What to Look for When Choosing a Nursery? 7 Criteria That Really Matter

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Choosing a nursery is one of the most significant decisions parents make in the first years of their child's life. It is far more than a logistical question – it concerns your child's daily wellbeing, safety and development. And it touches on something deeply personal: the trust involved in having someone else care for your child alongside you.

Many parents describe this moment as one of the most emotionally overwhelming they experience. Leaving your child in someone else's hands for the first time is no small step. All the more reason, then, not to make this decision on instinct alone, but with a clear sense of what truly matters. And that is something you can learn. Because knowing what to look for means you will notice far more during a nursery visit.

Quality shows itself in the everyday details – and much of it is visible to the naked eye: do the group rooms look clean and well cared for? Do the children actively seek out the carers? Is your child greeted by name when they arrive in the morning? These observations often tell you more than any written description.

The seven criteria below give you a structured framework for your search – so that when you visit, you know what to look for, and can ultimately make a decision you genuinely feel confident in.

1. Hygiene, cleanliness and mealtimes

The first impression you get when you walk into a nursery is not a coincidence – it is an honest one. What you notice in the first few minutes reflects everyday life, not preparation for your visit. Look consciously: do the group rooms appear clean and well maintained? Are surfaces tidy? Are nappy-changing areas and toilet facilities hygienically separated from play areas?

Particularly with young children, a high standard of hygiene is not a given – it is an active choice that shows itself in the day-to-day running of a setting. Children at this age explore everything with their mouths and hands. A lax approach to hygiene can quickly lead to repeated chains of infection that put strain on the child and throw family life into disarray.

The mealtime situation also reveals a great deal about the culture of a nursery. Do the children eat together at the table, in a calm and structured atmosphere? Or are meals taken on the go, squeezed in between activities? It might sound like a minor detail – but it is not. How a nursery eats reflects how it lives.

Is food cooked freshly on site or delivered? What ingredients are used? How does the team handle allergies and intolerances – and who actually knows each child's individual needs? For families with breastfeeding mothers or babies still dependent on breast milk, a clear and reliable policy on storage is particularly important.

Questions to ask during your visit:

• Is food cooked fresh on site – and with what ingredients?
• How are allergies and intolerances documented and communicated to all staff?
• Is there a regulated, hygienic system for storing expressed breast milk?
• Are nappies, skincare products and sun cream provided – or do parents need to bring everything themselves?
• How are children supported at mealtimes – as a matter of routine, or as a conscious social moment?

2. Sleep and rest rooms for the youngest children

For babies and toddlers, sleep is not a pause – it is active developmental work. The brain processes what it has experienced. The body grows. The nervous system settles. All the more reason, then, to ensure that the place where your child sleeps is genuinely safe, calm and thoughtfully arranged.

During your visit, look at the obvious things: is there a separate, quiet sleep room – away from the noise of the group area? Does the room feel inviting, well ventilated and at a comfortable temperature? Are the beds spaced far enough apart for children to rest undisturbed?

The type of beds used also matters more than it might appear at first glance. Enclosed bunk or pod-style beds can be difficult to access quickly in an emergency – for instance if a child has been sick suddenly or a carer needs to respond fast. For very young infants in particular, where pauses in breathing can be a concern, good monitoring is essential. Safety and accessibility must never be sacrificed in favour of design or saving space.

3. Pedagogical concept and daily structure

Some nurseries offer childcare. The best ones offer education – and that is a crucial difference.

What does that mean in practice? A good nursery has a clear pedagogical concept that sets out how children are supported, encouraged and guided in their development. That may sound theoretical – but it shows itself very concretely in everyday life: is there a structured morning circle? Are children thoughtfully accompanied through transitions from one activity to the next? Are conflicts between children resolved with genuine pedagogical intention, rather than simply interrupted?

Children demonstrably benefit from a clear daily structure – a considered rhythm of free play, guided activities, mealtimes, movement and rest. Structure is not a constraint for children. It is orientation. It provides security. And it creates the framework within which children can truly let go and explore.

Free play matters – but free play alone is not enough. Children need stimulus, accompaniment and activities that pick up on their natural curiosity and foster it with purpose: early language skills, first mathematical concepts, motor development, emotional intelligence. None of this happens by chance – it requires a well-considered, tried-and-tested concept and a team that puts it into practice every day with genuine conviction.

A purpose-built curriculum that is written down, documented and regularly evaluated is therefore a strong quality signal. It shows that this setting has thought seriously about what it is doing – not just for the brochure, but for everyday life.

