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Original poster

Am I right to be worried about nursery taking out 2.5 year old?

33 replies

Hogu · 20/09/2021 18:14

The nursery we like the best for our 2.5 year old has daily walks to the local park. This is all new territory to me and ds has always been with me so am I right to be worried? It's the one things that's stopping me going for this nursery. Everything else is spot on.

Staff are 1 for every 2 children when out.

Please put my mind at rest or give some advice!

OP posts:
Hazel444 · 20/09/2021 18:19

I think if you fundamentally don't trust your son's nursery to be able to take care of him doing activities they have presumably done for years then it's probably not the right nursery for you. My son's first nursery was in central London and they would regularly go to St James' park, having to cross busy roads and I trusted them to take care of him 100%.

Floralnomad · 20/09/2021 18:22

Isn’t this type of thing pretty standard , there are a couple of nurseries walking distance from us and you often groups out and about .

BlusteryLake · 20/09/2021 18:22

My children went on outings at nursery at that age. If you are feeling concerned, could you ask to watch them to put your mind at rest?

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OrangeTortoise · 20/09/2021 18:23

To me that would be absolutely normal and in fact a positive thing.

LifesNotDoneYet · 20/09/2021 18:28

Every nursery round here takes them all out over the course of the day, from the tiny babies to the preschoolers. I'd find it weirder if they didn't!

What are you worried about? Is he a bolter? Just prewarn them of that maybe? Tbh the kids are always really well behaved and walking right next to the adults when I see them out in the park near us.

Zarene · 20/09/2021 18:28

Totally normal! DD does this, and I absolutely trust the staff. If you don’t that’s a different, more fundamental, issue.

ThePug · 20/09/2021 18:32

At that age they're likely to take them in double pushchairs, or at least some of them in pushchairs and the rest will probably be wearing backpack reins. They'll be in hi viz vests with the nursery name on normally. I'm willing to bet not many mums of 2+ children do that every time they go out! Most nurseries will take children out and it's a selling point for lots of families. Childminders are likely to do it even more. What ate your concerns? That they're not 1-1 supervised?

Breadpapercone · 20/09/2021 18:34

Much better than him being stuck in a room all day. You want good outside space and/or trips out.

MalfunctioningRobot · 20/09/2021 18:35

I often see groups of nursery children out where I live. One takes them in like a cart thing, looks like it seats about 8-10 children inside the cart, has a canopy over the top, the children are usually pushed up to the park in that. The other nursery has wrist straps for some of the children when they’re out. I’m sure if there were any concerns about children running off, they’d have measures they already use to keep everyone safe.

pompomsgalore · 20/09/2021 18:37

Would you rather they stay in all day? Surely exercise and fresh air are good things.

Do you suffer with other anxieties?

CasaBonita · 20/09/2021 18:38

Mine was a bolter at this age, a complete nightmare. However, the nursery managed to control him very well! I honestly wouldn't worry, they know what they're doing.

SylvanasWindrunner · 20/09/2021 18:38

This is hugely common round here - pretty much every nursery does it. They'll be very safe. What is it you're worried about?

elbea · 20/09/2021 19:05

It’s pretty normal I think. Ours take the children paddling in the local streams with a 1:1 ration in the summer.

Original poster
Hogu · 20/09/2021 19:19

Well this has put my mind at ease so much!
To be honest I hadn't realised it was so common! They don't have outdoor space so that's why they take them out everyday on a walk mainly to the park. I didn't know it was the norm, I thought it was just because they didn't have a garden.

Probably sounds like a real worrier (which I am!!!) but this is my first time so I'm a bit clueless!

OP posts:
NuffSaidSam · 20/09/2021 19:22

Would you really want him stuck indoors all day long? Like baby jail?

You can always go and observe from a distance if you're worried that supervision isn't adequate.

mynameiscalypso · 20/09/2021 19:25

DS is a similar age. They go out for at least one walk or day, if not two. Favourite trips are to the park to play football, to see the ducks on the canal or to stand on a bridge and watch the trains. It's been brilliant for DS - he walks far more confidently now and they've managed to teach him to hold hands / walk safely on the road. Plus they look bloody adorable in their hi-vis jackets.

ParkheadParadise · 20/09/2021 19:26

That's normal.
I remember when my mum was in a care home the children from the local nursery were regular visitors. They walked there from the nursery.

olidora63 · 20/09/2021 19:28

It would be the reason why I would choose that nursery!! Exercise and fresh air in all weather is perfect. I regularly see children of nursery age out and about with their carers .

BoomChicka · 20/09/2021 19:30

Worried about what?

Bunnycat101 · 20/09/2021 19:33

Personally I’d rather a nursery with a garden and wouldn’t be keen on one without outdoor space but it depends what your options are locally. If no-where has outdoor space then the park trips would seem more essential to get some outdoor time. Mine doesn’t do trips until pre-school age but they don’t need to really as have loads of outdoor space, own forest school etc.

whensmynexthol1day · 20/09/2021 19:35

Definitely normal! At our old nursery they used to go out and about all over the place waking and on the bus including going to the local morissons to have a look around and get stuff for baking.
At our new nursery they're clearly hot on road safety as dd tells me every time we cross a road that 'when me and my friends go to the park we always look left and right'!

megletthesecond · 20/09/2021 19:36

It's really standard. And really cute when you see them walking along together. IIRC my dc's nursery used wrist reins and hand holding and double/ triple buggies.
Mine used to go to the library too. Or the local supermarket to help buy ingredients for cooking.

Invisimamma · 20/09/2021 19:36

I wouldn't choose a nursery with no outdoor space. That will be miserable in the hot summer days, even with walks to the park. It's better if they can open the doors and let children in and out of the garden as they please.

Although short local walks and trips to the park totally normal for all nurseries.

gogohm · 20/09/2021 19:38

It's normal, my DD's preschool used to walk them up to watch the train at the level crossing at least once a week, the kids loved it Hmm

Goldbar · 20/09/2021 19:48

If the nursery doesn't have any outdoor space, then they really have to take them out, don't they? Otherwise in winter you'd practically drop your DC off in the dark and collect them in the dark without your DC having been outside in daylight at all.

Personally, I'd prefer a nursery where the kids could go outside whenever they wanted to.