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Gan Im Ima (Parent-and-Toddler Groups) in Israel: What, From What Age, Cost

Shukshuk team · Updated November 2026

Gan im ima is, in the words of the Rishon LeZion municipality, "like kindergarten, only with mum, dad, grandpa or grandma, or a carer": a regular morning of about three hours, once or twice a week, in which toddlers play, make things, sing and eat breakfast together, while their adult stays with them throughout. The name says "mum", but most of the places we checked welcome any close adult. Most of these groups are paid, and they are run by community centres (matnasim), municipal early-childhood departments or private kindergarten teachers. This guide explains what happens there, the prices places publish, where to find a group near home, and what to ask before paying.

Gan im ima: what five places published on their own pages, read 2.11.2026

Gayaland, Ramat Hasharon and Yavne (private)
Ages
10 months to 3
When
Monday and Wednesday, 9:00-12:00
Price
₪360 a month once a week, ₪700 twice, ₪100 a single session
Bondi, Tzoran (private)
Ages
From sitting up until kindergarten
When
Sunday and Thursday, 9:00-13:30
Price
₪420 a month once a week, ₪800 twice, ₪110 a trial session
Koko Family House, Beit Yitzhak (private)
Ages
1-2 and 2-3, on separate days
When
9:00-12:00
Price
₪520 a month once a week, ₪900 twice (with play-area entry), ₪130 a first session
Merav Kamin, Tel Mond (private)
Ages
From crawling
When
Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00-12:00
Price
₪260 for 4 sessions, ₪480 for 8, ₪75 a single session
Rishon LeZion municipality, early childhood (2024-25 year)
Ages
Crawling to 2 on Thursday, walking to 3 on Sunday
When
9:30-12:00
Price
₪80 a session, ₪320 a month, registration by the quarter

These are examples of places that publish a price, not a market survey and not a recommendation. The Rishon LeZion page is for the 2024-25 school year and is marked sold out. Prices change between years and cities, and the price that counts is the one the place gives you when you register.

What gan im ima is, and who it suits

A regular morning, usually from 9:00 until around noon, in a small group of toddlers with their adults. Every place we checked follows a recurring shape: a circle with songs and movement, free play in the space, crafts, a shared breakfast (at some places families bring food from home), and sometimes a yard or a soft-play gym. The group is usually led by a kindergarten teacher or a developmental guide. Ages. Each place sets its own: from sitting up, from crawling, from 10 months or from one year, until age 3, when children move on to kindergarten. Larger places split groups by stage, for example crawling to two on one day and walking to three on another. Who comes with the child. The name says "mum", but Rishon LeZion explicitly lists mum, dad, grandpa, grandma or a carer, the Tel Mond group is called "gan im ima o abba" (with mum or dad), and the Tzoran one "gan im imaba". If it matters to you, ask before registering. Who it suits. Parents on long parental leave, parents working from home or part time, families waiting for a kindergarten place who want a framework until then, and anyone who simply wants a regular morning with other parents.

What it costs

There is no official price list, and the table above is what five places published themselves. What it shows: Once a week: ₪260 to ₪520 a month at the places we checked. Twice a week: ₪480 to ₪900. A trial session: almost all of them offer a paid first or single session, ₪75 to ₪130. It is the cheap way to see whether the child and the adult are comfortable in the group before committing to a month or a quarter. What the price includes. Some places include breakfast or fruit, and one includes free entry to its play area that day. Elsewhere you bring food. Municipal versus private. A municipal or community-centre group is usually cheaper (₪80 a session in Rishon LeZion), but it opens only with enough sign-ups, you register for a quarter or a year, and places run out: the page we read was already marked sold out.

Where to find a group near home

Community centres (matnasim). The first place to ask. Many list gan im ima on their classes page or under early childhood, and some only by phone. It is worth calling even when the website shows nothing. Municipal early-childhood departments. Some cities have a department or site for the early years, such as Rishon LeZion's "Yaldut Rishonit", which gathers classes, workshops and gan im ima in one place. Private teachers and play spaces. Most of the places in the table are private. Search "גן עם אמא" with the name of your city, and ask in your neighbourhood parents' groups. Tipat Halav. The Ministry of Health runs Tiponet: free group sessions on Zoom, led by Tipat Halav nurses, on sleep, feeding, breastfeeding, development and language, plus a baby massage workshop. It is not gan im ima, but it is a free parents' group from the first months. Tel Aviv-Yafo: DigiTaf. City residents registered with Digitel (free) get DigiTaf: workshops, talks and activities for babies and toddlers from birth to 3, most of them free. Gan im ima itself is usually not there, but baby movement, music and story sessions are. In the Shukshuk chat you can ask for DigiTaf activities by age and neighbourhood, and also get the nearest community centres and libraries, with walking times, as places to ask about gan im ima.

What to ask before you sign up

1. Who leads the group, and with what training? (A kindergarten teacher, a developmental guide.) 2. How many children are in the group, and of what ages? A year's gap is a lot at this age. 3. Who may come with the child: only mum, or also dad, a grandparent or a carer? Can you take turns between weeks? 4. What does the price include: breakfast, craft materials, play-area entry? 5. How long do you commit for: a month, a quarter or a year? And what is the cancellation and refund policy? (In Rishon LeZion, for example, cancelling up to 48 hours before a session gets a full refund.) 6. What happens when the child is ill: can you make up a session on another day? 7. Is there a protected room (mamad) on site? Some places already state it on their page. 8. Can you come to a trial session before registering?

FAQ

What is gan im ima?

A regular kindergarten-style morning, usually about three hours, once or twice a week, in which toddlers play, make things, sing and eat together while their adult (mum, dad, a grandparent or a carer) stays with them. It is usually led by a kindergarten teacher or a developmental guide.

From what age can a child start gan im ima?

Each place sets its own: at the places we checked, from sitting up, from crawling, from 10 months or from one year, until age 3. Larger places split groups by stage, for example crawling to two and walking to three.

How much does gan im ima cost?

At the places that published a price, checked on 2.11.2026: ₪260 to ₪520 a month once a week, and ₪480 to ₪900 twice a week. A trial session costs ₪75 to ₪130. Municipal groups are usually cheaper, ₪80 a session in Rishon LeZion.

Can a father come to gan im ima?

At most places we checked, yes: Rishon LeZion explicitly lists mum, dad, grandpa, grandma or a carer, and some places call it "gan im imaba" (mum-and-dad). Ask before registering.

Is there a free gan im ima?

It is almost always paid. What is free: the Ministry of Health's Tiponet, parents' groups on Zoom led by Tipat Halav nurses, and in Tel Aviv-Yafo DigiTaf, workshops and activities for babies and toddlers for residents registered with Digitel.

Sources

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See also

Prices, ages and hours were taken from the places' own pages on 2.11.2026 and are examples only, not a recommendation and not a quote. The Rishon LeZion municipality page is for the 2024-25 year. Prices and terms change, and what counts is what the place tells you when you register.

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