Let us answers some of your questions

We are open Monday to Friday from 8am – 5pm. 

We operate 50 weeks a year, closing 2 weeks for Christmas Holidays and the Friday & Monday of Easter.

Drop Off Times                              Collection Times 

8:00am – 8:30am                             3:30pm

or                                                          or

9:00am - 9:30am                             4:45pm - 5pm 

These time slots are in place as our Base Camp location is a short walk from the drop off/ pick up point. 

We offer full day sessions as we believe this gives your child the time to experience an equal mix of Montessori and time in the outdoors. 

Our Fees are £55 per day.

As an outdoor nursery,  we are lucky enough to have full use of a public car park at the end of our farm road where staff will meet you each morning. Parents will not be required to make the walk to the nursery base. 

Due to strict planning permission conditions, we are not permitted to have a car park on site, as many outdoor nurseries are in the forest, research supports the excitement and value of the walk into base camp. Our walk is around 7 minutes. This gives staff the opportunities to engage with children and plan the day ahead. The walk back allows us to reflect on the fun and learning we have enjoyed that day. We ask that your child comes fully dressed in their outdoor kit each day regardless of the weather. 

We are very lucky and excited to be working in partnership with South Lanarkshire Council to provide 1140 hours of funded Early Learning and Childcare.

Did you know, blended learning is possible between us and another establishment? If you have already been allocated a place within your local authority or another private nursery but feel your children may benefit from a setting like ours then we can arrange split funding for this, provided you are eligible.

This may come in the form of tax-free childcare, which offers £2 for every £10 spent, we advise everyone to make enquiries as the qualifying bracket is very surprising.

Please refer to the Government HMRC website ( https://www.gov.uk/get-tax-free-childcare ) which contains a wealth of information for parents and carers. This helps to calculate your entitlement and may offer further childcare support in addition to your funded places.

Each and every day will be different at the Nature Nursery Montessori Ltd, our  team will take lead from the children and continually observe and expand your child’s learning and play based on their needs and interests at that time. It is important to remember that routine is essential to allow children to feel secure and in control of what is happening to them and so there will be parts of the day such as drop offs and lunch that will have consistently familiar procedures. With an abundance of outdoor space children will have plenty to choose from to fill their day. Some of the many things that will be on offer each day are:

· Climbing

· Gardening

· Woodwork

· Cooking/baking in the outdoor kitchen

· Relaxing in the hammocks

· Swinging on the tree swing

· Den building

· A variety of arts and crafts

· Sand pit 

· Montessori Activities

· Songs and stories

· Loose parts construction

YES, YES and YES! It is crucially important to the nursery that you help us with the battles of the weather. As adults, we feel differently about the cold and wet days. Children don’t feel like this unless we share our own thoughts and negative feelings with them. At the Nature Nursery, we embrace all weathers, spend time outside in all weathers, and I promise you, we all absolutely love it! There’s no mud and puddles without rain, no sledging without snow and there’s nothing better than the achievement of building your own shelter and cosying inside with friends and a book to get out of the wind. If you are worried about the weather it’s important to remember that we are lucky enough to have our log cabin, Inside is filled with our beautiful Montessori Materials, a story corner and an art area. Children are welcome to use this area anytime. It is an open, free flow extension with the outdoors. It will be reassuring to know that although the Nature Nursery Montessori Ltd is primarily an outdoor nursery where children will be encouraged to spend time outdoors, there is also a beautiful, warm and welcoming indoor space.

Rumour has it, that children need to be in a classroom to "learn" but outdoor education has gained significant academic attention over the past few years which challenges this traditional understanding.  Integrating outdoor learning into early childhood education can lead to highly engaged, resillient, and environmentally empathetic children with a passion to learn.

Our curriculum at the Nature Nursery Montessori Ltd consist of a variety of hands on, interactive learning experiences. These will include, gardening,  and growing of fruit and vegetables within the poly tunnel. Cooking lunch in our outdoor kitchen using the produce we have grown where possible. Children will learn about horticulture and agriculture alongside the care of animals and all living things. 

Our curriculum will be based around learning from the seasons and the world around us. At the Nature Nursery Montessori Ltd, there will be lots of laughter and fun with songs, stories and dancing. Children will develop advanced fine and gross motor skills as they physically immerse themselves in outdoor play and discovery. We cannot underestimate the benefits of freedom and play. Uninterrupted free play is a vital part of childhood that we all experienced as children growing up. 

As a mainly outdoor nursery, it is important that all children come ready in the mornings for all weathers. Depending on the season, your child will need different base layers and we will provide you with a specific kit list before you start.

Every child will need good quality waterproofs and durable footwear as basics as this can be the difference between a great day and a soggy one!!! 

We do urge parents to avoid buying many brands of "waterproofs" as in our experience nothing can withstand Scottish weather better than Didriksons Rainwear.

We are very lucky to have a great discount with Didriksons, they really have the best reputation for waterproof clothing and are used by many Outdoors Nurseries for this reason.

The Slakesman Suit - £32

The Waterman Suit - £38

The Boardman Suit - £45

Biggles Hat - £12

Biggles Mittens - £14

Your child can rest anytime they wish, in either a hammock or our cosy sleep room on little camp beds, with fluffy covers. Our beds are available all day, which allows the children to choose when they would like to sleep and we follow their individual cues.

With all the fresh air, it is hoped that your child will sleep very well at nights.

 No, we are more than happy to support all children in their transition from nappies to using the toilet. Although we are an outdoor nursery we are lucky enough to have plumbed in toilets on site.

We sure do :) 

We are able to create a morning snack buffet of Apples, Bananas, , Blueberries, Cucumber, Carrots, Tomatoes with breadsticks, melba toast, oatcakes and hummus. Each child is able to choose their preferences and there is always extra available for seconds.

As we do not have cooking facilities on site, we have sourced an incredible catering company to supply our lunches and afternoon sandwiches – they purchase all of their fruit and vegetables from the Fruit Market in Glasgow each morning and the chef is a mum of 3 children with 15 years of experience. So, we know they are perfect for us. 

They also cater for all allergies and each portion comes separately contained with the name of the child on the tub. 

If your little one is staying till 4:45/5pm  - they will be offered a sandwich made from freshly made bread on site each day and milk at 3:45pm as an afternoon snack.

We will supply a weekly menu to let you know what is begin served  each day and the company are always open to suggestions and feedback so your opinions are very welcome.