Stay & Play at Dovecote Nursery

Before having CB, I would not have even considered the notion of nursery before 3 years of age, let alone at 18 months. I would have called it ridiculous.

Now that I have experienced the early stages of motherhood, I am actually warming towards the idea of my child being exposed to other children and taking part in fun activities in a safe, stimulating and structured setting for a short part of the week. And this probably goes without saying – I also wouldn’t mind some time to myself.

Nowadays, I am hearing about more and more cases of parents sending their children to preschool at earlier ages, back in the UK and here in Muscat. This could be because both parents work or simply because the parents need a break. If you live in Muscat, it also won’t be uncommon for you to see families with nannies. Personally, I prefer the nursery approach, since I feel uncomfortable with the thought of my child potentially becoming attached to another individual who is not family. I also would prefer my child to be more independent and socially interactive with other children in a nursery environment. But I understand each situation is different and everyone has their own reasoning behind their actions.

If you are a FTM [First Time Mumma] like me, you may have gone on the same thought train above like I have done. So based on this, I would like to recommend to you to attend the Stay and Play sessions at Dovecote Nursery. This is a good way of experiencing and getting a feel for a preschool setting, both for yourself and your child. These are free one hour sessions held every couple of weeks, where you are welcome to come in with your child, have a look around and talk to the staff.

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Located in the embassy area of Shatti Al Qurum and set against the always-stunning backdrop of Qurum Beach, in a converted villa, stands Dovecote Nursery, a British EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) curriculum led nursery .

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There are several classrooms dedicated to the different age groups (1-2, 2-3, 3-4), and a communal outdoor area including a playground with many toys, a grassy area and a large sandpit for messy play.

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Whilst CB explored her surroundings and played with sand for the first time in her life, I was greeted by Dovecote Nursery’s friendly and approachable teachers who explained to me that the main concept of EYFS is learning through play. It was interesting to learn that alongside this curriculum, as well as English, children are also taught Arabic and French. After overcoming my fear of sand getting in CB’s eyes with any sandpit contact whatsoever, and before leaving, I was provided with an introduction pack with some useful information on terms, fees and more details.

The next Stay & Play session is planned for Monday 18th March and you can register on the Dovecote Nursery website, or you can call or email to confirm. The nursery is very well organised and I was pleasantly surprised with the professionalism of their staff members. Occasionally, they host Open Mornings too where you can drop in, check out the facilities they offer and meet the teachers, as you would do at the Stay & Play sessions.

Often, I see on social media that they arrange themed events both for the children and parents, with guest speakers present at times. Find out more on their Facebook page. They are quite active on social media and on their page you can also read some really positive testimonials from parents whose children attend the nursery.

Here is a list of some other nurseries in Muscat, some of which follow the EYFS curriculum too. If the curriculum is not specified below please visit their website or social media page to find out more details:

If you would like to add your nursery to the above list, please get in touch.

Although CB may not be attending nursery just yet, we both definitely enjoyed the experience and it was good to get a sense of what to expect.

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