Big Apple toddlers were all smiles Monday as they and their parents celebrated the first day of preschool without face coverings since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Mayor Eric Adams lifted the city’s controversial kiddie mask mandate only last week — when some programs were already done for the school year and others had mere days or weeks left.

“I’m relieved because finally they can breathe, thank God,” said Queens mom Kat Povgoreanu, who was with her 4-year-old daughter Amelia outside P.S. 070Q on Monday afternoon. 

“It’s one less thing to worry about now, especially when it’s this hot.”

On Thursday, Adams announced that the masks would be optional for youngsters ages 2 to 4 in public schools, daycare centers and other city-run settings starting Monday, after intense public pressure from parents who wanted him to lift the mandate. 

The long-awaited decision came after Adams vowed to end the rule two months ago and then reneged on the promise at the eleventh hour amid a spike in COVID-19 cases, even after some schools had already alerted parents their kids could go mask-free.

Though K-12 students have been permitted to shed their masks since early March, the young toddlers, who are ineligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, were still required to wear the face coverings in child-care and preschool settings.

Adams continued to make assurances he would lift the mandate, but the official go-ahead to ditch the coverings altogether didn’t take effect until Monday, when some programs were either done for the school year or almost.

Still, for Ben Brewer and Katelyn Kenney and their 3-year-old daughter Izell, the news was a huge relief. 

“I feel great. She’s getting sick anyway at school, so why have her wear a mask?” Brewer, 34, said. 

“At the height of COVID, sure, but at this point, it’s excessive. We’d forget the mask at home sometimes, and she didn’t like the ones they gave her at school.”

Brewer said his daughter has only experienced school with a mask on, and while he understood why the mandate was in place, considering kids under 5 can’t get the vaccine, he found the rule became unnecessary. 

“I mean, they’re 3 years old. It’s just annoying,” Brewer said. “It’s just a thing they shouldn’t have to deal with at 3.” 

Amira Attia, whose 5-year-old son Haroun is still in pre-K, called the mandate “unfair.”

“They don’t even keep it on for a long time, they eat without it and sit close to each other — I think it was unfair for them to wear masks unlike everyone else,” Attia said. 

One mom who declined to give her name said she’s “throwing the masks out.” 

“I’m very happy now. My daughter can breathe now. She’s free. She smiles, you can see her face,” the mom said.

Some parents said they weren’t even aware that the mandate had been lifted, while others said it should stay in place until tots can get the vaccine. 

“I know at least one parent who has a child in my daughter’s class who actually had a bad reaction to COVID and had to be hospitalized. So I’d rather have them still wear masks, at least for the time being,” said Alex Carberry, 48, who has a 4-year-old daughter Nina. 

“She’ll still wear a mask, and I’ll continue to tell her teachers to make sure she keeps it on,” the mom said of Nina. “Obviously when she’s eating, she can’t, but for my peace of mind, keep it on. They send me pictures. Sometimes it’s a little low, and I’ll text back, ‘It’s not on her nose.’ ”

Ryan Brunette, whose son Marcel just turned 5 on May 2, said he will keep sending his kid to school with a mask and thinks Adams’ decision to lift the mandate was just a ploy to win over New Yorkers. 

“The mayor’s approval is going down, and so he threw this out there at the last second to bring ratings up,” Brunette said while hanging out with his son at Central Park. 

“But school is ending anyways, so it just seems kind of silly.” 

Additional reporting by Haley Brown and Cayla Bamberger