How to recognise a sound pedagogical concept:

• It is documented in writing and available to view on request – not merely as a list of buzzwords, but with genuine substance
• It differentiates by age group: babies, toddlers and pre-school children have fundamentally different needs
• It covers holistic areas of development: language, motor skills, social skills, emotional development and cognition
• Bilingualism – where offered – is consistently integrated into daily life according to the immersion principle: one person, one language
• It actively prepares children for school-readiness skills: phonological awareness, early mathematics and fine motor development

4. The nursery team – attitude, professionalism and stability

If you forget everything else – do not forget this: the most important quality factor in any nursery is the team. Not the premises. Not the curriculum. Not the location. But the people who are with your child every single day.

Children sense – often more quickly than adults – whether they are truly welcome. Whether someone is genuinely present. Whether the attention they receive is real or routine. Pay close attention during your visit: do the children actively seek out the staff? Do they run towards them? Do they appear relaxed and at ease – or rather withdrawn?

The behaviour of the children is often the most honest indicator of the quality of relationships within a setting – more honest than any self-presentation, more honest than any review platform.

Professionalism shows itself in the details

It may come as a surprise – but the appearance of staff is not a superficial criterion. Very long fingernails can present hygiene risks or limit hands-on activities such as kneading dough, baking or painting. Prominent piercings can be a safety concern when carrying, cuddling and playing with young children.

These are not unrealistic expectations. They are signs of whether staff have understood that their work involves physical closeness with small children – and whether they have consciously chosen to live this profession with their whole selves.

Staff stability is not a coincidence

For your child, the carer who greets them in the morning is far more than an employee – they are an attachment figure. And attachment takes time, repetition and reliability. A high rate of staff turnover repeatedly disrupts this bonding process – and children feel it.

It is therefore worth asking directly:

• How long have the current staff members been at this setting?
• Do they work predominantly full-time or part-time? A higher proportion of full-time staff supports continuity across the whole week
• What happens when someone is ill or on holiday – are there established, familiar cover arrangements?
• Does the nursery manager step in to work with the group when needed?

A nursery manager who rolls up their sleeves when necessary sends a powerful signal: this is a place where people lead by doing, not just by administering. That builds trust – for parents and children alike.

Recommended staff-to-child ratios in Switzerland by age group

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5. Organisation, safety and governance

Behind every good nursery there is more than a good team – there is a sound structure. A professionally run setting has clear procedures for every situation that might arise in daily life: what happens when a child becomes ill? How are emergencies handled? Is there a child protection policy, a quality management framework and a clear channel of communication for parents?

These processes do not need to be recited from memory on the spot – but they should be explainable in a coherent and confident way when asked. Hesitation, evasion or uncertainty in response to these questions is not a good sign.

Who is really behind the nursery?

The question of governance is one of the most important – and the one parents most often overlook. How long has the setting been established? Who is behind it? Is the governing body present and accessible in day-to-day life, or does it make decisions exclusively at a strategic level, far removed from what is actually happening in the group rooms?

Is the focus on pedagogical quality – or primarily on occupancy rates and financial metrics? This is not an unfair question. It is an honest one. And one that a good nursery should be able to answer clearly.

6. Price as a quality indicator

The price of a nursery is not a neutral feature. It tells a story – about what a setting invests in, what it values and what it is prepared to spend in the pursuit of quality.

High-quality childcare comes at a cost: well-trained and fairly paid staff, stable teams with low turnover, adequate staff-to-child ratios, safe and well-maintained facilities, freshly prepared meals, regular continuing professional development and a serious approach to quality management. None of these things come for free.

When a setting is priced significantly below the regional average, it is entirely reasonable – indeed necessary – to ask: where are the savings being made? In staffing? In ratios? In qualifications? In the quality of meals? These questions are not born of mistrust. They are the logical consequence of understanding what good childcare actually costs.

This does not mean that expensive is automatically better. But extremely low prices are rarely achievable without an impact on structure, staffing or stability. A realistic, transparent price is therefore often a sign that investment is going into quality – rather than primarily into marketing.

What is included in the price – and what is not?

Many small additional charges can significantly increase the actual monthly cost. Always compare settings on the basis of the true total cost – not just the headline price. Clarify the following at your first conversation:

• Are all meals included – breakfast, lunch, morning snack and afternoon snack?
• Do nappies, skincare products, sun cream or baby food need to be brought from home?
• Are there additional charges for outings, projects or special activities?
• Is the settling-in period billed separately?
• Are there registration or administrative fees – and what exactly are they for?
• Is the place reserved before the start date – and does this incur a cost?

