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Log & Manage Student Attendance

Learn how to log check-in/out and edit attendance records

Written by Adrian Ruiz

Recording student attendance is crucial for many programs and in-home care providers, as this information is often required by state licensing departments. Attendance can be tracked both on mobile devices and through the Administrator dashboard. With Playground, you can efficiently manage attendance data by recording and editing logs, allowing you to generate detailed reports on the time students spend in your care. This article will explore all the available methods for recording and editing attendance. Learn more about Attendance reporting by clicking here.

Check-In/Out Using Kiosk Mode

Kiosk Mode enables guardians to independently check their students in and out. This method is the top recommendation for tracking attendance at your school. In this section, we will cover how to access, print, and regenerate a QR code, as well as how to switch to using a PIN for family check-ins and check-outs.

💡 If you'd like to disable QR sign-in for your program entirely, this is an internal setting. Reach out to our support team and we can get it turned on for you. Keep in mind that once it's disabled, families and staff will need to use their PIN to sign in instead.

Enable Kiosk Mode on Mobile

  1. On the device you wish to turn into a sign-in/out kiosk, whether a phone or tablet, tap Kiosk.

  2. Here, you can choose to use either a QR code or a PIN. By default, the QR code will be displayed for guardians to scan.

  3. To switch to using a PIN, tap Sign with a PIN instead. To switch back to QR, tap Scan a QR code instead.
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  4. You can then lock the device in kiosk mode to prevent parents from accessing other parts of the mobile app. To lock your kiosk:

    1. Tap the Lock button in the top right hand corner of your screen.
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    2. You will then be prompted to enter your school PIN code. You can locate your school PIN on the web version of Playground by clicking Settings and looking under the Attendance section. Just click the "eye" icon next to School PIN code to reveal your school PIN.
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    3. If you need to unlock your kiosk, tap Unlock and reenter your school PIN code to complete the unlock process.

  5. When you're ready to exit kiosk mode, tap the < icon in the upper left corner of the screen.

🔎 View how check-in and check-out work from the family side HERE.

Enable Kiosk Mode on Web

  1. Click on the Settings tab on the left-hand side of your screen.

  2. Scroll to the Attendance section.
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  3. Click on the Open kiosk mode button in blue.
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    1. A new tab will open with your center's kiosk.
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  4. Guardians, Staff, and Admins can scan that QR code to sign in their student or clock-in, respectively
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  5. Click on the Pin Code option to enable sign-ins or clock-ins with a PIN code
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    1. Click on the digits to enter the code.

💡 Kisi integrations are fully supported by the Kiosk Mode on web.

QR Code Configuration

The QR code is one of the easiest ways for families and staff to check students in and out. Post it at your entrance, print it out, or display it on a device so anyone can scan and go.

Print QR Code on Web

  1. From your Admin Dashboard, click on the Settings tab on the left-hand side of your screen.

  2. Scroll to the Attendance section.
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  3. Click on the Open kiosk mode button in blue.
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  4. A new tab will open with your center's kiosk.

  5. Click the blue Print button on the bottom-right of the QR code.


Generate a New QR Code

Sometimes programs may need to create a new QR code. To create a new QR code and invalidate all other versions of the QR code, follow the instructions below:

  1. Follow the steps listed under Print QR Code above and then proceed to the steps below.

  2. You will be directed to the QR code, and on the left-hand side you will notice the Regenerate option.

  3. Click on Regenerate to generate a new QR code for your center.

Refresh QR Code Every Minute

For added security, you can set your QR code to automatically refresh every minute. This prevents families or others from taking a photo of the QR code and using it to check students in or out at a later time. To enable this:
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  1. From your Admin Dashboard, click on the Settings tab on the left-hand side of your screen.

  2. Scroll to the Attendance section.
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  3. Toggle on the Refresh QR code every minute option.
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  4. A confirmation window will appear letting you know that any previously printed QR codes will no longer work once this setting is enabled. Click Confirm to proceed or Cancel to go back.
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💡 If you have QR codes posted or printed around your school, make sure to remove them after enabling this setting. Families will need to scan the live QR code on your kiosk device instead.

