<0xAD> / zh ō ng ▁b ā n ): ▁ 4 - ▁to ▁ 5 - year - old ▁children ▁ ▁Upper ▁Kinder g arten ▁( 大 <0xE7> <0x8F> <0xAD> / d à ▁b ā n ): ▁ 5 - ▁to ▁ 6 - year - old ▁children . ▁ ▁In ▁some ▁places , ▁children ▁at ▁ 5 – 6 ▁years ▁may ▁in ▁addition ▁or ▁instead ▁attend ▁" re ception " ▁or ▁" pre par atory " ▁classes ▁( 学 前 <0xE7> <0x8F> <0xAD> / x ué ▁q i án ▁b ā n ) ▁foc using ▁on ▁prepar ing ▁children ▁for ▁formal ▁school ing . ▁ ▁State ▁( public ) ▁kind er gart ens ▁only ▁accept ▁children ▁older ▁than ▁ 3 ▁years , ▁while ▁private ▁ones ▁do ▁not ▁have ▁such ▁limitations . ▁ ▁Den mark ▁ ▁Kinder g arten ▁is ▁a ▁day - care ▁service ▁offered ▁to ▁children ▁from ▁age ▁three ▁until ▁the ▁child ▁starts ▁att ending ▁school . ▁Kinder g arten ▁classes ▁( grade ▁ 0 ) ▁are ▁volunt ary ▁and ▁are ▁offered ▁by ▁primary ▁schools ▁before ▁a ▁child ▁enters ▁ 1 st ▁grade . ▁ ▁Two - third s ▁of ▁established ▁day - care ▁institutions ▁in ▁Den mark ▁are ▁municipal ▁day - care ▁cent res ▁while ▁the ▁other ▁third ▁are ▁priv ately ▁owned ▁and ▁are ▁run ▁by ▁associations ▁of ▁parents ▁or ▁business es ▁in ▁agreement ▁with ▁local ▁authorities . ▁In ▁terms ▁of ▁both ▁fin ances ▁and ▁subject - m atter , ▁municipal ▁and ▁private ▁institutions ▁function ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁same ▁principles