Play, learn and grow
with Monkey Puzzle
with Monkey Puzzle
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
What’s Been Happening At Our Nursery
Connect With Us On Socials
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)
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. 🍃🌼 ... See MoreSee Less
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Which activity would your little one choose?
👍 cooking
❤️ Nature walk
😂 Water play
😮 Messy play
#cambridgefamily #parents #community #weareeducators #earlyyearspractitioners #Cambridge #eyfsresources #learningisfun #monkeypuzzledaynurseries ... See MoreSee Less
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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. ... See MoreSee Less
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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 ... See MoreSee Less
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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 ... See MoreSee Less
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The Pikler Approach
The Pikler Approach is based on the belief that children develop best when they are given time, respect, and freedom to explore at their own pace.
We provide a safe, carefully prepared environment where babies and young children can move freely, develop naturally, and build confidence through independent play. Rather than placing children into positions they cannot get into by themselves, we allow them to reach developmental milestones in their own time, supporting strong physical development and self-confidence.
Our practitioners build warm, trusting relationships with each child through responsive and respectful care. Everyday routines, such as nappy changing, mealtimes, and dressing, are seen as valuable opportunities for one-to-one interaction, communication, and emotional connection.
By following the Pikler Approach, we help children develop independence, resilience, body awareness, and a lifelong love of learning while ensuring they always feel safe, valued, and respected.
#monkeypuzzlecambridge #grangeroad #monkeypuzzledaynurseries #eyfs #Cambridge #cambridgemums #cambridgemumsunder5s #monkeypuzzledaynursery #nurserylife #piklerapproach ... See MoreSee Less
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In the toddler room, we focus on the renowned artist Wassily Kandinsky and his notable artworks to help the children learn about him and his famous pieces. Our aim was to teach the children to recognise different shapes, particularly circles. To enhance the experience, we incorporated play dough modelling and set up a role-play café with play food. The children showed great enthusiasm for this activity, using their fine motor skills to roll the play dough and punch it with their hands, which helped strengthen their hand muscles. Throughout the activity, we discussed Wassily Kandinsky, and the children frequently mentioned circles, which encouraged them to create more of their own. They made both large and small circles, showcasing their fine motor abilities. #cambridgeshire #childcareprovider #eyfsfun #HandsOnLearning #Cambridge #learningisfun #monkeypuzzledaynurseries #wasilykandinsky ... See MoreSee Less
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