childminding services

I am delighted to welcome you to my Early Years setting here in beautiful Whitstable, Kent. As an experienced Early Childhood educator, I offer a vibrant childminding service that has been enriched by my almost 20 year journey in child care and education. As the author of two children's books, along with a comprehensive guide that outlines my curriculum and evidence-based beliefs regarding how children learn, I am committed to fostering a love for learning in every child.

The Guiding Little Hands mission is to provide the best possible care for your child in the early years through:

• Play and child led exploration.

• Hands on experiences.

• Gentle support and guidance through big feelings.

• A focus on learning practical life skills and developing an understanding of the world.

• Developing skills that are essential for school readiness and ensuring a lifelong love of learning.

Situated by the beautiful seaside in Whitstable, my setting provides a wonderful mix of indoor and outdoor opportunities, encouraging children to explore and learn through play in every season. We spend our days exploring, creating, reading, getting outside (rain or shine!), talking through what we’re doing, the whys and hows; and it’s all centred around your unique child’s abilities and needs. Play is fundamental in learning in the early years (and even beyond!), and is the best way for children to reach their developmental milestones. I highly recommend reading my book “Confidence, Comfort, Challenge: A parents guide to early learning at home”, as this is put into place in my setting.

Children benefit from the small ratio (with a maximum of 3 EY children at a time) that allows for the creation of a calm and safe environment that fosters early learning and development, as well as encouraging strong positive relationships between their peers and myself as they learn about themselves and the world around them.

I offer a welcoming and nurturing “second home” style childcare environment, where children are encouraged to explore their creativity through imaginative play, engaging activities, and hands-on learning opportunities. Children learn practical life skills alongside these play experiences, such as putting on coats and shoes independently, using utensils at mealtimes, and practising self-care and personal hygiene.

I provide a warm atmosphere that feels like home, filled with laughter, love, and curiosity.

I am a passionate Early Years Educator, trained Maternity Nurse, and Author, with a Master’s degree in Education, focusing on learning through play; by establishing strong relationships with the children in my care I am able to tune into each child’s individual strengths and learning needs. Providing children with ample resources and real world experiences that focus on fine motor skills, gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, problem solving, language exploration, maths concepts, phonics, communication, and more, I am able to get them off to the best start.

I am open Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm. Full days only (30-50hrs) to ensure a calm and predictable environment for all children. A well-balanced morning and afternoon snack, as well as a substantial tea are included; however a daily packed lunch must be brought in from home.

Funding accepted: 9 months+ and 2 year old.

If you would like to inquire about available spaces, or to be put on the waiting list, feel free to reach out and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Use the link below or email nicolamanton@guidinglittlehands.com