What would you like in an Ideal Nursery?

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Hi. Just doing abit of research, Husband thinking of starting up an Indoor play center/ Nursery and we would like to know what people would like from their Ideal nursery.

Would parents be interested in early morning drop offs/ late pick ups for better work/ life balance?

Web cameras so you can monitor your children?

Baby sitting service in evenings/ weekends where staff (that know your child) come to your house to look after them?

What would you like from a nursery/ play center to full your unmet needs?

Thank you!

Evening/weekend sitting service would be ideal.
A club for older kids in school hols. My LO's nursery takes them to the age of 8, but after they start school, there's not much for kids to do and only a few older kids go there.

Think babycam is a great idea, would love to be able to check in and see DD all the time occasionally when at work.

Good food, organic, home made, varied - this is really important IMO.

Apart from that, good staff are the real key.

An indoor play centre and a day care nursery are very different things though so I am not sure what exactly you mean when you say indoor play/nursery - I don't think one place can really be both.

24 hr care, with the option to just have them for all the nice bits.

Good sized outdoor space is very important to me as are seperate nap rooms.

Web cam - not bothered but I do like the fact that dd's nursery take pictures all day on a digital camera then have them running on photo frames as you're doing the pick up - means you can see what they've been up to!

Longer opening hours - that will depend on your market/area in London commuter belt they are probably a desirable but not in the city in the North where I live. Most commutes just aren't that long.

Thanks everyone for being so helpful.

What I mean about playcenter/ nursery is.....

There will be a main day nursery with a play center attached but will all be seperate. Sometimes the kids from day nursery will be able to play in the center if quite and adequate staff etc.

Early or late care option. Kids club in hols for the over 8s would get loads of takers I'm sure.

staff that love my kids, lots of time outside

I'd personally like to see a wide age range of staff. Most of them in my nursery are in their 20's and they are great, lovely, kind and qualified. However, I think there is also a lot to be said for experienced mothers/grandmothers (or indeed fathers/grandfathers) in nureries too.

Healthy food, lots of fruit and veg.

A garden area that kids can plant things and watch them grow

Regular visits from interesting people (police, fire service, dancing classes)

ideally i'd like the nursery to take the kids out

I hated the baby room because in the winter they got no fresh air, they didnt take them out in prams

happy staff is very imporfant too, there is nothing worse than a young girl telling you what dc ate that day in a monotone uninterested voice

a proper key worker that moves rooms with them and is only looking after one, under one year old at a time (and older ones)

No one can look after 3 babies properly on their own all day.

Mixed rooms not 8 babies in a room (that is just weird)

id like a healthy, hopefully organic food policy and cameras so i could see dd whilst i am at work and in case of accidents etc.
evening babysitting would be useful.
a big play area full of stimulation is a must and non smoking staff would . having worked in nurseries in the past i know that many smokers come back from their breaks smelling like fags and thats not good for the children or other staff.

Continuity of care. If I start my nearly walking daughter at nursery she will be in the baby room but then have to move up to next room in a couple of months, so having just got used to environment and new faces she will then have to adjust to new carers again.

Higher staffing ratios than necessary. 1 adult to 3 babies just isn't enough. Fair enough when pre schoolers and can wait a bit for attention, but babies need their needs met asap and I'm sorry but with 3 under ones to care for this can't be done.

Green outdoor play area where younger ones get out too (at local nursery only 2 years up get out to play - the rest only get out for walks in buggies )

Seperate quiet sleeping area.

Triplets?

I think you're starting with the wrong questions

Your main asset and what most people want will be your staff. Good recruitment, good pay and conditions, opportunities for career development, good training and staff development, good management and support.

I want my nursery not to have a high turnover of uninterested 16 yos. It doesn't actually, it has staff who stay, who love the kids and who seem happy and well supported and that is what all three of my children have thrived there.

Continuity of staff - pay them a good wage, encourage their training and give them benefits above average so that they want to stay there.

Good, healthy varied diet.

Large outdoor play area for them to run around in. Take them outside as often as possible - wellies for wet days. Don't worry about them getting grubby!

Keep it relatively small so that the children get to know as many of the staff as possible, as well as their key worker so that if their key worker does change, its likely to be someone they already know.

One of the reasons I chose my dc's preschool is because it is attached to a very large soft play centre that is pretty empty in the week. They often go in and run riot twice a session- lovely for active children!
However, the most important point is staff I trust so their open door policy is great- you are never given an appointment-just come in any time- I have never been dissapointed with what I've found.