TinyStepper
Toddler at a table covered in colourful paint splotches, grinning with pride

Letter to My Key Worker

Help your toddler 'write' a scribbled letter to their nursery key worker — building positive feeling about the caregiver before the drop-off door even opens.

Activity details

2y–4y10 minslowindoorCrayonsPaper

Instructions

Get ready
  • Sit at the table with your child, paper, and crayons.
  • Say: 'We're going to make a letter for [key worker's name]. She's going to love it.'
  1. Sit at the table with your child, paper, and crayons.
  2. Say: 'We're going to make a letter for [key worker's name]. She's going to love it.'
  3. Hand your child a crayon and let them scribble freely.
  4. While they scribble, write a short message at the bottom: 'A picture for Susan, from Tilly.'
  5. Add one detail about the key worker: 'Susan likes that you can do really big arm circles.'
  6. Fold the paper in half together — practise the folding.
  7. Put it in your child's nursery bag where they can see it.
  8. At drop-off, hand the letter to the key worker in front of your child and say loudly: 'Tilly made this for you!'

Parent tip

Set out crayons and paper before inviting your toddler in so the first minute feels smooth.

Proud child holding up a painted sheet covered in bright handprints and splatters

What success looks like

Messy hands and a child who doesn’t want to stop. The artwork doesn’t need to look like anything — the process is the point.

Sit down together with paper and crayons and tell your child you're writing a letter to their key worker — Susan, Maya, whoever they'll see at nursery. Your toddler scribbles, you add a few words underneath, and you fold it together to take in tomorrow morning. The drop-off goes better when the toddler arrives feeling like the key worker is already a friend, and the simplest way to build that feeling is to make her the recipient of something the toddler made.

Why it helps

AAP HealthyChildren guidance on settling children into childcare emphasises one strategy above all: 'Show your child that you like and trust the caregiver.' Toddlers read parental warmth toward an unfamiliar adult and use it as a permission slip to relax. Making the key worker the recipient of a gift hands the toddler the experience of giving warmth, which is even stronger than receiving it — they feel like they already have a friend at nursery before the day begins.

Variations

  • Bring a small fresh flower from the garden and tape it to the letter — adds a tangible gift.
  • On Friday, ask the key worker to bring it back. Looking at it over the weekend extends the connection.
  • Make a new letter weekly — each one gets warmer as your child sees the key worker react with delight.

Safety tips

  • Use crayons with washable ends, not permanent markers, in case the letter ends up in a mouth.
  • Don't pressure your child to draw a 'recognisable' picture — scribble is the point.
  • Avoid overhyping the key worker if your child is anxious; stay matter-of-fact and warm.

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