FAQs

This is our most commonly asked question! The children all have high quality rain coats and dungarees to ensure they are kept warm and dry. The woodland canopy provides us with excellent shelter and we use tarpaulins/event shelters for additional shelter when the children are sitting down for lunch/snacks or when participating in a static activity. The children love splashing in puddles and mixing up mud paint in order to face or tree paint in the rain… so we would struggle to keep them underneath shelter all of the time!

Yes, we spend the majority of our day outdoors. We use the indoor accommodation for children arriving before 8.30 a.m. and return about 5pm, depending on the time of year. All of the children are suitably dressed for the outdoors (including thermal layers and ski wear in the winter), just like if their parents were taking them skiing or if they lived in a colder climate. We remain outdoors in all weather conditions, continuously adapting our camps and shelters accordingly and educating the children on how to cope in challenging weather. We do not remain within the woodland if there is high wind, due to the risk of falling branches, however we remain outdoors in rain, sunshine and snow…..the learning opportunities available in varying weather conditions are endless! We have our indoor accommodation available to us throughout the day, in case of severe weather conditions.

All children have the opportunity to sleep or rest throughout the day. We have hammocks and tents that the children sleep in, regardless of the weather. On dry days, they can drift off to sleep whilst looking at the trees and birds above, and on wet days they are kept cosy and dry under a tarpaulin or in the quiet tent.

Eligible children will receive a lunch provided by Woodland Play. Where parents provide a lunch and late afternoon snack, if needed, we ask that these are healthy and nut free. Parents should provide an insulated lunch box and icepacks to ensure that food is kept cool throughout the day. On colder days, children will often bring a hot lunch (e.g. soup or pasta) in a food flask. We provide drinks and a morning and mid afternoon healthy snack to the children attending the morning and afternoon sessions.

Yes, of course. The majority of our children attend the nursery between one and three days per week. Some do not require additional childcare on the other days, whilst others also attend an indoor nursery, childminder or their local council nursery school. Often children ‘drop’ a day or two at their existing nursery in order to gain from the huge benefits that true outdoor learning has to offer.

We are able to take up to 24 children.

We have higher staffing ratios compared with other local nurseries. Our minimum staff to child ratio is 1:6.

No, children do not need to be toilet trained. In the Top Paddock we have a portable toilet system, to enable children to freely access the toilet throughout the day. Assistance is given as required.

Yes, our curriculum is nature based and follows the Curriculum for Excellence. We believe that the outdoor environment has massive potential for pre school learning, offering motivating, exciting, creative, challenging and relevant learning experiences that are remembered for a lifetime. We are confident that we are able to effectively and creatively fulfil all areas of the Curriculum for Excellence in our natural and stimulating outdoor classroom.

We do not take commercial toys with us. The children have endless natural resources available to them – a fallen log which they imaginatively turn into a spaceship, a Rhododendron den which is turned into a hairdressers. We take additional resources with us, including writing and craft materials (such as chalk, chalk boards, paint brushes, twine, scissors), story books, bubbles, magnifying glasses….and thick rope to make a rope swing or assault course within the trees. As children do not have predetermined plastic toys with them there is little arguing between children for resources and, more importantly, significantly more imaginative and creative play established.

There are numerous opportunities for us to aid the development of literacy and numeracy skills in the outdoors. In literacy there are opportunities to listen to and make up imaginative stories, sing, identify signs in the woodland and construct letters and words using pebbles/mud/chalk/sticks etc. In numeracy there are opportunities to measure length with sticks or body length, look for different shapes and patterns in leaves and other natural objects, count conkers and use ropes and buckets to make pulley systems to investigate weight.

Yes, we receive annual inspections of our service by SCSWIS.

Yes, we have partnership funding with East Renfrewshire Council

Our sessions currently cost £37.50 for either a morning session 8.00-1.00, an afternoon session 1.00-5.55 or core 10.00-3.00, with the all day session costing £75 8:00-17.55. Please refer to the Fees Section in Info for further information.

Yes, we accept all types of childcare vouchers.

To register please get in touch and we can provide you with all the information you need on how to register.

We are at Greenbank Garden, Flenders Rd, Clarkston G76 8RB. Just past Clarkston Main St, on the way towards Newton Mearns. Beechwood is located off a footpath from Beechwood Avenue, just a few streets from Greenbank. We are within easy travelling distance of East Kilbride, Newton Mearns, Shawlands and Netherlee, and the number 4 bus comes past the end of our road. We are also walking distance from Clarkston and Williamwood stations.

Not at the moment, although we do run Easter and Summer camps during some weeks of the holidays, subject to staff availability.

Yes, the nursery is open every day from 8.00 a.m. and we have Stay n Play sessions on Mondays and Fridays from 10.00-11.30, for further information on Stay n Play have a look at their section on the website.