At Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Lightwater, children from 16 months to 2 years are welcomed into and enjoy a space in Tweenies that matches their inquisitiveness as they begin to explore the world around them once they move on from our youngest room. The space is filled with well-considered furnishings and learning resources that are accessible to them at all times.
Nurturing Independence at Our Lightwater Nursery
We recognise that as toddlers grow, so does their curiosity and independence. With a low child-to-educator ratio of no more than four children per team member, each child receives the individual attention, guidance, and encouragement they need to thrive.
In our Tweenies Room, children continue to develop across the three prime areas of learning while being gently introduced to the four specific areas: literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, and expressive arts and design. Activities are carefully tailored to follow each child’s individual interests, including messy play, multicultural books and songs, and Makaton sign language, helping to nurture communication, creativity, and confidence.
The room also features a dedicated sleep pod and sensory area, offering visual stimulation and tactile experiences to support early sensory development and restful moments. Outdoor education is a key part of the day, with plenty of outdoor play, nature exploration, and early forest school experiences to promote well-being, physical development, and curiosity about the world.
What Makes Us Special
A Nurturing and Stimulating Tweenies Environment
At Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Lightwater, our Tweenies environment is designed to support curiosity, independence, and holistic development. With a low child-to-educator ratio, children enjoy personalised activities such as messy play, Makaton, and multicultural books and songs, alongside a dedicated sleep and sensory area and spacious indoor and outdoor play zones. This carefully planned environment encourages exploration, physical development, and well-being, helping Tweenies grow into confident, curious, and happy learners.
Personalised Care for Every Child
At Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Lightwater, we provide warm, attentive care tailored to each child’s individual needs and routines. Our experienced team works closely with families to ensure consistency between home and nursery, supporting feeding, rest, and daily activities with gentle, responsive guidance. With low staff-to-child ratios, every child receives the attention, reassurance, and encouragement they need to feel secure, confident, and happy while exploring, learning, and growing.
Healthy, Balanced Nutrition for Growing Minds
At Monkey Puzzle, we believe good nutrition is the foundation for happy, healthy children. Our carefully planned menus, created in partnership with our early years nutritionist, provide balanced meals and snacks that support growth, development, and wellbeing. We work closely with families to accommodate dietary needs and preferences, while encouraging positive mealtime experiences that help children develop healthy eating habits from an early age.
A Play-Based Curriculum That Inspires Learning
Our curriculum is designed around the EYFS framework to support every child’s development. Through play-based learning, guided activities, and meaningful interactions, children develop key skills across the prime areas of learning, communication and language, physical development, and personal, social, and emotional growth, while being gently introduced to the specific areas, including literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, and expressive arts. This approach encourages curiosity, creativity, and confidence, turning everyday moments into opportunities for children to explore, learn, and thrive.
Play, Rest & Mealtimes for Happy Children
Outdoor Play and Exploration
Outdoors, our Tweenies enjoy access to Lightwater’s discovery garden, a safe and engaging space with impact-absorbing surfaces and a variety of equipment to support balance, coordination, and physical development. At Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Lightwater, we believe outdoor education and play are an essential part of every child’s learning, fostering curiosity, confidence, and a love of exploring the world around them.
Cosy Sleep and Rest Time
We know rest is vital for Tweenies. Each child has a sleep mat and blanket, creating a cosy, familiar space to relax and recharge. Our calm sleep pod and sensory area provide a comforting environment that supports early sensory development, helping children feel secure, refreshed, and ready to enjoy the rest of their day at our nurturing nursery.
Mealtimes and Social Development
Mealtimes at our nursery are special moments where toddlers enjoy healthy, balanced meals around child-sized tables. Partnering an early years nutritionist, we provide nutrition-filled dishes that support growth and wellbeing. This shared experience fosters social skills, independence, and routine, with children helping set the table and developing positive eating habits.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, nursery education is not compulsory in the UK. Your child is required to start full-time education once they reach the compulsory school age.
There is no set age to start nursery, but we welcome children from as young as 3 months up to 5 years old.
Please dress your child in clothes that you don’t mind getting messy. Despite our efforts to keep children’s clothes protected with bibs and aprons, accidents do happen. We recommend bringing a set of spare clothes, as well as weather-appropriate items like coats and wellies, which can be left at the nursery for convenience.
Choosing the right nursery for your child can feel overwhelming, especially if it’s the first time you’re leaving them in the care of someone outside your family or close friends. It’s a big decision, and getting it right matters not only for your peace of mind but also for your child’s early development and future readiness for school.
Our first piece of advice: shop around. Even if the first day nursery you visit seems perfect, it’s worth exploring a few more to truly understand what’s available in your area.
At Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery & Preschool Lightwater, we’re confident that once you visit and experience our nurturing environment, high-quality facilities, and dedicated approach to early years education, you’ll feel reassured about registering your child with us. Still, we fully encourage you to make an informed choice because finding the right fit for you and your child is what matters most.
The day your child starts nursery might feel like it’s come around sooner than expected — and it’s completely normal to feel a little unprepared. While planning ahead is helpful, we’re here to support you and make this transition as smooth as possible.
To help you get started, we’ve put together a simple checklist of everything your child may need to feel comfortable and settled in those early days:
What to Pack for Nursery – A Parent’s Checklist
All children have access to the outdoor area(s) every day. Therefore, we ask that you provide weather-appropriate outdoor clothing throughout the year.
Young children learn best through play, so their activities are planned around their individual interests and needs. This approach ensures they continue to learn and develop while engaging with their favourite toys, games, and experiences.
While your child will be cared for within their age group, it is important that we also meet their individual needs. Each child is assigned a Key Person whose role is to take special responsibility for their care and education during their time at the nursery.
At Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery & Preschool Lightwater, we understand the importance of a consistent and comforting sleep routine for young children. We will follow your child’s individual sleep schedule as closely as possible. However, please note that this routine may naturally adjust over time due to the structure of the nursery day and your child’s ongoing developmental needs.
We provide cots for children under the age of one and sleep mats for older children to ensure a safe and restful sleep environment. Clean sheets and blankets are provided by the nursery, but you are very welcome to supply your own bedding if you prefer something familiar for your child.
Supporting your child’s rest and wellbeing is a key part of their day at Monkey Puzzle Lightwater, and we are always happy to discuss any changes to their sleep needs with you.
You will receive verbal feedback in person each time you collect your child from Nursery. In addition, we will arrange meetings with you, typically every three months, to discuss your child’s progress. However, you are welcome to request more frequent meetings if you wish.
We also use the Famly app, where we regularly upload observations and information about your child’s daily routines.
We encourage you to share any new developments or milestones you’ve observed at home so we can work together to consistently support your child’s growth and development at Nursery.
We support early child development through a rich, play-based curriculum rooted in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Our experienced and passionate team creates engaging, age-appropriate activities that help babies and toddlers grow across all key areas of development, communication and language, physical development, and personal, social, and emotional development.
We believe in the power of play as the foundation for learning. From sensory exploration and messy play to music, stories, and mark-making, every experience is designed to encourage curiosity, confidence, and essential early skills. Our key person approach ensures each child receives individual attention, with learning tailored to their unique interests and developmental needs.
In a safe, nurturing environment, your child will be supported to explore, discover, and thrive, giving them the very best start on their early learning journey.
