A tour usually starts at the door with a teacher or director. You walk the hall and stop in each room, so you see the children at work: building with blocks, painting, listening to a story. You notice the low shelves, the labeled bins, the photos of families on the wall. Tours last about an hour, and you can ask anything along the way.
Seeing the room first takes the guesswork out for a child. On the first real morning, the cubby, the quiet corner, and the teacher's face are already familiar. Parents tell us the settling-in goes faster when their child has walked the space once before. That first visit is also your chance to ask about hours, tuition, and the waiting pool.