Family and Staff PIN Codes

Both Families and Staff are assigned PIN codes they can use to check themselves or their kiddos in and out of school for the day.


Locating Family PIN Codes

Families can have two different PIN codes; family PIN codes can be used by all guardians linked to a family, and guardian PIN codes can only be used by the specific guardian. Both PIN codes can be used to check their kiddos in and out of school.

You can view Family PIN codes by following the instructions below:

  1. From your My School -> Students tab, search and click into a student's profile.

  2. Click into the student's Settings tab and select the "eye" icon next to Signing PIN.
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  3. These family PIN codes are generated automatically. However, they can be edited by clicking the Edit button under the "eye" icon.

    1. Make sure to click Save after editing.

You can view Guardian PIN codes by following the instructions below:

  1. From your My School -> Guardians tab, search and click into a guardian's profile.

  2. Look next to the field labeled PIN Code (4 digit number) to view the guardian's PIN code.

  3. If they don't currently have a PIN code listed, you can click into the field and input a PIN code. Please note that guardian PIN codes cannot be used more than once.

🚨 Family and guardian PIN codes can only be edited by admins. Guardians won't be able to make these changes on their end. Guardian PIN codes are also optional.

Generating PIN Code Reports for Families

If you are looking to generate a list/report of all families and their PIN codes, follow the steps below:

  1. On the Reports page, search for "Pin Codes."

  2. Open the Pin Codes report and sort/filter by classroom as required. This ensures only the family-related data is displayed.

  3. Print the report to provide staff access to family PINs for helping families at the kiosk, without them needing admin access.


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Locating PIN Codes for Staff Members

  1. Navigate to the Staff tab. Click on the profile of the staff member.
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  2. Go to the Settings tab in the staff member's profile.
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  3. Click on the eye icon to show the staff's pin
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Finding Your Own PIN as a Staff Member

  1. Open the Playground mobile app.
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  2. Tap the menu (three horizontal lines) in the upper-left corner.
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  3. Select Settings and tap View PIN Code.
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  4. Alternatively, on the home screen, tap Clock In to view your PIN below the scanner.

Viewing PIN Codes as Staff and Guardians

While Staff and Families can't change their PIN codes, they can view them on their mobile apps by following the instructions below:

📱 PIN codes can only be viewed by staff and guardians on Playground's mobile app

  1. Tap the menu icon in the top left-hand corner and select Settings.
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  2. Under Signing, tap View PIN code to reveal the signing PIN.

🚨 For guardians, the default PIN code will show the Family PIN code. However, if they have a specific guardian PIN code, they will see their Guardian PIN code here.

Recording Attendance

There are several ways to log student check-ins and check-outs in Playground, whether you're on mobile or on the web. This section covers all the available methods so you can use whatever works best for your program.

Toggle Quick Sign on Mobile

Prefer to watch a video? Click here.


Teachers or administrators can quickly sign in/out a group of students using the Quick Sign option in the Student Roster. This is the most efficient way to manually check student(s) in and out.
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  1. Open the Student Roster on mobile and tap the three vertical dots in the upper right-hand corner of the screen and tap Toggle Quick Sign. You can use the filter options above the student names and then tap each student's checkmark to select them.
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  2. Tap Sign for students at the bottom, add your signature, and then Submit to complete the process.

Individual Student Check-In/Out by Staff

  1. Log into your mobile app and tap on Roster

  2. Tap on Check-in or Check-out next to the student's entry on your Roster

  3. Select the guardian who is checking the student in or out from the Guardian section

    1. You can also select yourself from the Staff section to record yourself as the signer. (You must make a "Signing As" selection before continuing. If you don't see yourself as an option, you may have "Contactless sign for students" toggled on)

  4. Tap on Sign for students
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  5. Have the guardian sign on your mobile device or sign yourself. You can also edit the Signature time before submitting by clicking the Pencil icon.

