A stay-and-play session invites families into the nursery to join an activity together. Photography should follow the staff's instructions, stay clear of care routines such as nappy changes, naps and settling-in, and focus on the shared activity. The nursery decides who may be photographed and where. We plan coverage around those limits and confirm it in writing.
A stay-and-play session is different from a celebration. There is often no stage and no audience. Families sit on the floor, children explore, and staff move quietly between groups. The photographs that matter are small ones: a hand reaching for a toy, a parent and child absorbed in an activity.
This page is part of our guide to school and early-learning event photography.
What makes a stay-and-play session sensitive?
The nursery is a space where care happens. Children rest, eat, change and settle in, often with a particular adult or routine. When families join, the usual boundaries are loosened for a short time, and the photographer arrives in a space that is not designed for visitors with cameras.
Respect for that means the nursery decides what is photographed, not the photographer or the commissioning parent. We work to the staff's instructions and do not ask for information about individual children or families.
Setting limits before the day
Agree four limits in writing before the session.
- Areas: which rooms are open to the photographer, and which are closed. Sleeping, changing and toileting areas are usually closed.
- Times: which parts of the session may be photographed, and whether any part is a camera-free period.
- People: who must not be photographed, and how the nursery will tell the photographer on the day without discussing the reason in front of others.
- Contact: who the photographer asks if something is unclear.
These limits go in the plan and in the written quotation, so everyone has the same understanding.
Focusing on the shared activity
The activity is the centre of the record. Parent-and-child play, group songs, messy play, story time and snack time all produce natural images. A photographer who stays at the edge of the room, keeps low and avoids using flash will usually disturb the session least. Our guide to sensory preferences around flash, noise and crowded photo areas explains why this matters for young children.
For example, a nursery might run a morning session with free play, a story and a closing song. The staff agree that photography will happen during play and the story, with a break from cameras during the closing song because it is when some children become unsettled. The photographer is told this on arrival and works inside it.
Settling-in, separation and personal preferences
Some children are still getting used to the nursery, and some families may be uneasy about being photographed. Staff may want to say, quietly, "not this family today". That should be possible without any explanation. A good plan makes opting out easy and gives staff authority to pause photography at any time. See our guide on when a child does not want to be photographed.
Do not use identifiable examples of children or families when you plan, publish or discuss the session. Describe situations in general terms instead.
Who receives the photographs?
The nursery decides whether images go to families, to the nursery archive or to both. A private gallery with limited access is a common choice, but the nursery should agree consent arrangements with the authorised adults first. Our guide to children's event photographs and the questions authorised adults must resolve lists the questions to settle, and the photo sharing and privacy plan turns them into a simple plan.
What to send us
Send the session outline, the layout of the space, your staff's photography rules and your intended use of the photographs. We read the brief, ask what is missing, and confirm the date, venue, crew assigned, deliverables and quotation in writing. The school event photography worksheet is a useful starting point.
A short example of how a session might run
For example, a nursery plans a Saturday morning session with free play, a story and a snack. The staff agree that the photographer will arrive twenty minutes early, be introduced to the room leader and learn which corners are closed. During play, the photographer works from the edges, and during the story, the room leader asks families whether they are comfortable with the camera nearby. Anyone who prefers not to be photographed says so quietly, and the photographer notes it.
When the snack begins, photography pauses, since eating and spills are better left alone. After the session, the room leader confirms that coverage is complete and the nursery reviews the plan for sharing.
Questions to ask us
Ask how we would work in a small room, what happens if a family asks us to stop, and how we would handle a child who becomes unsettled when the photographer is nearby. We confirm our approach in writing.
Checklist
- Describe the session activities and how long each lasts.
- Say which rooms or areas are open to the photographer and which are closed.
- Name the staff member who gives the photographer instructions.
- Decide how the nursery will tell families about photography.
- Agree how a child or family can opt out on the day.
- Confirm who may receive the photographs afterwards.
Tell us how the session runs, which areas are open to a photographer and any preferences your staff want us to follow, and we will propose coverage that fits.
Plan our stay-and-play coverageCommon questions
Do we need to share details about individual children?
No. We do not need personal histories. A general instruction is enough, such as which children should not be photographed, which areas are off limits, or that a certain group of families would like more space. Share only what your staff think is necessary, in whatever way your nursery usually records it.
Can the photographer enter the sleeping or changing areas?
That is for the nursery to decide. We suggest keeping these areas closed to photography unless the nursery has a specific, agreed reason. The plan should say clearly which rooms are open, and whether a staff member accompanies the photographer in any of them.
What if a child is still settling in?
The nursery knows which children are settling in and how they are managing. A staff member can tell the photographer to keep distance, wait or skip a child entirely. The photographer follows that, and the family does not need to explain or be asked for details.
Can families use their own phones as well?
The nursery sets this rule, and it may differ from the rule for staff. Decide before the session and tell families, so our photographer does not have to manage competing expectations. A clear notice at the entrance is a simple option.
Plan our stay-and-play coverage
Tell us how the session runs, which areas are open to a photographer and any preferences your staff want us to follow, and we will propose coverage that fits.
What happens next: You send your event details on WhatsApp. Our team reads the brief, asks what is missing, then confirms in writing whether the date, venue and coverage can be booked, with a quotation. Opening WhatsApp does not send anything, and a message is not a booking until both sides confirm.
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