Located at the corner of Rue de Suisse and Rue d’Angleterre, the play stop “L’île des enfants” (Children’s Island) opens its doors on Tuesday, April 18. A place for awakening, playing, and socializing, the play stop welcomes children from 2 to 6 years old.
Fun, manual, artistic, and motor activities are organized every week. The offered workshops include:
- creative: painting, sculpture, collage, salt dough
- musical: musical awakening, singing
- body expression: dance, baby-gym
- playful: imaginative games, puzzles, construction games, board games
Children can also participate in theater workshops, dressing up, puppetry, storytelling, or even workshops on scents and flavors.
These activities are supervised by an early childhood educator, head of the play stop, childcare assistants, and animators.
The play stop is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 AM to 12 PM and from 2 PM to 7 PM. Parents can reserve a 2.5-hour session at any time. The hourly rate for the session is calculated based on the family’s income.
The play stop is funded by the City of Nice, the Alpes-Maritimes Family Allowance Fund, and, as part of the City Contract, the State, the Regional Council, and the General Council.
What is the play stop?
Due to the strong demand expressed by families in Nice for childcare and recreational activities for children from 2 to 6 years old, the city of Nice, in partnership with the Alpes-Maritimes Family Allowance Fund, wanted to create an innovative structure downtown: the “Play Stop.”
The play stop “L’île des enfants” is a place for reception, awakening, and socialization intended for children from 2 to 6 years old. With a capacity for 20 children per session, it offers activities that promote their development through play and workshops led by professionals.
It differs from other early childhood care structures. Indeed, it is not a mode of childcare focused on keeping the child while the parents work, as offered in the 17 other early childhood care facilities in the city of Nice. At the play stop, children are welcomed for a 2.5-hour weekly playful activity session. This allows the children to have fun, express their creativity, and for parents to leave them in peace while they run errands or attend appointments.
Opening hours and periods
“L’île des enfants” is open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 9:30 AM to 12 PM and from 2 PM to 7 PM.
Three 2.5-hour sessions per day are offered: 9:30-12 PM; 2-4:30 PM; and 4:30-7 PM.
The play stop will be closed in August and one week at Christmas.
Registration and reservation procedures
The various activities are organized around a program established for 4 weeks. Parents can reserve one activity session per week at any time, choosing the day and time.
This reservation can be amended. However, no absence will be refunded or replaced. In case of illness, and upon presentation of a medical certificate (to be provided within 48 hours), another session may be offered depending on availability.
If parents wish for their children to participate in more than 4 sessions per month, they must present themselves just before the start of the additional chosen session. Their child will be welcomed depending on available spaces.
The family’s participation
The amount of family participation corresponds to an hourly rate calculated based on a coefficient applied to the taxable monthly income of the family. This coefficient is set by the National Family Allowance Fund (0.06% of monthly income) and is calculated proportional to the number of dependent children.
The payment for sessions is made in advance for 4 weeks via a counter bill. During this payment, the reception agent will provide the parents with “little passports” for their child’s access to the various activities.
Children can benefit from a first free adaptation session in the company of their parents.
The collaboration of the play stop with the Family Daycare branch
As part of the 3rd child contract (2001-2005 period), extended until December 31, 2007, the city of Nice has committed to creating a 220m² Early Childhood facility containing a 20-place play stop and also premises for a branch of the Family Daycare, at the corner of Rue de Suisse / Rue d’Angleterre.
The premises adjacent to the play stop are therefore allocated to the operation of a branch of Family Daycare, which until now operated temporarily in the facilities of the Maternal Assistants Relay, Rue Malausséna. Thus, a close collaboration will be developed between the play stop and the Family Daycare branch.
This branch of the family daycare will offer:
- sessions of awakening activities led by an early childhood educator,
- a toy library,
- a “corner” library,
- playful and creative days for children during special events or celebrations,
- workshops for maternal assistants, information meetings for parents and maternal assistants,
- a permanence to inform the public about the modes of young child care and registration in early childhood establishments and services.
The costs and co-financing concern the entire structure, including the play stop “L’île des enfants” and the “Lou Nidou” branch of Family Daycare.
- The cost for the City of Nice
