Nursery dilemma?! Is it better to drive or walk?

[Lollzzl]

Nursery dilemma?! Is it better to drive or walk?

I’m torn between two nurseries - both lovely and OFSTED outstanding.

One is an 8 min drive or 30 min walk and a much bigger setting with a forest school

The other is much smaller, with a family feel, 5 min drive and a twenty min walk

Both are highly reputable through word of mouth although I hear a lot more about the bigger one but that might just be cause they take more kids.

I’m wondering whether walking to nursery will be a big advantage for us or a drawback as the nursery run will talk longer overall (parking isn’t great) however, it’s a town setting so would be a nice walk there and back if not raining!!

Or am I being idealistic thinking I’ll have time to walk and instead will be panicking and running about like a maniac and throwing us all in the car?!

Surely both are walkable?

Which did you prefer when you viewed them? That’s the important thing.

My daughter made loads of local friends at nursery, many of whom she still plays with now she's at school (even though they're in different years). All else being equal I'd choose the most local one possible.

Can you cycle? My daughters school is a 15ish
min walk but only a 5ish on my bike
i do that everyday and cycle on to work then or im
home super quick to start work if im
at home that day !

I wouldn’t really factor the drive/walk into the decision making, and the commutes are quite similar really. Do you have the time to walk to either nursery, drop your child and then walk home? That’s an hour to an hour and 15 mins whichever you choose.

Which nursery do you prefer without factoring in the drive/walk?

You’ve forgotten an important point- it takes you 30 minutes to walk it but it will take your child longer and they will want to walk sometimes or get out of the buggy for reasons like having a wee.

Which one is nearer the primary school she is likely to go to? She might make some nursery friends who go to the same school.

Mainly just go for the one you liked the best. Are they the same price?
We have an amazing little one very close to our house, but it was a lot more expensive. We chose the partly charity funded one slightly further away as it meant we’d get into less debt. we were very lucky to get a place.

Is there a going in to work afterwards factor? Will you need to use buggy/pram/stroller and factor in where you leave that/take home/take to work?

I would never walk to nursery, we have to be there for 8.40 and it just would be so much stress getting ready in time. Plus I just want to get home as quickly as possible once she’s there.

just choose the one you like the best

Depends what you have to do the rest of the day. Eg school is 2 streets away from us but on days that I work we drive, because by the time I walk home and get the car, I’ll be late for work (drop off is 8:50, work starts at 9).

Either are walkable. Depends if you think your child will cope better in a larger setting or smaller. I go to a large nursery regularly for work and it’s clear a proportion of the kids can’t cope with how busy it is.

Everyone seems to say walk, but a 30 minute walk is highly unlikely to be practical in the morning before work.

If you have to start at 9am, you will have to leave at 8 on the dot to get home on time to start. And that's assuming you are able to get the child to walk at your pace (pushed in buggy) and that you don't have any commuting to an office or getting ready to do yourself!

How old is the child?

If it's a baby I would choose the closer, smaller one. A family feel is far more important than a forest school/other facilities for babies.

If the child is 3+ I'd be tempted to go for the bigger, forest school one as that will be really advantageous for a pre-schooler.

In terms of commute, the nearer the better, but I'd be more concerned about which setting suited my child best.

My kids are long past that age but we chose the one we liked best and sometimes walked and sometimes drove over the 12 years our children attended it.

We went for the walking one, and for us it’s been the best choice. They can walk, ride their bike, scoot. They love it even in the winter and it’s great exercise each day for all of us. It’s about 15 mins though, I think 30 mins wouldn’t personally be walkable for us, what with little legs and getting to work after etc

He’s two. And honestly I think both settings seems lovely.

Where are you going after you’ve dropped them off?

It’s handy if it’s on the way to work ime but you might be heading straight back home. If you are I’d go for the closer one.

Unless the children are late sleepers I’d rather have them out of the house earlier (not there longer making more mess). They will be with you and the walk is an activity in itself.

I don't think there is enough of a difference for that to be a factor in choosing.

Yes, it's handy to be able to walk there occasionally if the car is in the garage or off the road for some other reason, or you just fancy walking one nice Summer's day, but, for those occasions, if you are walking 20mins then walking 30 is also fine.
For general day to day, presuming you are off you work or coming home from work, then the difference between what you think is going to be a 5 min drive and an 8 minute drive is negligible. The only thig I'd factor in is if they are on the route to work, or in the other direction.

I think those distances are similar enough to not make much difference.
I’d just go for the one you like best and accept you will drive sometimes and walk sometimes.
If you really can’t decide between them go for the closest one

Both are walkable

If you don’t have to be at work, sure, a 40 minute walk twice a day is fine. Realistically, most people use nursery because they need to work or do other things. I would drive and use the childcare time I’m paying for to do the childfree things I need to do.

Of course, lovely to sometimes have a little walk and we do walk to school sometimes (about 20 minutes each way). But most people drive unless it’s like 5 minutes walking so I wouldn’t plan life around walkability. Choose the one that is the best for your child.

Are you going to work afterwards? If so, you won't walk. You'll drive. We intended to cycle to nursery in summer - lovely route, through countryside. We did it once when the car broke down 😂

Smaller and closer.

We got a tern e bike to do the nursery run, to a forest school that would be a 15 minute drive, but is a 10 minute cycle - we got it on cycle to work and it's brilliant - would get one of those and chose the bigger setting.

I’d choose the nursery where more of the children go to the school you would like your child to go to, that way they move to school with their peers.

I loved walking or cycling to setting when mine were little and primary. It was part of the rhythm of the day, we had great chats exploring our local places, it was healthier and less stressful....
I would echo the thoughts about what primary school you are going for - and whether friends at nursery will be at that primary.