園児

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 園児 (えんじ) is a noun for a child attending a kindergarten, nursery school, or similar institution.
• Basic usage: 園児たちは公園へ向かう makes the group of enrolled children the subject heading to a park, while 園児の帰りを待つ identifies whose return a guardian awaits.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Plural suffix and enrollment scope
  • 園児たち uses たち to add plurality, whereas 園児の帰り can refer to one child or a group. The word does not mean every child present in a park.