The Maples Day Nursery: now open!

Birmingham Day Nurseries has exciting news: The Maples Day Nursery is now open.

This new OFSTED-registered day nursery in Birmingham is on Edgbaston Park Road. It’s for two to four-year-olds only, to allow staff to dedicate their expert attention to this important stage of your child’s development.

But that’s not all. The Maples Day Nursery is unique in these three important ways:

Environmental consciousness

Sustainability is fundamental to the ethos behind The Maples Day Nursery.

The team are committed to reducing environmental waste by cutting out single-use plastics wherever possible. All wipes used are washable and reusable. The nursery does not use glitter, and cloth nappies are welcome.

At The Maples, play resources are predominantly made from natural materials. Any plastic play resources, such as dolls, are donations which allow the toy to be reused and have a much longer life.

No plastics are used at mealtimes, either. Children eat with stainless steel knives and forks from real crockery, and drink from real glasses (or stainless steel for younger children).

All this sustainable activity doesn’t only support the environment we live in now, and help to reduce waste. It’s also a way of life that’s shared with the children. At The Maples, they’ll learn about personal responsibility and develop their own environmental awareness.

The Curiosity Approach

The Curiosity Approach means a focus on the process of learning, not on the end result.

What does that mean in practice?

You’ve probably experienced an activity for children which has a very specific outcome: a Christmas card of your child’s handprints, with a red nose and eyes added to make a reindeer. The results might be charming. But there’s little room for your child’s individuality in an activity where there’s one, ‘right’ outcome – that looks the same as everyone else’s.

The same activity, using a curiosity-led approach, would be much more open: card, paint, glue, and lots of encouragement to explore and create.

At The Maples Day Nursery, your child will experience open-ended play, choice and sustained shared thinking. This allows them to keep their sense of wonder, and develop as an independent thinker. Natural play resources, such as ‘loose parts’, allow them to create and develop their own ideas and activities.

The Maples team are looking forward to gaining the Curiosity Approach accreditation in due course.

Seven acres of botanic garden on the doorstep

The Oaks and The Elms have been pioneers in outdoor learning for nursery-age babies and children.  Both have Forest Schools run by well-trained staff, to encourage children to interact with their environment and understand the processes of the natural world. These spaces allow lots of physical activity, to help develop motor skills and movement. They also foster independence and interpersonal relationships.

The Maples has its own secure garden space directly outside, to allow your child immediate access to the outdoors. But that’s not all.

The Maples Day Nursery also has a close partnership with Winterbourne House and Garden, located just next door. This museum, an Edwardian former family home, features a Grade II-listed botanic garden that stretches for seven acres. Children at the Maples will have regular access to these remarkable gardens. It’s the perfect place to be a curious learner, with a kitchen garden, glasshouses, pools and hundreds of rare and fascinating species to discover.

Your child will, of course, be monitored and well- cared for. However, The Maples’ ethos allows them to be exposed to risk in a natural environment, to help their integration into the world.

The Maples has its own allotment at Winterbourne. The children learn about where their food comes from, and can even grow their own. The team have already achieved RHS Gardening Award level 2, and are working towards the next accreditation.

Ready to find out more?

If The Maples Day Nursery is exactly what you’ve been looking for, or you’re just curious, good news. You can make an initial, no-obligation enquiry online right now.

Find out how, plus opening hours, the full address and more at The Maples Day Nursery.