The authors critically examine the preoperative management, the various anaesthetic techniques, the perioperative undesired effects in eighty six ASA I-II paediatric patients (age 6 months-11 years) submitted to ambulatorial anaesthesia for minor surgery or endoscopy. The importance of the psychological approach to patients and parents is enhanced. The preoperative screening included physical examination, ECG and simple laboratory tests. Various anaesthetic techniques (tracheal intubation and muscle relaxation with mechanical ventilation or spontaneous breathing) and many variously combined anaesthetic drugs (propofol 2 mg/kg, ketamine 1.5 mg/kg, diazepam 0.15 mg/kg, thiopental 3-4 mg/kg, halothane 1-2 MAC, fentanyl 1 microgram/kg) were employed depending on the quality of the surgical procedure and the conditions and the age of the patient. The results show that arousal was always rapid and smooth. The residual analgesia was sufficient in 74 cases; the other patients received rectal paracetamol 250 mg. No major complication was observed and only 6 patients were discharged 1 day later on account of vomiting or low Steward score. In conclusion outpatient paediatric anaesthesia has no contraindication for ASA I-II patients, shows no major complication and is well accepted by the patients and their patients.