Our Story
Peter’s Patch Day Nursery is a family – run, family – orientated day nursery with a desire to deliver an environment where children are immersed in awe and wonder from the moment they enter the building to the moment they leave again.
Founded in 2010 by Natasha, Peter’s Patch was a way of ensuring that her own children had the opportunity to receive the early years education that every child deserves. This is an education full of risky play, outdoor learning, climbing trees, teamwork, hands on experiences and getting dirty! The passion grew, as did the nursery, and now Natasha is proud to have a Day Nursery, After School and Northern Ireland’s first sessional Forest School!
A passion for the outdoors is clearly visible in Natasha and her family with every evening and weekend possible being spent in the forest, on the beach or discovering new places to adventure! This love of nature and value of risky play is reflected in all aspects of the nursery through the equipment chosen and the In the Moment Planning theory which is followed across all the rooms. Swings, a-frames, balancing equipment, climbing frames, bikes, trikes, and trees encourage all our children to take managed risks, to learn through play and to thoroughly enjoy their day.
“We want to lead the way in risky play – it is so incredibly valuable for the children to learn what their own bodies can do and taking risks is a fabulous way to do this. Managing risk is a life skill – the sooner you can start to teach it the better!”
Our Ethos
Our ethos here at Peter’s Patch is based around the knowledge that every child is unique. Each child learns in a different way and, as facilitators of learning, we aim to give all the children the space, time, and environment to learn at their pace while following their interests.
We strive to create an environment which is engaging and safe, while still promoting risk taking when appropriate. Children are offered support and guidance by qualified and highly trained staff who share our passion for learning and development through play.
Parents, guardians, and families are an incredibly important part of our world and at every opportunity we hope to involve them in the development of the children. Whether it is through the termly focus child information sheets, daily feedback via My Nursery Pal or a catch up in the car park – we want to stay connected even when we cannot be physically together in nursery.
“As things get back to normal, we hope to be able to welcome families back to our events throughout the year, to welcome visitors back to the nursery and enjoy spending a little extra time with each parent at pick up and drop off. The pandemic has been a tough time for all of us but with a lot of love and support from families, friends, staff, and children we will all get through and come out the other side with a newfound respect and passion for community, hugs, the outdoors, and each other! It’s going to be amazing and we would love to have you join us on the journey!”