This study aimed to investigate whether young children between the ages of 1-3 experience stress as a result of larger class sizes and the manner in which to mitigate this stress. I have also investigated whether educators may induce stress in children and generally whether stress amongst adults is transferrable to children. I propose the following questions: How do educators perceive stress in children's groups? How do children react to stress? How to prevent stress in preschool children?

This study is based on a qualitative method with semi-structured interviews and participant observations. My theoretical approach to this study is the sociocultural perspective.

The literature points to the fact that various stress-related situations and unstable relationships in preschool can contribute to the stress levels of children. Interviews and observational studies have found that there is a positive relationship between classroom size and stress among children. Classroom sizes lead to stressed teachers, less time devoted to each individual child, loud noises in the children's groups, fewer staff as well as less space for children to play and move around in. These are only some of the burdens of larger classroom sizes. In addition, the investigation showed that for children who do not speak, upon interaction they tended to mimic their educator’s stressful behaviour and thus felt stressed themselves. The educator’s stressful behaviour very strongly influenced the stress levels of all of the children in the group.

Teachers had strategies to prevent and manage stress in kindergarten but also suggested organizational changes to divide the children more frequently into small groups, to adapt the physical environment to accommodate for a larger group of children and to give children more time in the dining room.