The Little Starlings

 If you have started looking at preschools for your child, you have almost certainly come across two terms more than any others: Montessori and play-based learning. Both sound appealing. Both claim to nurture the whole child. And both have passionate advocates who will tell you their method is the better one. The honest answer is that neither approach is universally better. What matters is understanding what each one actually means, how they differ in practice, and which environment is the right fit for your child's temperament and developmental needs. This guide walks you through both clearly, so you can make a confident, informed decision. What Is the Montessori Method? The Montessori method was developed by Italian physician and educator Dr. Maria Montessori in the early 1900s. According to the Association Montessori Internationale , it is a child-centred educational approach based on scientific observations of children from birth to adulthood. At its core, Montessori believ...

  Choosing a play school for your child is one of the most important decisions you will make as a parent. And if you live in Jaipur, you know the options are no longer limited to just one or two schools in the neighbourhood. There are many — and they all claim to be the best. So how do Jaipur parents actually decide? After speaking with parents across areas like Ambabari, Mansarovar, Vaishali Nagar, and Civil Lines, a clear picture emerges. Here are the 10 things that matter most when choosing a play school in Jaipur in 2026. 1. Safety of the Campus This is always the first thing parents check — and rightly so. Before anything else, parents want to know: is this place physically safe for a 2.5 or 3-year-old? They look for CCTV cameras, child-safe furniture, covered electrical points, secure entry and exit gates, and a strict pickup policy that ensures only authorised adults can collect the child. A school that takes safety seriously shows it in every corner of the building — not ju...