#4 of 10 top tips on what to look for when choosing a nursery for your child.
If this is the first time you have ever thought about using a nursery it is absolutely crucial that you know what to look for and why these things are important. This series of tips are excerpts from the book The Definitive Guide to Choosing a Nursery, by our principal and founder, Jane Smalley.
Top tip number 4. Tables, Chairs and Furniture
The tables should be clean and well-maintained, they may be wood or laminated tops. The tables may be used for both messy activities and for serving and eating meals so they must be scrupulously clean, though they may be stained over a period of time.
The bookcases and shelving units should look in good order and should not look as if they are about to fall down or topple over. Cupboards and shelves should display an arrangement of toys which are neatly labelled and tidy.
Shelving units which display a range of odd toys and games in no particular order or are used to house odd toys and work products of staff may demonstrate a lack of organisation in the room.
All nursery rooms will need to have enough chairs for every child to sit for meals. These can sometimes take up valuable play space so many nurseries just stack these out of the way until needed. Check that these do not block fire doors or cause a hazard to small toddlers who are learning to walk and climb!
You should look for a wide range of toys and equipment for all types of play. I cover this in much more detail in my book. For now look to see if toys include both wooden and plastic types. If there are toys for floor play and toys for table-top play, are they neatly organised in labelled boxes so that children can help themselves?
Are there messy play activities too and aprons for children to wear?
Don’t worry if it all looks a little messy and untidy when children are playing; is there a general air of happy-busy play or are you witnessing chaos on a grand scale?
Look out for our Choosing a Nursery Tip Number 5 coming shortly!
We really hope you have found Jane’s top tips for choosing a nursery useful. Want to know more? Our book is available to purchase here.