We’ve been on the hunt to find H-Bear a nursery for a few months now, with no success. Who would have thought that finding a suitable nursery would be such a challenge?
I think part of the issue is that Busby’s nursery in Sussex was AMAZING! It was a Montessori nursery, so there was a large focus on play, they had lots of access to the outdoors, and it always felt clean. Basically, our first experience of a nursery was such a high standard that finding anything that even vaguely compares has been quite the task!
We don’t have any Montessori nurseries near us here in East Yorkshire, and all of the places we’ve looked around have felt small, dark and lacking in the outdoor space that H-Bear needs.
H-Bear is a wild one; an adventurous soul, who needs to be outside to run off his energy and quieten his mind. He will be my explorer child in the future – the one taking the gap year, and sending me terrifying photos of him climbing mountains and jumping out of aeroplanes.
Anyway, I had almost given up hope of finding anywhere suitable in our area when I received a tip off on Instagram last week. A new nursery was opening in the town next to us. And this nursery was on a farm, with a primary focus on outdoor play.
We went to visit this nursery this morning – and although it’s not fully built yet and it doesn’t open for a few more months, we fell in love.
There is so much space. The children can be outside as much as they like. All the food is locally sourced – if not grown on the farm itself. There will be chickens, and visits to the pig pen and cow shed. They will learn to plant and grow food. And there’s a barn owl box, with a live feed into the nursery. It couldn’t be more perfect.
We left with huge smiles on our faces, and I feel so relieved to have found H-Bear a nursery environment where I know he will flourish. An environment that will encourage his adventurous side, and not quash it.
September is going to be the month of change in our household, with Busby starting school full-time and H-Bear starting nursery.
*sobs*
Just think of all the work I’ll be able to get done… and all the hot tea I’ll be able to drink!
Oh how wonderful does that sound?! We keep talking about nurseries for Parker - he needs to run off some of the energy, and he’s becoming so attached to us, I’m worried he’ll be awful when it comes to starting preschool. Think of all that spare time too.. time for another I think 😉 haha xx
Oh that sounds amazing. I would love to go there. Little Miss H sounds very similar to H-Bear. She always wants to be outside climbing trees or making mud pies. We were so lucky that the pre-school around the corner is so wonderful. It backs onto the woods we live by and has a forest school. It is perfect. But it is so hard to find somewhere to send your beloved children. It just has to be perfect. I’m so glad you found somewhere wonderful. Hugs Lucy xxxx
Oh my goodness, Hannah I was just reading through various posts on your blog, loving it may I add, when I read this and thought “I know this child!”.
I work at H’s nursery! Small world