  6. Tap Submit to confirm

Signature Requirements for Attendance

By default, signatures are required for both drop-off and pick-up in each classroom. You can turn this on or off at the classroom level depending on how your program collects attendance.
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Turn Signatures On or Off

  1. From your admin dashboard, click My School and then click Classrooms.
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  2. Click the three dots next to the classroom you want to update and click Edit.
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  3. In the Edit classroom window, toggle Signatures required for drop-off and Signatures required for pick-up on or off based on your preference.
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  4. Click Save to confirm your changes.

💡 Signature settings apply per classroom. If you have multiple classrooms, you'll need to update each one individually.

Contactless Check-In and Check-Out

🚨 Utilizing this feature makes you entirely reliant on the guardian to complete the contactless check-in/out process to record attendance accurately. This is a remote option if guardians forgot to check their students in on site can do so when at home or at work. Guardians need to complete this action to successfully sign the student in!
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​This feature is not available for programs in Arizona, as it has been turned off at the request of the Department of Economic Security (DES) to ensure program integrity and accountability.

📱 Contactless sign-in requests can only be sent on the mobile app.

  1. Log into your mobile app and tap on Roster

  2. Tap on Check-in or Check-out next to the student's entry on your Roster

  3. Tap the toggle for Contactless sign for students

  4. Select the guardian who you are sending the check-in/out to from the Guardian section

  5. Tap on Sign for students and sign on your mobile device

  6. You will be directed to a screen letting you know a prompt will appear on the guardian's device

  7. Tap Sign another student to confirm and proceed to another student

Recording Student Attendance on the Admin Dashboard

💡 Students can have their attendance recorded via the checkboxes next to their name in the Students tab or via the Attendance log on the Overview tab of their profile.

Checking Students In and Out on the Students Tab

  1. Navigate to the Students tab under My School

  2. Use the search bar or filter option to locate the student(s) you want to check-in

    1. Filters can be applied for classrooms as a whole to assist in finding the student's profile

  3. Click on the checkbox to the left of student's name
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    1. (OPTIONAL) If you are checking-in more than one student, repeat Step 2 to locate all students you want to check-in together.

  4. When you have checked the boxes for the applicable students, look towards the column headers (First name, Last name, Classroom, etc.). You will notice additional options.

  5. Click on Check in/out

  6. Complete the required fields on the Add signature window
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    1. Select who should appear as the signer on the attendance report via the dropdown menu
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    2. Record the date of the signature
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      1. This will be the date listed on the attendance record
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    3. Add the time that the students were dropped off or picked up by their families.
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    4. Add a signature for the party responsible for the check in/out if applicable
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Recording Attendance for a Student Via Their Profile

  1. Navigate to the Students tab under My School

  2. Use the search bar or filter option to locate the student(s) you want to check-in
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    1. Filters can be applied for classrooms as a whole to assist in finding the student's profile

  3. Click on the Student, go to the Activity tab tab of their profile

  4. Navigate down the page to the Attendance log section

  5. Click on Click to show attendance records

  6. Click on Add attendance on the left-hand side of the page to add a check-in or check-out to the student's Attendance log
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    1. Click on Check-in/out for a time to pop up to log.

  7. Click on Add absence to add an absence to the student's Attendance log

  8. Click Save to confirm your updates
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Filtering the Roster to find students

On Mobile

  1. Log into your mobile app and tap on Roster.
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  2. To find your student group by tapping the appropriate filter
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  3. Tap the Done button.
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On Web

  1. From the Students tab, select the Add Filters button
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  2. To find your student group by tapping the appropriate filter
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  3. Tap the Done button.
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Edit Attendance Logs for a Student

  1. Follow steps 1-5 from the recording attendance section above then proceed to the steps below.

  2. Click on the ellipsis (. . .) next to the attendance record you would like to edit

  3. Click on Edit from the menu

  4. The Edit times window will populate giving you the ability to:
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    1. Edit a check in/out time for a student
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    2. Delete a check in/out via the red trash can icon
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    3. Add a check-in and check-out for the same day via the Add check-in option in blue

  5. Click Save to confirm your updates
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Adding Absences

Adding absences to a child's profile will show up on their schedule. This will also automatically open up slots for families to book drop-in care, an easy way to add additional revenue without any extra overhead costs or operational effort. Learn more about drop-in care by clicking here.
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On Web

  1. From My School, click Students and select the student you want to log.

  2. There are two ways to record an absence:
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    1. Under Attendance Log in the Activity tab click Click to show attendance records.
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      1. Then, on the right side of the screen click Add absence.
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    2. Or, under the Student schedule click on the date of absence.
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      1. Click Mark absent for day.

