Preschool in DLF Phase 3, Gurugram: Play School from Play Group to UKG

What a good first school looks like

The early years of school are less about worksheets and more about learning to be part of a group: listening to a story, waiting for a turn, asking for help and trying something new. Our preschool in DLF Phase 3 is designed for exactly that stage. Children learn in activity-based spaces, a Montessori Lab, a dance room and a children's library, and they move a lot, because young bodies need to.

Every class follows the Discover First Step Dynamically Balanced Curriculum, which is aligned with NEP and NCF. Teachers plan each week with thoughtfully designed lesson plans, so there is a clear reason behind every activity and parents can see what their child is working on.

Play school and preschool classes, age by age

Play Group (1.5–2 years): the first step away from home

For many children, Play Group is the first time they spend a morning without a parent. The focus is on settling in, feeling safe and exploring. Mornings are built around sensory play, songs, stacking and sorting, simple stories and plenty of movement in the Gross Motor Play Zone. Teachers help children get used to a gentle routine of arrival, circle time, snack, play and goodbye, so the day becomes predictable and comforting.

Pre-Nursery (2–3 years): words, friends and small independence

Two-year-olds are busy people. Pre-Nursery channels that energy into early language, fine-motor work and play alongside other children. Expect naming games, picture books from the reading centre, simple art, rhymes, dance and practice with everyday independence, like washing hands at the child-height washrooms or opening their own snack box.

Nursery (3+ years): curiosity with a little more structure

In Nursery, children start to enjoy longer activities and bigger questions. Early phonics and number sense are introduced through games, rhymes and objects children can hold and move. The Montessori Lab becomes a regular stop, and small group projects give children their first taste of working towards something together.

LKG (4+ years): foundation for Reading and Math

LKG strengthens the pre-reading, pre-writing and number skills children will lean on in primary school. Pencil grip, letter sounds, counting, shapes and patterns get steady practice. That is balanced with active time in the Gross Motor Play Zone, show-and-tell, and dance.

UKG (5+ years): confident, school-ready learners

UKG is about consolidating. Children read simple words, write with growing control, work with numbers in practical ways and take on small responsibilities in class. Just as importantly, they practise the social skills that make the move to a bigger school easier: speaking up, listening, sorting out disagreements and looking after their own things.

Grade 1 and Grade 2 (6+ and 7+ years)

Families who value continuity can stay with us beyond UKG. Grade 1 and Grade 2 run in the same batches of 15, carrying the activity-based approach forward while building stronger reading, writing and mathematical thinking. Speak to the centre about how these classes fit your child's longer-term schooling plans.