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Kirkintilloch Nature Kindergarten
Kirkintilloch Nature Kindergarten,
12-15 Whitegate, Lenzie Road,
Kirkintilloch, G66 3BQ
Your Local Nursery in Kirkintilloch
Kirkintilloch Nature Kindergarten is a well-established and trusted nursery within the Kirkintilloch community. We are proud to have a reputation for providing high quality childcare.
We are committed to creating a home away from home atmosphere for children and parents to feel comfortable and confident. We provide childcare for children from 6 weeks to 5 years old, 5 days a week. Our nursery is situated in Whitegates Estate with convenient links to public transport. Our nursery also benefits from being close to the motorway network, allowing for easy access to Edinburgh, Stirling, Glasgow and beyond. We have our own large car park providing easy drop-off and collection.
Our unique features
Long-standing staff team
Award Winning
Large car park providing easy drop-off and collection
Meet the Manager
Charmaine Ness
Nursery Manager
Lynda Lynch
Deputy Manager
Our Nursery Brochure
We will guide you through every step of your childcare journey and help you discover everything you need to know about our nursery. Come and join our family of nurseries across the UK. If you have any questions or enquiries, please feel free to contact us.
Alternatively, why not book a personal tour of our nursery where one of our friendly team will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Day Nurseries Reviews
What Parents Say About Our Nursery
Outdoor Discovery: Growing, Learning, and Playing in Nature
Our extensive outdoor area is comprised of several very exciting spaces that promote children’s natural desire to explore, investigate and take risks under the supervision of skillful practitioners.
Inspirational features that add to the interest of the garden include; a tree house, a gravel pit, a bug hotel, a pond, a fire pit, an outdoor classroom and a bird watching hut. We even encourage our children to help grow their own veggies in our vegetable patch whenever possible! The garden provides opportunities for children of all ages and abilities to physically challenge themselves. A small hill, steps, split level areas and stepping stones allow children to test their ability to climb, balance and jump at a level that they feel safe. We are now a forest school, so much of the Pre-School children’s play and learning takes place in our outdoor area. We provide our pre-school children with a secure and safe area to explore to their heart’s content. By providing access to such a wonderful nature area, we feel that we are offering our children the opportunity to engage with the rich natural diversity of the natural outdoor environment whilst helping to build confidence, sensitivity, resilience and curiosity.
We are committed to being an environmentally friendly nursery, making changes wherever we can in order to make the world a cleaner place! We are a registered ECO-Nursery and are committed to teach our children about their environment and the effect we have on it in our day to day lives.
Our Approach to Education at Kirkintilloch Nature Kindergarten
Our curriculum includes a Realising the Ambition: Being Me framework in conjunction with Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence approach that offers hands-on perspectives to encourage the skills your child will need in the nursery and beyond:
- Mathematics: Integrating numbers into real-life routines
- Schematic Play: Quality learning environment providing the potential for children’s creativity skills and allowing them to follow their own interests confidently
- Listening, Attention and Speaking: Teaching children to express their ideas and feelings about their experiences using complete sentences
- Personal, Social and Emotional Education
- STEM Activities: Building and problem solving using science, technology, engineering, and math
- Ensuring children are physically active from birth and meet the Chief Medical Officers (2019) guidelines of a minimum of 3 hours per day
Our Nursery Fees and Funding
We can offer flexible booking patterns and a range of funding options, including government funded childcare. To find out more information on pricing and availability, please request a call back and we will be in touch shortly.
Our fees include:
- Quality Early Years Care and Education
- Healthy, well balanced menu for all children
- Access to a wide range of quality resources and equipment
- E-Learning Journals and Interactive App
- Monthly newsletters and parent evenings
- Free Settling in Sessions
*Terms and conditions apply to our funding options. Contact us for more information.
Most Enjoyed Activities at Our Nursery
Our nurseries offer a wide range of nursery activities and extras to enrich every child’s experience at nursery and to support busy parents.
Physical Development and Education
As part of our curriculum, we are committed to ensuring children are physically active for a minimum of 3 hours per day. Physical Development Champions at each nursery are passionate about physical development and create and design specific activities based around movement, raising the heartbeat and exercising the cardiovascular system.
Special Festivals
Our nursery encourages children to celebrate festivals throughout the year. This is one of the best ways for children to learn about different religions and cultures by celebrating various world religious festivals, food tasting from different countries and dressing up in the national dress of their friends.
Risky Play
We provide children with opportunities to explore the use of real tools and natural materials under our supervision. Risky play encourages the development of excellent motor skills, communication, concentration and co-ordination and gives our children enormous scope to engage with their surroundings.
