A guide for parents
What clothes to send to nursery
How many spare sets you actually need, the labelling that survives the wash, and the one rule that will save you a lot of heartache.
What's in here
- The one rule, and it's not about labels
- How many spare clothes for nursery
- How to label nursery clothes
- What to send for outdoor play
- What comes home ruined, and why
- When things go missing
Everyone will tell you to label everything. Nobody tells you the more useful thing, which is what to actually put in the bag.
The one rule, and it's not about labels
Don't send anything you'd be sad to lose. That's it. That's the whole rule and it will save you more upset than any label.
Nursery is paint, sand, mud, glue, someone else's yoghurt and a water tray. It's also thirty children and one lost property box. Things get ruined and things disappear, and both are completely normal.
So the cardigan your mum knitted stays at home. The lovely dress stays at home. What goes in the bag is the comfortable, the washable and the replaceable.
How many spare clothes for nursery
| What | How many | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Complete changes of clothes | 2 to 3 per day | One for the water tray, one for lunch, one spare |
| Socks | 3 or 4 pairs | They vanish. Nobody knows where. |
| Spare set left at nursery | 1 if they'll take it | Saves a dash home when they run out |
| Nappies and wipes | Ask first | Some settings provide them, some don't |
| Comforter | Only if settling | And never the only one you own |
A "complete change" means top, bottoms, vest, socks and pants if they're out of nappies. A spare top on its own is no use when it's gone all the way through.
Pack the whole week on a Sunday
Five bags, or five bundles in one bag. It sounds a bit much until the first Tuesday you're standing at the door at half seven with nothing clean and no time.
And keep a restock pile at home so you're topping the bag up rather than hunting through the wash.
How to label nursery clothes
Everything gets labelled. Tops, bottoms, socks, coats, hats, gloves, shoes, wellies, bags, bottles, the lot. Anything that can come off will come off.
Iron-on labels are the ones that genuinely survive. They go through the wash for years and they don't peel. A bit of faff up front, and then done.
Stick-on labels are quicker and they're fine, though they give up eventually on things that get washed constantly.
Or just write on the care label with a permanent marker. Plenty of parents do exactly this and it works perfectly well. It's not pretty and nobody is looking.
Put your surname, not just their first name. There will be another Isla. And if you add a phone number, coats come back to you rather than sitting in lost property, because whoever finds it can just ring.
The trick for hand-me-downs
If you've got more than one child, put both first names above the surname on the same label. Then the jumper works for the next one down without unpicking anything, which is a small thing that saves an evening.
What to send for outdoor play
Nurseries go outside in more or less anything, which is brilliant for them and hard on the clothes. So the outdoor kit matters more than the indoor kit.
Waterproofs and wellies that live at nursery if there's room, or go in the bag every day if not. Puddlesuits are the single most useful thing you'll own between about one and four.
A warm hat and gloves in winter, both labelled, and accept that gloves are a consumable. Mittens on a string are not embarrassing, they're sensible.
A sun hat and sunscreen in summer, both with their name on. Send your own sunscreen if they've got sensitive skin, and tell staff.
Wellies are one of the few things genuinely worth passing on secondhand, because they keep their shape and get worn in short bursts. More on that here.
What comes home ruined, and why
Paint, mostly. Then felt tip, glue, and whatever was in the tuff tray.
Most of it comes out if you get to it. Cold water first, then washing-up liquid, then daylight. The full stain guide is here and it will rescue more nursery clothes than you'd expect.
The ones that won't come out are usually paint that's gone through a hot wash, or felt tip that's had a week to settle. So it's worth a rummage in the bag on the day rather than on Sunday night.
When things go missing
It happens, constantly, and it's almost never anyone's fault. Thirty children, similar clothes, one busy afternoon.
Check lost property before you replace anything. Most of it turns up, sometimes weeks later.
And check the bag properly. Half the time the missing jumper is at the bottom, under the wet things, where you didn't look.
If something has genuinely gone for good, it'll be a sock or a glove, and there's a reason those are the two things nobody buys singly.
I sent him in a lovely little jumper in week two and it came back with blue paint all down one arm. Nobody's fault at all, and entirely mine for sending it. Everything since has been the cheap stuff and he has had a much better time in it.
🌱 Which is exactly what a swap is for
Nursery is the one place where you genuinely want clothes you don't mind losing. Comfortable, washable, and no particular attachment to any of it.
That's what Swapaboo does. You photograph what they've grown out of, we check and value each piece, and it becomes credits you spend on the next size up from another family. Everything is checked before it lists, so it's good stuff, but nothing costs you anything for the clothes themselves.
Which makes the paint on the sleeve a lot easier to laugh about. The only money that changes hands is the delivery or collection, from £1.99.
We're opening a few families at a time and it's invitation only just now.
Common questions
How many spare clothes should I send to nursery?
Two to three complete changes per day is what most nurseries ask for, plus extra socks. A complete change means top, bottoms, vest and socks rather than a spare top alone. Many settings will also let you leave one emergency set with them, which saves a trip home.
What clothes should a child wear to nursery?
Comfortable, washable clothes that neither you nor they mind getting ruined. Nursery involves paint, sand, mud and water, and things do get lost. Elasticated waists and simple fastenings also help a child manage the toilet independently, which matters more than how the outfit looks.
How do you label clothes for nursery?
Iron-on labels last longest and survive years of washing. Stick-on labels are quicker but wear off eventually, and writing on the care label with a permanent marker works perfectly well. Use a surname as well as a first name, and adding a phone number means lost coats can be returned directly.
Do you need to label everything for nursery?
Yes, including socks, hats, gloves, shoes, coats, bags and bottles. Anything that can be taken off will be taken off at some point, and settings with many children cannot return unlabelled items reliably.
What should you not send to nursery?
Anything you would be upset to lose or to see ruined. Handmade or sentimental items, expensive clothes, and difficult fastenings are all best kept for other days. The same applies to a much-loved comforter unless there is a spare at home.
What outdoor clothes does a child need for nursery?
Waterproofs and wellies, since most nurseries go outside in nearly all weather. A puddlesuit is the most useful item for children between roughly one and four. Add a warm hat and gloves in winter and a sun hat in summer, all labelled.