Abstract The aim of this paper is to contribute to the knowledge of children’s introduction to pre-school as social practice with a focus on subjectification from a gender perspective. This introductory process is given great importance in the Swedish pre-school. This paper is based on a study carried out in one strategically chosen preschool infant group. The study addresses the question of which possible subject positions can be adopted by children during their period of introduction to preschool, their first institutional experience. The focus is on the interaction between teachers and children and between children and social practice. One of the analytical tools used is the concept ”positioning”. The analysis indicates gendered positions for the child as both in need of care and competent. Key words Gender, positioning, preschool, toddlers.