  3. Select an absence type (Full Day, Partial Day, or Multiple Days), enter the absence duration, and input any notes about the absence. For more information on absence types, click here.

  4. Click Record absence.

On Mobile

💡Families are also able to record absences for their children using these instructions.

  1. From the mobile app, tap Roster.

  2. Tap on the student's name to access their profile.

  3. Tap the three, grey dots.

  4. Tap Mark Absence.

  5. Fill out the Absence Details along with any additional notes or reasons, and click Done when finished. This will automatically list the child(ren) as absent on their schedule. For more information on absence types (Full Day, Partial Day, or Multiple Days), click here.

🚨 Absence reasons are required on mobile. If you don't want to add a reason, you can record absences on the web version of Playground instead.

Absence Types

When marking a student absent, you will have the option to select three different absence types; Partial Day, Full Day, or Multiple Days. This section will provide an in depth breakdown of each. For more information on the process of adding absences, please click here.

Full Day

Full day absences will mark the student as absent for the entire day. When marking a child as absent for the day, you will need to fill out the following information:

  1. Date of the absence.

  2. Which classroom they will be absent from.

  3. Any optional notes about the absence.

🚨 If a student is marked as absent for the entire day but still attends, the full-day absence will override the hours they were present.

Partial Day

Partial day absences are used if a student is absent for a certain portion of the day (i.e. has a doctor's appointment). When marking a child absent for a portion of the day, you will need to fill out the following information:

  1. Date of the absence.

  2. Start and end time of the absence.

  3. Which classroom they will be absent from.

  4. Any optional notes about the absence.

Once a partial absence is recorded, the student's original schedule will be divided based on the start and end times of the absence. Please see below for an example of a schedule before and after a partial absence has been recorded:

🚨 If a partial absence is marked, the student's attendance status will not change to "Absent" on mobile or desktop. They will either show as "Checked in" or "Checked out".

Multiple Days

The multiple days absence type should be utilized if a student will be absent for more than one day. When marking a child absent for multiple days, you will need to fill out the following information:

  1. Start and End date of the absence.

  2. Mark absence over weekends if applicable.

  3. Which classroom they will be absent from.

  4. Any optional notes about the absence.

Edit Absence

On Web

  1. From My School, click Students and select the student.

  2. In the Activity tab, Under Attendance Log select Click to show attendance records.

  3. Click the three dots on the absence row to Edit.
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On Mobile

  1. On the Playground app, tap on the Roster icon at the top.

  2. Find the student whose absence needs to be edited and tap on their name.

  3. Tap on the Feed tab on their student profile.

  4. Find the absence post in their specific feed and tap the three dots in the top right corner of the absence post

  5. Tap Edit post.

  6. Make any necessary changes, such as editing the end time, reason, or description.

  7. Once all edits have been made, tap Save in the top right corner.

Delete an Absence

On Web

  1. From My School, click Students and select the student.

  2. Under the Activity tab within the Attendance Log click Click to show attendance records.

  3. Click the three dots on the absence row to Delete.

On Mobile

Prefer to watch a video? Click here

  1. Start by tapping on Roster at the top of the Admin or Teacher app.

  2. Tap on the specific student who needs an absence removed.

  3. Tap on Feed at the top of their Student Profile to see all activity posts for the specific student.

  4. Find the absence post in the feed and tap the three dots next to the post.

  5. Tap Delete post. Once deleted, the student will be marked as checked in.

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