Mini Explorers Crabtree

About this day nursery

Mini Explorers Crabtree Ltd, registered with Ofsted on 9th May 2019, is a childcare setting for children aged 0–4 years, located at J Pybus & Son, Street House Farm, Little Holtby, Northallerton, Yorkshire, DL7 9LN. The nursery operates Monday to Friday, from 7am until 6:30pm, all year round.

The setting provides a safe, inviting, and well-designed farm environment for children, with a strong focus on outdoor play. The curriculum is designed around this unique farm environment, offering children opportunities to explore and learn about the natural world, including caring for animals and growing vegetables.

The dedicated staff, including a special educational needs coordinator, ensure all children, including those with SEND, receive tailored support. The nursery has been praised by parents for its supportive environment and the strong bonds children form with staff.

Children develop a great enthusiasm to explore and learn, and their literacy and physical skills are well supported through engaging activities such as making bird feeders and exploring the farm on bird hunts. The nursery's commitment to outdoor learning is a key feature, utilising its large outdoor area for physical development and nature-based activities, including learning about safety around a fire pit.

Funded hours are available for two, three, and four-year-olds.

Our ethos

Mini Explorers is the UK's pioneering Farm School Nursery, offering a distinctive nature-focused childcare experience on a working farm. Their philosophy centres on the belief in the profound benefits of outdoor immersion, daily life influenced by the farm's seasonal rhythms, and unrestricted access to the countryside to foster a deep understanding of the environment, promote physical activity, and encourage imaginative play. They aim to cultivate "mini naturalists" through constant exposure to nature, wonder, and learning.

What it's like

Staff provide children with exciting and engaging activities in a safe, inviting and well-designed farm environment. There is a strong focus on outdoor play. Older children work together to make bird feeders, promoting their physical development, while younger children explore the farm on bird hunts. Children develop a sense of belonging in this welcoming, safe and nurturing farm environment.

Pricing & funding

Fees are structured around full and half-day sessions, with rates based on age bands from under two up to five years. Hourly and lunch hour rates are also available. Consumable charges apply to funded hours, and discounts are offered for military families and siblings on non-funded sessions.