Objective To assess the needs for parenting education in Shanghai preschool children and differences between different educational levels. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Shanghai using stratified random sampling design. A total of 20 899 children aged 3-4 years-old from 191 kindergartens participated in this study, which were newly preschool children in kindergartens in Sept.2016. Demographics, social economic status and questionnaires on use of an existing text message program（Yuer Zhouzhoukan, YEZZK） and anticipation of parenting education were collected by online and offline parent report questionnaire. Results About 19.1% parents received the service of YEZZK, in which mothers with lower education level had lower subscription rate. Approximately 69.5% of parents would like to receive parenting education message once a week. The most preferred way of acquiring the parenting knowledge was smartphone APP. Most parents wanted to learn about nurturing skills and health safety knowledge in daily care, but only 66.3% of parents expressed their interest in parent-child interactive games. Conclusion In early child development interventions, more attention should be given to low maternal education population. Taking advantage of modern technology including mobile APP, we should incorporate parenting skills with health, nutrition, safety and responsive caregiving, and emphasize the importance of family games for early stimulation of child cognition.