Free open preschool eases families’ wait for kindergarten places

Free visits to an open preschool became a weekly fixture for Marta María Arnarsdóttir and her daughter, Hildur Lóa, while they waited for a kindergarten place, mbl.is reports.

The family lives in Seltjarnarnes but crossed municipal boundaries to attend the Memmm open preschool on Aflagrandi. Tuesdays quickly became a fixed point in their week.

“It was always on Tuesdays, absolutely sacred,” said Marta María, who is principal of a school in Reykjavík.

Hildur Lóa was finally given a kindergarten place in August, at 17 months old. Until then, the family did not know how the coming winter would be arranged.

Marta María first heard about Memmm through a mothers’ group and later on social media. After their first visit, the open preschool quickly became part of their routine.

Memmm is a free meeting place for young children and their caregivers. No registration is required, and an adult stays with the child and remains responsible for them during the visit.

Regular sessions last two hours. Children can play, do crafts and take part in singing and reading sessions, while adults meet and share their experiences.

“This is not just like going to a café and meeting other children. It is organised and professional work,” Marta María said.

She believes the visits prepared Hildur Lóa well for kindergarten. The child became accustomed to being around other children and following a shared programme, while also learning songs and hand movements that mother and daughter practised at home.

“Now she just walks confidently straight into her group and absolutely loves it,” Marta María said proudly.

She said the service also helped break isolation and gave structure to the week. Free access was important, she added, and municipalities should ensure that families can use such services.

“I think this is an arrangement that is here to stay,” she said.

More than 4,700 visits

A new analysis of Memmm’s operations by economist Gunnar Úlfarsson, published on memmm.is on Friday, found that more than 4,700 family visits were recorded during the 2025 to 2026 school year. An average of 31 families attended each session.

Attendance increased from an average of 24 families in August to 57 in June. The analysis links the rise partly to families’ growing need for support as more time passes after the kindergartens’ autumn enrolment period.

A total of 151 people responded to Memmm’s service survey in the spring. More than 93 per cent of those who expressed an opinion gave the service a rating of four or five out of five and said the open preschool helped prepare their children for the transition to kindergarten.

Children graduate in autumn

Kristín Stefánsdóttir, an occupational therapist and one of Memmm’s managers, said children commonly begin attending at seven to nine months old and continue until they receive a kindergarten place.

“In the autumn, we can almost jokingly say that those who are starting kindergarten graduate. Then a new group comes in,” she said.

The service is not used only by parents waiting for kindergarten places. Some choose to stay at home with their children for longer. Grandparents, childminders and au pairs also bring children to Memmm.

About a quarter of the families have an immigrant background. Kristín said the service supports social connections and participation by giving people an opportunity to build relationships, hear Icelandic and join a shared programme.

Memmm has also worked with the Directorate of Labour to provide services to families seeking refuge. Kristín said the open preschool could be particularly important for people who have recently arrived in the country.