Nurturing Natalie
Where Children Grow and Thrive
About Nurturing Natalie
Welcome to our highly regarded childminding service, established in Hove. Situated just minutes away from the beach and the local parks, both of which serve as excellent venues for outdoor exploration and play. I take immense pride in creating a nurturing and supportive environment, which is evidenced by my commitment to maintaining a small, family-oriented group setting. In our open space, we integrate elements from both the Steiner and Montessori educational philosophies. This provides children with the opportunity to explore, engage, and learn at their own unique pace, whilst nurturing their natural curiosity and creativity. We offer a blend of enriching experiences, including forest school and beach school which allows the children to connect with nature and learn through hands on exploration. To further enhance their wellbeing we incorporate yoga, meditation and sound baths to promote mindfulness. I prioritise the health and nutrition of your little ones by providing healthy and nutritious meals using organic ingredients where possible. Each child has a separate sleep space with black out blinds so that individual routines can be maintained. All of these elements work together to ensure a comprehensive and holistic approach to your child's overall development and well-being. Join our little family in this wonderful journey of fostering a love for nature, learning and holistic development!
About Natalie
My name is Natalie, and I am a highly experienced professional with more than 30 years dedicated to the care and development of babies and children across various age groups. I hold a BTEC qualification in Nursery Nursing, a Degree in Early Childhood Education, and am a qualified sleep consultant and a baby and child specialist. I have a published book called 'Perfect Sleep because life's to short to be permanently knackered!' and am happy to give free advice on this to all of my families. I am also happy to give free advice on weaning, breastfeeding, moving from breast to bottle, transitioning from cot to bed, potty training etc. I am certified children's yoga teacher and adult's yoga teacher and am passionate about health and wellbeing and encourage parents to choose organic through food and products where possible. I am not a qualified nutritionist but I have a wealth of knowledge about food and can give advice on nutrition and healthy eating. Above all I am a mother and will welcome your child into our family where they will be loved and cared for as if they were my own.
Enriching experiences..
Beach school
We are so lucky to have the beach at the end of the road so we take full advantage of the beautiful coastal environment. In this setting, we have the opportunity to learn whilst immersed in nature. We explore the flora and fauna of the beach, search for natural materials for art projects such as driftwood, shells, and seaweed, and explore the marine life that thrives in this habitat. Through these hands-on experiences, children not only develop a deeper understanding of their surroundings but also cultivate essential skills such as creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Beach school provides a fun, inspiring, and holistic approach to learning, allowing young learners to connect with the world in a meaningful way.
Yoga and meditation
Yoga is my second love. Time does not allow us to do it daily unfortunately as we have so many activities that we want to do but the children really love it when we can. It provides them with a playful and engaging means to relax and improve their concentration. By incorporating imaginative poses, easy-to-follow breathing techniques, and the soothing melodies of sound baths, children can embark on a journey to connect with their bodies while simultaneously calming their minds. These enriching practices not only foster creativity but also promote mindfulness, ultimately creating a nurturing environment that enhances their overall sense of well-being. Collectively, yoga, meditation, and sound baths play a vital role supporting children's emotional and physical development in a positive and uplifting manner.
Forest school
We love being out in nature and connecting with the great outdoors whether it be forest school, bug spotting or a nature walk. These outdoor adventures encourage children to explore their environment, cultivating a sense of curiosity and wonder about the natural world around them. As they embark on bug-spotting and observe various plants and insects, they not only enjoy the thrill of discovery but also develop essential skills such as critical thinking, observation, and problem-solving. Moreover, spending time in nature significantly contributes to their overall health and well-being, helping to reduce stress and anxiety while boosting creativity and imagination. These enriching experiences are invaluable for nurturing a child's growth and learning, laying a strong foundation for their future interactions with the world around them.
What our families say..
*Nurturing Natalie*, run by Natalie Stone, is an outstanding childminding service that truly lives up to its name. Natalie is exceptionally organised, loving, and caring—qualities that are evident in every aspect of her work. She ensures that the children are constantly engaged in a variety of enriching activities, regularly taking them out so they are never confined to one space. Nutrition is a clear priority, with wholesome, homemade meals provided daily. My child is always clean, safe, well-rested, and clearly thriving under her care. Natalie is also incredibly reliable; she communicates promptly and effectively, never makes last-minute changes, and consistently upholds a professional and nurturing environment. In every way, Natalie demonstrates the highest standards of childcare and is truly deserving of Ofsted’s highest rating.
Natalie has been an integral part of our family as our childminder since 2023, when Ariya was 3-4 months old. Our son Dhara has also been under Natalie’s care since June 2024.
She has been incredibly caring and loving and created an environment that was appropriate for our 3-4 month old children, while being sensitive to us as first time parents leaving their young children to go to work.
She has always supported our parenting style and has been integral in supporting us as first time parents, providing advice on weaning, nutrition, sleep and emotional regulation.
As the children have grown, Natalie has been flexible in modifying activities to suit their age range. She ensures they get plenty of fresh air where possible and is proactive in creating activities for their learning and development.
The children really love Natalie, and feel secure both with her and the other children in her care. We are incredibly lucky to have found Natalie!
Nurturing Natalie's childminding is streets ahead of any other setting we have experienced for our children in the very early years.
Natalie provides our daughter Ffion (and son before her) with a warm and caring environment where they feel safe and loved, able to explore, learn and grow within a boundaried and kind setting. We have found Natalie's communication and care unparalleled, she is constantly professional, always has a warm greeting for our daughter and Ffion skips out of the door to see her. As a result, Ffion is grounded, able to play and share with other children well and is blossoming into her best self with the care Natalie provides. We love Natalie like she is a member of our family and if we ever had another child, there is only one place we would send them.
Both my daughters so look forward to seeing Natalie 3 times a week and playing with their friend's. They really are like siblings and I trust Natalie like she is part of our family. She always takes them out to something fun in the morning and goes the extra mile when it's Easter for example where they will go to a local Easter Egg trail which they always look forward to. She feeds them nutritious and well balanced meals and I feel rest assured that they have eaten plenty of fruits and vegetables. She focuses on their development by age, for example sample Isla was helping her prepare the dinner the other day with special Montessori knives which she loved, she felt so grown up. It's the most nurturing environment and my children always come back happy and loved. I can't thank Natalie enough for all she does for us and how she accommodates all of our needs.
Natalie has been childminding our 2 children in and off due to our travels for a number of years. They are both incredibly happy with her and so both times that we have come back to Hove from abroad we have made it a priority to make sure that they can return to her care.
Natalie has very similar priorities to us which makes a real difference to us; she is passionate about nutrition, and I feel that the children learn with her having 'real world' experiences. She is also incredibly affectionate with all of the children; we have never had even one day where they have cried upon being dropped off or picked up by Natalie, which I think is very rare within the childcare world!
She is a lot of fun, teaches the children boundaries and acceptable behaviour, and I would expect that all of the children would be exceeding EYFS expectations from their experiences with Natalie.
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