Nursery Library
We believe that reading should be lots of fun, so we run a mini-library service to encourage children to share their favourite stories with their parents, and to help busy parents keep the bookshelf engaging at home! Our nurseries organise regular library visits as part of the learning process.
Every Child a Talker
Thrive Childcare and Education understands the importance of promoting language and communication. Through our Every Child’s A Talker (ETAC) language programme, we seek to identify speech and language difficulties with an aim to providing detailed, age-appropriate language sessions in each of our nursery rooms. Babies and Toddlers have lots of fun at our Sing and Sign.
Forest School
Forest School is an inspirational process that offers our children opportunities to develop their self-confidence through hands-on learning experiences in our woodland gardens and outdoor classrooms.
Excellent Resources
Our nurseries provide an extensive range of resources to encourage children to learn through play. We favour naturalistic learning resources and make fantastic use of our outdoor equipment, promoting free-flow and child-led learning.
Eco-Schools
Eco Schools is the largest sustainable schools programme in the world and is designed to encourage action on sustainable development issues. Our children love getting involved in their Eco Schools projects and learning about how to help protect the environment.
Fundraising Activities
Taking part in fundraising activities helps children to learn about others that are less fortunate than themselves and to understand how we can help them. Fundraising events are good fun and are a great way to bring children, families and communities together. Some of the fundraisers we have taken part in are: sponsored toddles, superhero days, baking cakes to sell and garden parties.
Graduations
We celebrate the big move to primary school with a special graduation ceremony each year – caps, gowns, the works!
Heuristic Play
We encourage Heuristic Play with our 1–2-year-olds, embracing every child’s natural curiosity. Heuristic play involves offering children a range of different objects and receptacles with which they are encouraged to play freely without adult instruction.
Planting and Growing
We make use of our wonderful outdoor spaces and forest areas by encouraging children at our nurseries to plant, grow and tend to fruit, vegetables, flowers and herbs throughout the year.
Settling-In Sessions
Our nurseries offer free settling-in sessions. Parents can bring their child for a couple of hours first, gradually introducing the child to a new environment. Settling-in sessions are aimed at helping your child to adapt to their new surroundings and become more familiar with the staff and other children.
E-Learning Journals / Parent Zone App
Our E-Learning journals and Parent Zone app allow you to see your child’s activities at nursery with the click of a button. Staff upload images and notes about your child’s participation in activities at nursery for you to access wherever you are. Our nursery tablets offer exciting and stimulating learning experiences tailored to challenge and engage little ones.
Delivery Acceptance
Just another way we aim to make life run a little smoother for our families – many of our nurseries offer delivery acceptance. You can have deliveries/parcels/post sent to your nursery and collect anything when you come to the nursery for pick-up!
The Daily Mile
Daily Mile is physical activity and health and well-being in a social, outdoors context. It is not active play, physical education or outdoor learning, although participating in The Daily Mile can encourage curiosity and interest in outdoor environments in keeping with wider outdoor learning opportunities. The main goal is to increase daily activity.
Baking with Chef
Wherever we can we encourage children to partake in preparing their meals at nursery. We love to see children take pride in their culinary creations and enjoy healthy and delicious food.
Food & Nutrition: Building Healthy Habits
Here at Nature Kindergarten Kirkintilloch, we have our very own qualified Nursery Chef who creates nutritionally balanced 3 week rolling menus. Our menus are designed to give your little one the very best start in life.
We make this possible by supplying our children with home cooked nutritional food, bursting with fresh fruit and vegetables and all the essential ingredients necessary for healthy physical and mental development. Whenever possible we source our food locally and organically, including seasonal vegetables and fruit into our menus. Our children have a choice of milk or water to drink throughout the day.
Growing Our Own Vegetables
Our children have opportunities to excel as nursery gardeners with their very own vegetable patch!
Cooking and Baking Activities
Our children have opportunities to work with our Nursery Chef through weekly cooking and baking activities.
Vegetarian and Vegan
We are happy to cater for all preferences including Vegeterian and Vegan.
Dairy-Free Milk
We offer a variety of milk including animal and plant based milks. Speak to our Nursery Chef regarding your preference.
Dietary Requirements
We are happy to cater for a whole range of dietary/religious/cultural requirements. Please speak to our Nursery Chef for more information.
No Added Sugar or Salt
We do not add additional salt or sugar. Where possible we purchase products with reduced salt and lower sugar.