A transparent, fully itemised price is therefore itself a quality signal. It shows that this setting has nothing to hide – and that it respects your right as a parent to make an informed decision.

7. Trust and instinct

You have worked through all six criteria. The hygiene is good. The team makes a strong impression. The pricing is transparent. The concept is convincing. And yet – something does not quite feel right.

Listen to that.

Alongside all the objective criteria, one decisive factor remains: your own personal feeling. Do you feel welcome when you walk through the door? Are your questions answered openly, patiently and honestly – or do you sense an undercurrent of defensiveness? Do you feel that you are being taken seriously as a parent – and not merely regarded as a potential place to fill?

The reverse holds equally true: if you visit a setting and find yourself thinking "my child could be happy here" – that is just as important a piece of information. Trust does not only come from facts. Sometimes it simply arrives – and that is perfectly valid.

In the end, it is the combination of professional structures, stable relationships, transparent organisation and realistic pricing that makes a nursery a genuinely safe place. A place where your child is not simply looked after, but can truly settle and thrive.

Because ultimately, what matters is not only what is promised – but what your child and you actually experience, day in, day out.

8. Online reviews: helpful, but not decisive

When starting their search, many parents turn first to Google or a review platform. Four stars, twelve reviews, a handful of complimentary comments – and an initial impression begins to form. That is entirely human and understandable. But it is not enough.

Online reviews can serve as a first point of reference. What they cannot do is give a true picture of a nursery's quality. Because what people review – and when – is rarely representative. Satisfied parents leave reviews less often than dissatisfied ones. A single negative experience can skew the overall picture. And what was true two years ago may no longer hold today – teams change, managers change, concepts evolve.

What reviews cannot tell you:

• Whether the team today is the same as it was when the review was written
• Whether the situation described was an isolated incident or a structural problem
• Whether the reviewer's standards align with your own values
• Whether a negative review is factually grounded or emotionally driven

There is another consideration: reviews can be influenced – through targeted requests to satisfied parents, through timing, through platform logic. A nursery with a high star rating is not necessarily investing more in quality – sometimes it is investing more in its image.

This does not mean you should ignore reviews altogether. A striking pattern – multiple critical comments on the same issue, over an extended period – may be worth taking seriously. But it does not replace a visit of your own. Your own impression. Your own conversation.

The most reliable source remains you – with open eyes, well-chosen questions and the confidence to press for honest answers, even when they are uncomfortable.

9. Checklist for your nursery visit

Use this overview as a guide for your visits. It will help you to approach each one systematically – without losing sight of your personal impression.

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10. Frequently asked questions about choosing a nursery in Switzerland

What is the most important criterion when choosing a nursery?

The team. Children need consistent, emotionally available attachment figures. All other criteria – location, facilities, concept, price – matter, but they are secondary if the human quality is not there. A nursery is only as good as the people who work in it every day.

How can I tell a good nursery at first glance?

Look at the children: do they actively seek out the staff? Do they appear relaxed, curious and settled? The behaviour of the children is more honest than any self-presentation by the setting – and more telling than any online review.

What does a good nursery cost in Zurich or Zug?

Full-time care (5 days a week) in Zurich and Zug typically falls between CHF 2,500 and CHF 3,500 per month, depending on what is included and the location. Many municipalities offer income-based subsidies – enquire directly with your local council or canton.

From what age can my child start nursery?

Most nurseries in Switzerland accept children from around 3 months. What matters, however, is not just the minimum age, but whether the setting has specifically trained staff, appropriate facilities and a well-considered programme for infants. Ask about this directly.

How do I tell the difference between a family-run nursery and a nursery chain?

Family-run nurseries led personally by their founders stand for direct accountability and a long-term commitment to quality. They put their own name behind what they do. Larger organisations and chains may operate according to consistent standards – but they are more often under pressure to meet financial metrics. That need not mean a quality problem, but it is a distinction worth factoring into your decision.

Conclusion: quality does not happen by chance

What should you look for when choosing a nursery? Seven factors that work together: hygiene and mealtimes, safe sleep rooms, a clear pedagogical concept, a stable and professional team, a reliable governing body, transparent costs – and your personal feeling.

No single factor is decisive on its own. It is the interplay of all these criteria that creates a place where your child can grow up feeling safe, seen and supported.

Take your time over this decision. Visit several settings. Ask the uncomfortable questions. And in the end, trust both your analysis and your instincts – because both count.

A nursery is not a product. It is a space for relationships. A place to live and grow. A field of development – for your child, and in no small way for your family too.