playgroup

American  

[pley-groop] / ˈpleɪˌgrup /

noun

1. a group of small children, especially preschoolers, organized for play or play activities and supervised by adult volunteers.

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playgroup British  

/ ˈpleɪˌɡruːp /

noun

1. a regular meeting of small children arranged by their parents or a welfare agency to give them an opportunity of supervised creative play See also preschool playschool

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Etymology

Origin of playgroup

First recorded in 1905–10; play + group

Example Sentences

Since then, the 21-month-old has "scoffed" sand "by the handful" and eaten playgroup rugs as well as furniture all over his home, including his own cot.

From BBC • Nov. 1, 2025

On a random Sunday, there were 15 posts: one about a playgroup location, and 14 about free things.

From Slate • Jan. 11, 2025

That same year he married Sylvia Tischler, whom he had met in a Hebrew school playgroup when he was 5.

From New York Times • Nov. 3, 2022

A challenging lockdown saw him deprived of his special needs playgroup, autism outreach and speech therapy.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2022

Beyond them, in a town park, Anglo mothers and fathers spilled from VW buses and bugs to pick up their kids who had been in a Monday-Wednesday playgroup.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

Related Words

• kindergarten
• nursery school