Personalised book for first day nursery: your child's story

What happens in your child's First Day at Nursery

1. Your child gets ready with a coat, bag and familiar little companion.
2. At the nursery door, your child finds the peg with their name on it.
3. A welcoming grown-up shows your child the book corner, paint table and building blocks.
4. Your child chooses an activity and settles into a busy morning of play.
5. At pick-up time, your child points out the activity they chose and collects their coat.

How the first page could read

On your child's first nursery morning, the coat zip feels a little fiddly and the nursery door looks very bright. Inside, there is a peg waiting for a coat, a table of paints, and a kind grown-up who knows exactly where the spare shoes can go. “Shall we look around together?”

Your child’s name, look and little details replace these words, and the whole story is written for their age.

Why this story works

Nursery mornings are full of practical landmarks that a young child recognises: finding the right peg, placing a bag down, meeting the grown-up at the door and deciding where to begin. This story lets your child move through those moments at their own pace, with play rather than a grand performance at its centre. The ending returns to pick-up time, when your child can point out a favourite activity and carry home a small piece of the day. For ages two to four, the language can stay clear and brief while the pictures hold familiar nursery details: muddy shoes, paint pots, a book corner and a waiting coat.

Reading it together

• Read the story before nursery starts, pausing to talk about the coat peg, bag and who will collect your child.
• Let your child choose a favourite page and name the activity they might like to try first.
• Read the pick-up page again after nursery and invite your child to point to something from their own day.

Suggested art style: Storybook watercolour

Soft storybook watercolour gives the nursery room, paint pots and everyday routines a warm, recognisable feel. A sidekick idea: a small felt fox tucked into your child's bag. You can pick any of the four styles and change the details in the form.