toddlers home
toddlers home

Play, learn and grow
with Monkey Puzzle

toddlers home
toddlers home
Play, learn and grow
with Monkey Puzzle

Enquire now for a personal tour of our nursery

Welcome to Monkey Puzzle

Hello. I’m Thulie and I am the owner of Monkey Puzzle Grange Road nursery in Cambridge. My team and I are dedicated to giving every child the best start in life by caring for and supporting them to play, learn and grow in a positive and stimulating nursery environment.

I would love to welcome you for a personal tour of our beautiful nursery and preschool in Cambridge, where you can discover more about the exciting days your babies, toddlers and preschool children can look forward to with our Early Years expert team, so please get in touch through our enquiry form.

Thulie

Nursery Owner

Thulie - Monkey Puzzle Grange Road Owner and Director

What Makes Us Special

Parent and Carer Reviews

From our Daynurseries.co.uk reviews, find out what our parents have to say about their time at our Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery and Preschool in Cambridge.

Hear what our parents and carers have to say about our Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery and Preschool in Cambridge with a selection of reviews from Daynurseries.co.uk.

A Day In Our Nursery

Healthy Eating

As children grow, a healthy and balanced diet is key, and we inspire with a variety of colour, texture, and taste to expand their food experiences.

Seasonal and local produce are also important in helping children understand more about where food comes from and nutrition.

All The Essentials 

Monkey Puzzle Grange Road’s key information at a glance.

  • Learning guided by the national Early Years Foundation Stage

  • An amazing home-from-home environment

  • Central Cambridge location

  • CCTV to ensure safety and security
  • Nappies and wipes included in fees

  • Children experience more with all-inclusive extra-curricular activities

  • Fantastic all-seasons outdoor play area
  • Inspiring, caring and highly qualified team
  • Open 51 weeks of the year

Exciting Days 

It’s smiles all round with fun and inspiring days with child centred activities supported, guided, and encouraged by our passionate team.

Follow your child’s progress as they learn and develop through their learning journal with regular updates from our nursery team throughout their day with us.

Enquire now for a personal tour of our nursery

What’s Been Happening At Our Nursery

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What a special day celebrating our wonderful graduates! We are so proud of how much you have grown, learned and achieved during your time with us.
We wish you all the happiness and success as you take your next big step into school.

Keep shining, little stars!🌟🎓

#monkeypuzzledaynurseries #monkeypuzzlegrangeroad #Cambridge
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Out of ideas for the weekend? what about nature treasure hunt?

After collecting leaves, sticks, feathers, stones, pinecones, flowers, or seed pods, try one of these activities:
🍂 Nature Collage – Create a picture of an animal, tree, or rainbow using the collected items.
🦔 Make a Nature Animal – Use leaves and sticks to make a hedgehog, butterfly, owl, or fox.
🌿 Leaf Printing – Paint one side of a leaf and press it onto paper to reveal its unique pattern.
🪨 Story Stones – Draw simple pictures on smooth stones and use them to tell a story together.
🔍 Nature Sorting – Sort treasures by colour, size, shape, or texture and talk about what is the same and different.
📏 Nature Maths – Count the items, make repeating patterns, compare sizes, or measure sticks from shortest to longest.
🌈 Nature Colour Hunt – Arrange the treasures into a rainbow from red to purple.
🖼️ Nature Frames – Glue treasures around a photo or drawing to make a beautiful frame.
🏡 Mini Fairy or Bug House – Build a tiny home using sticks, leaves, bark, and stones.
🎨 Nature Mandala – Arrange the treasures into a beautiful circular pattern on the ground.
Extension Questions for Parents:
* What does this feel like?
* Which item is the biggest? Smallest?
* Why do you think this leaf has changed colour?
* Which treasure is your favourite and why?
* What animals might use these materials in nature?

Don't forget to share your findings!
#loosepartsexplorartion #mathseyfs #loosepartsplay #cambridgemumstobe #cambridgeshire #eyfsfun #HandsOnLearning #LittleExplorersBigDreams #ChildcareProvider #outdoorlearningisfun
These activities support communication, creativity, early maths, problem-solving, and an appreciation of the natural world while making wonderful family memories. 🍃🌼
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Out of ideas for the

Which activity would your little one choose?
👍 cooking
❤️ Nature walk
😂 Water play
😮 Messy play
#cambridgefamily #parents #community #weareeducators #earlyyearspractitioners #Cambridge #eyfsresources #learningisfun #monkeypuzzledaynurseries
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The festival of archaeology 2026!

Our magnificent Monkey Puzzle museum adventure!!!

Today, the children visited the museum of archaeology and anthropology. They also engaged in a spot of sightseeing on the way!

