Daycare in Amsterdam
Many children go to a daycare in Amsterdam when their parents are working. Between the ages of 0 and 4, children growing up in the Netherlands can attend a daycare (0-4 years) or preschool (2-4 years). Certified teachers will playfully educate the children. It’s a great way of preparing your child for primary school. Dynamo has several preschool facilities all over Amsterdam, where children can come together to play, learn and prepare for primary school.
Dynamo preschool
Our preschools are expat-friendly. Children from different nationalities come to play and learn together. It doesn’t matter if your child isn’t fluent in Dutch yet. The certified staff is experienced in working with children from different backgrounds. We will make sure that all children get the attention they need. Our experience is that children pick up the Dutch language in no-time. Our staff will communicate in Dutch with the children, but can communicate in English with the parents.
VVE indication
We can provide extra help with language learning issues if your child has a VVE indication. This means that the Dutch ‘consultatiebureau’ (which are called ‘Ouder- en Kindteam Amsterdam’ or ‘OKT’ in Amsterdam) considers a child at risk of developing language delays. At our daycare facility we can offer extra activities for a child so that they can catch up with their peers preferably before starting primary school!
VVE program
Our VVE program focuses not only on language development but also on motor skills, numeracy, and socio-emotional development. Please contact us if you would like to know how your toddler can benefit from voor- en vroegschoolse educatie (VVE).
Learn, play and make friends
Our preschools are a stimulative and safe environment where children can learn and play together. Some of the activities are done individually, others in a group. You shouldn’t be surprised that the friends they make at the presschool will still be their friends at the end of primary school!
Individual activities
On an individual level, there is lots of room for creativity. The children can demonstrate their talents in many different ways. Some children are fond of coloring, painting, or crafting. It is great to see their artistic side! Other children just love to play with building and construction toys. We see the most amazing forms and structures arise when we give them building blocks or clay!
Group activities
The children regularly do an activity with the whole group, like singing, dancing or storytelling. Each day, we have circle time, which encourages children to talk about themselves, learn to express their feelings or emotions and listen to other children. This group setting develops their communication skills and prepares them for primary school in a playful manner.
Play time
The children learn a lot at our preschool, but there’s plenty of time to play as well.
Indoor
We have many play areas inside, like a construction site and a kitchen area. Several playing spots are available in the different areas and each child chooses where they would like to play. Building a railway track, playing restaurant or hospital: it’s always nice to see what they come up with.
Oudoor
Playing inside is fun, but running around and getting some fresh air is even better! We think it is very important to give children an opportunity to be active during the day.
When the weather permits, we go outside and let all children play in our outdoor playground. Some playgrounds have a slide or challenging but safe climbing structures. We also have tricycles, ride-on toys, a big sandbox and lots of outdoor toys.
Some outdoor playgrounds are turned into a cool and exciting natural playground. A perfect spot for an expedition with our little explorers! They can walk on the tree trunk track, play with sand and mud and rummage through bushes.
Program
Structure and repetition
For a young child, structure and repetition are very important. We always keep a close look at that when we are creating day programs.
- Daily planning cards
We work with daily planning cards, which is a great way of visualizing to the children what the day is going to look like. When an activity is finished, we’ll remove that card and move on to the next activity. These routine cards help children quickly understand structure and what is expected of them at a certain moment. The cards guide staff and children calmly through the day. Unconsciously children become aware of concepts related to time, like before and after.
- Own childcare workers
Each group has its own childcare workers, so a child will see the same faces again every week. One of the childcare workers will be appointed as your contact person. He or she will follow the development of your child and discuss progress with you.
At the preschool we provide a familiar environment where they can discover new things and play with peers. Our certified staff members make sure each child feels at ease. If needed, we can provide additional help in a certain area, such as language acquisition or motor skills.
You see, having your toddler or infant at our preschool facility is an excellent way of making friends and helping them prepare for their school years. By providing a safe environment and playfully educating them we try to make this big step of going to primary school a little smaller.
Konnect
App for parents
Because we work with young children, clear communication with parents is a top priority! We use Konnect, a special app developed for childcare centers and primary schools, to communicate with and inform parents. If you enroll your child at a preschool, we will give you access to the Konnect app and its web-based portal.
You will receive all information safely at a central place. Our staff regularly post pictures and stories on Konnect, so you can enjoy the activities and experiences of your child. We will ask your permission to share pictures and short clips with other parents. If you don’t want that we will make sure your child is not recognizable on any material we share.
Costs
In The Netherlands, the costs of daycare are income-dependent. You can apply for a childcare benefit in the form of a tax deduction, called ‘kinderopvangtoeslag’ in Dutch. You can find more information on this topic on the website of the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration (Belastingdienst).
Signing up for a place at a preschool is easy. Just fill out the form online and our department Planning and Plaatsing will contact you if we have a spot available for your child.
Do you want to go to work relaxed and lay an excellent foundation for your child at the same time? Enroll your child at one of our preschools in Amsterdam!
Spelinloop
(0-2,5 year of age)
If you are not looking for full daycare but you would like your child to play with other children from the area, you can visit a spelinloop for babies and toddlers up to 2,5 years old. A spelinloop is a place where children meet other children of the same age. Together they can play with the toys available at the location. Parents enjoy a cup of coffee or tea and meet other parents while their children are playing.
Dynamo regularly organizes a spelinloop at several locations all over Amsterdam. It doesn’t matter if you live in Amsterdam North, IJburg, Amsterdam West or the city center: there’s always a spelinloop location near you! One of Dynamo’s employees will be there to welcome you and your child. The employee can tell you all about our spelinloop facility. We charge no entrance fee and coffee or tea for parents is included. We do encourage parents to bring some fruit for their child, so they can join our fruit break.
Check the complete list of spelinloop locations and opening hours
Dynamo Kind
Dynamo Kind has many facilities for young children all over Amsterdam. We have several ‘spelinloop’ locations and preschool facilities all over the city. Dynamo Kind has connections with primary schools all over Amsterdam. We are frequently in touch with staff members working at these particular primary schools. In doing so, we connect our expertise and experience and try to make the transition from daycare to primary school as smooth as possible.