Allergies and First Aid
Our staff are trained in First Aid and the team are experienced in catering for allergies. You are more than welcome to meet with a member of our team to discuss your requirements.
Caring for Every Stage: From Babies to Pre-Schoolers
Baby Room (0-2 years)
Nurturing Beginnings
Our baby room provides a calm, safe, and stimulating environment where our babies can explore, discover, and develop at their own pace. With a strong focus on sensory play, close one-to-one care, and gentle routines, we create a loving space where babies feel secure, happy, and encouraged to take their first steps in learning.
Toddler Room (2-3 years)
Exploring and Growing
At this curious and energetic stage, toddlers thrive in a space designed for discovery, movement, and social interaction. Through hands-on activities, messy play, early language development, and guided exploration, we nurture independence while ensuring children feel supported in their growing confidence and abilities.
Pre-School Room (3-5 years)
Ready for Big Adventures
As children prepare for their next steps into school life, our pre-school room offers a structured yet playful approach to learning. With a mix of phonics, numeracy, creative expression, and problem-solving activities, we build essential skills while encouraging curiosity, teamwork, and self-confidence, ensuring a smooth transition to reception.
A Connected Nursery Experience for Parents
At Thrive Childcare, we know how important it is for parents to stay involved in their child’s nursery journey. That’s why we use the ParentZone app—giving you real-time updates, photos, and key insights about your little one’s day, all in one secure place.
Regular Updates
Stay informed with nursery newsletters, announcements, and invitations to exciting events.
Daily Moments
See snapshots and videos of your child’s activities, from learning adventures to playful discoveries.
Instant Notifications
Get real-time updates on your child’s progress, meal times, and important nursery messages.
Nursery Calendar
Keep track of term dates, planned activities, and special events—all at a glance.
Learning Journey
Follow your child’s development through detailed progress reports and key learning milestones.
Two-Way Communication
Easily message our nursery team to ask questions, share updates, and stay connected.
At Thrive Childcare, we want you to always feel part of your child’s world—wherever you are.
Frequently asked questions
Do you offer part-time or flexible sessions for children?
Yes we do, please don’t hesitate to ask your nursery manager what is available in your nursery
How do you handle first aid or medical emergencies?
Our staff teams are qualified in paediatric first aid and refresh their knowledge on a regular basis, this is over and above regulatory minimum requirements
What is your settling-in process for new children?
We take an individualised approach to setting our children into our nursery environments, as a minimum we offer three settle sessions to allow children to gain familiarity and then our nursery teams will work with you to decide if more sessions are required
How do you communicate with parents about their child’s progress?
We have a fantastic app where you can view your child’s progress and daily routines. We also hold regular parents evenings and you can request a meeting at any time with your child’s key person to discuss your child’s individual needs
Are there any additional costs, such as for trips or special activities?
This is nursery dependent and will be explained on your personal tour
Do you offer sibling discounts or loyalty programs?
No
Do you provide care for children with special educational needs (SEN/ASN)?
Yes and we work together in partnership with you, external agencies and the local authority throughout your time with us to support you and your child to reach the very best outcomes
What makes your nursery stand out from others in the area?
Our Thrive ethos and values are unique to us and set us apart from the rest
What should I pack in my child’s bag for nursery?
A spare set of clothes are a must, also any comforters your child may need, apart from that we provide the rest!
Should I pack nappies and wipes, or are they provided?
No, they are provided
What is the process for dropping off and picking up my child?
This is nursery dependent as some opening and closing times do differ, ask your nursery manager to clarify. All of our nurseries endeavour to make this transition as smooth as possible for you and your child
What happens if I am late to pick up my child?
We understand that on occasion this can be inevitable, we do issue a late charge if lateness becomes an ongoing issue and will work with you to find a solution
What should I do if my child has trouble adjusting to nursery?
Trust us and trust in the process, we are here to help and advise so please reach out if you are concerned your child isn’t settling, we can work together to help the separation become easier over time
Do I need to provide suncream or outdoor clothing, such as rain boots?
This is nursery specific again however all of our sites provide suncream, you are welcome to provide your own if your child is sensitive to the suncream we provide
Can I change my child’s schedule once it has been agreed?
Yes you can, we will need a months written notice to reduce sessions, if its an increase and we have availability it can in most cases be arranged sooner. You can also book extra sessions when you need them again dependent on availability We regularly offer discounted extra sessions so do look out for those discounts in our nurseries
Take a
personal tour of our nursery
We will guide you through every step to get the most out of our nurseries. Join our family and pay us a visit by completing the contact us form.
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