The children noticed the iron gates and one said “Look at those iron gates, that looks like where the king lives, he didn’t make the gates, the masons did!”

Another child found a fairy door on the way and was delighted to show her spectacular finding to her friends.

Lastly, the children entered the museum and demonstrated such awe and wonder looking around and soaking up the atmosphere.
The children were particularly interested in the Cambridge Goddess with 10 arms and It was quite the talking point of the morning.
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We’ve recently been asked how we manage challenging behaviour so effectively, while many parents continue to struggle at home.

Behaviour is communication. Young children often express big feelings through their behaviour because they are still learning how to communicate and regulate their emotions.

✨Stay Calm. Your child will look to you for reassurance.
✨Acknowledge Their Feelings. Help them name their emotions: “I can see you’re feeling frustrated because you wanted that toy.” Validating feelings doesn’t mean accepting inappropriate behaviour.
✨Set clear, consistent boundaries. Keep rules simple and consistent. Explain expectations positively, e.g., “We use gentle hands” instead of “Don’t hit.”
✨Focus on the behaviour, not the child. Say, “Hitting hurts. Let’s find another way to show you’re upset,” rather than “You’re being naughty.”
✨Offer choices. Giving two simple choices helps children feel in control. “Would you like to put your shoes on yourself or would you like me to help?”
✨Praise positive behaviour. Notice and describe what your child is doing well. “Thank you for sharing your toys—that was very kind.”
✨Keep routines predictable. Regular meals, sleep, and daily routines help children feel secure and reduce challenging behaviour.
✨ Teach emotional regulation. Model calming strategies such as taking deep breaths, counting to five, or finding a quiet space together.
✨ Look for triggers. Consider whether your child is hungry, tired, overwhelmed, or seeking connection.
✨Work together. If your child attends nursery, keep communication open with practitioners so you can use similar strategies at home and in the setting.

💛 Remember: Challenging behaviour is a normal part of early childhood development. With patience, consistency, and positive guidance, children gradually learn to understand and manage their emotions. Every child develops at their own pace, and every difficult moment is an opportunity to teach an important life skill.
#understandingtheworld #WeAreEducators #patnership #community #allaboutme #parents #parentparticipation #earlyyearspractitioners #positiveenvironment #daynurseries #ChildCare #cambridgefamily #LearningIsPower
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👩‍🍳👶 Learning Through Cooking 🥣

Cooking activities provide babies with rich opportunities to explore, investigate and learn through their senses. Even simple experiences, such as mixing, pouring, touching and tasting, support many areas of early development.
👀 Sensory Development. Feeling soft flour, sticky dough, smooth fruit or crunchy vegetables helps children develop their sensory awareness and understand the world around them.
🤲 Physical Development. Scooping, pouring, stirring, squeezing and mixing help develop hand strength, coordination and fine motor skills.
🧠 Cognitive Development. Cooking encourages curiosity and early problem-solving. Babies begin to notice cause and effect—what happens when ingredients are mixed, poured or changed.
🗣️ Communication and Language. Cooking provides endless opportunities for adults to introduce new vocabulary, such as mix, pour, stir, soft, sticky, smooth, big, small, hot and cold. Through conversations and interactions, babies begin to connect words with real experiences.
🔢 Early Mathematics. Measuring, counting ingredients and comparing sizes introduce early mathematical concepts. Babies begin to experience ideas such as more, less, full, empty, big, small and one more through meaningful, hands-on learning.
🌱 Understanding the World. Cooking helps children begin to understand where food comes from and how ingredients change.
💛 Personal, Social and Emotional Development. Cooking together creates opportunities for shared experiences, turn-taking and developing confidence.
#monkeypuzzledaynurseries #littlechefs #learningthroughplay #Cambridge #sensoryplayideas
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Meet A Few Of Our Team

Our amazing, highly qualified and creative nursery team support and care for your little learner as they play, develop and grow.

How To Find Monkey Puzzle Grange Road

Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Grange Road, is proudly located in the heart of Cambridge in the CB3 postal sector. The nursery is conveniently located at 8 Grange Road, close to Newnham and Wolfson Colleges. We are within a short drive of both the A603 and M11, making us perfect for families commuting in and out of Cambridge, as well as families located near the city centre.

Opening times: 8:00am to 6:00pm

Monday to Friday for 51 weeks per year, (closed for the week between
Christmas and New Year)

Get In Touch

Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Grange Road
8 Grange Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DU

Call us: 01223 641041
Email: enquiries@monkeypuzzlecambridge.co.uk

Opening times: 7.30am – 6.30pm

Monday to Friday for 51 weeks per year, (closed for the week between
Christmas and New Year)