on their own.
Montessori Mum/Dad & Tot
You stay in the room. One adult accompanies your toddler through a 1.5-hour session, and each week the teacher focuses on a different area — English Phonics, then Math, then Sensorial, then Cultural & Science — alongside storytelling, art and craft, and music and movement. You’ll also pick up Montessori techniques you can use at home.
- Saturday 10am – 11.30am (1.5 hrs)
- Accompanied by 1 adult
- Conducted entirely in English
Montessori Playgroup
A drop-off class in a small group, covering the three languages (English Phonics, Mandarin and Japanese), Math, Sensorial and Practical Life skills — plus storytelling, music and movement, and fine motor activities. Teaching is done according to each individual child’s level.
- Teacher-to-student ratio 1:6
- Session 1: 9.30am – 11.30am
- Session 2: 10.30am – 12.30pm
- 2, 3 or 5 days a week
- Choose English + Mandarin, or English + Japanese
What Playgroup gives your child
- Independence — making their own choices and learning self-reliance from a young age.
- Fine motor skills — hands-on activities that build hand-eye coordination.
- Social skills — a mixed-age environment that encourages empathy and collaborative play.
- A love for learning — a child-led approach that keeps curiosity alive.
- Self-confidence — success in real tasks, at their own pace, without competition.
- Emotional growth — learning to identify and manage feelings, with gentle guidance.
Still deciding between the two? Come and watch a session — it’s usually clear within ten minutes which one your child is ready for. Schedule a visit or message us on WhatsApp and we’ll talk it through.
Parent reviews
Don’t just take our word for it
Here’s what parents of our youngest children have to say.
Come and see for yourself
Bring your little one and have a look
Visit the Playgroup room, meet the teachers and see how the morning runs. Or start with a single accompanied session on a Saturday — you stay right there with your child.
Mum & Tot class $40 per lesson — pay per lesson, no sign-up neededOur team
The people your child will settle with
At 1:6, the teacher greeting your child at the door has time to learn how they like to be comforted — and the training to help them find their feet.
Montessori-trained
Our Playgroup teachers hold International Diplomas in Montessori Education from MMI London and degrees in Education. Many teachers have over 10 years of teaching experience with children aged 18 months to 4 years, and has completed an accredited Infant and Toddler Care and Development course.
Native Mandarin teachers
Mandarin runs from Playgroup right through to Kindergarten, taught by native teachers. Our Playgroup and Nursery Chinese teacher holds a bachelor degree in Education and a diploma in Early Childhood Education.
A native Japanese teacher
For our youngest children, Japanese starts with listening, understanding and speaking — through songs, props, dancing and picture books — led by a native Japanese teacher.
Good to know
Questions parents ask us
We’d usually suggest not starting with a drop-off at all. For children who haven’t attended school before, we recommend beginning with our weekend accompanied programme, Montessori Mum/Dad & Tot, where one adult stays in the room with your child. Once your child is able to work independently, they’re ready to move into the weekday Playgroup — in the same centre, with the same materials they already know.
That’s a very ordinary part of starting school, and it’s one of the reasons we keep Playgroup at a 1:6 ratio — a teacher can stay close to a child who needs it without the rest of the group being left. Teaching is done according to each individual child’s level and pace, so there’s no rush to have your child “keeping up”.
Two practical things help: start at 2 days a week rather than 5 and build up when your child is ready, and come in for a visit together beforehand so the room and the teacher aren’t strangers on the first morning.
Montessori Playgroup is designed for children aged 18 months to 3 years, and it’s a drop-off class. There are two morning sessions: Session 1 runs 8.30am to 10.30am, and Session 2 runs 10.30am to 12.30pm. The accompanied Mum/Dad & Tot class is for 17 months to 3.5 years and runs on Saturdays, 10am to 11.30am.
You can choose 2, 3 or 5 days a week. You also choose your preferred days based on the subject combination you’d like — English + Mandarin, or English + Japanese. Playgroup covers the three languages along with Math, Sensorial and Practical Life skills, plus storytelling, music and movement, and fine motor activities.
The Montessori Mum/Dad & Tot class is $40 per lesson, paid per lesson, with no sign-up needed — so you can come for one Saturday and see how your child takes to it. Trial classes can also be booked: a playgroup trial class is $30, a weekday morning trial lesson is $45, a weekday afternoon enrichment session is $38, and a weekend Japanese trial lesson is $35.
We’re at 150 Orchard Road, Orchard Plaza #05-38/43, Singapore 238841 — open Monday to Friday 8.30am–3.30pm, Saturday 9.30am–1pm and Sunday 9.30am–12.30pm. Get in touch and we’ll find a time that suits you.
Orchard Plaza · Level 5
A gentle first step, whenever you’re ready
Tell us how old your child is and how they usually take to new places. We’ll suggest whether to begin accompanied or go straight into Playgroup — unhurried, no pressure.
150 Orchard Road, Orchard Plaza #05-38/43, Singapore 238841
