FAQs
Where are you located?
We are located 3 miles out of Hereford, in the beautiful parish of Shelwick.
What age do you take children from?
The nursery is open to 2 - 5 year olds.
Stay and Play sessions are for sturdy walkers up to age 5. There is no change for a sibling non walker, please feel free for extra adults to attend with no extra charge. “It takes a village!”
What are your opening hours?
We are term time only for the nursery. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9.30am - 2.30pm.
Stay and Play is currently closed due to a drop. in bookings during the winter months - it is expected to reopen Easter 2026. Monday and Friday 9.30 - 11.00am
Holiday club dates are on hold currently as the nursery is taking priority.
How many days does my child have to attend?
Your child will get the most out of the setting if they attend for a minimum of 2 days a week, this helps to form friendships and relationships with the adults and learn our routines. However, we occasionally have single days available should you want to take a place and increase the days at a later stage when more sessions become free.
Please note, single days cannot be used with government funding. They will be charged at a private rate.
Priority is given to families looking to enrol their child for 3 days.
Stay and Play is pay as you go - you can book as many or as few sessions as you chose, no registration required.
What are the Nursery fees?
Each session is £50.00
We also accept Early Education funding. Please check your eligibility here https://www.gov.uk/free-childcare-if-working/check-youre-eligible
We accept EEF - 9.30am - 2.30pm sessions.
Additional hours booked 9-9.30am and 2.30-3pm are charged at £5.00 per half hour. Funding cannot be used for these.
You can use your tax free child care allowance to claim back £2 in every £10. Please read more here
https://www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare
Every 3&4 year old is entitled to 15 hours of early education funding per week, term time, commencing the term after their 3rd birthday.
Are there any voluntary supplementary fees?
Yes, a voluntary supplementary charge per funded session of £3.35 is applied (this is subject to change - correct as of Jan 2026). This charge is necessary to help us maintain the standard of care and enrichment opportunities that Wildhearts Outdoor Nursery prides itself on. It is split into:
Food costs £0.38 per session
Consumables £0.05 per session
Optional activities (e.g. cooking, tool work, sign language teacher , gardening, music teacher, celebrations, forest school) £2.92 per session
If you do not want your child to participate in the activities please advise us as soon as possible so we can provide alternative activities.
Please note that if you child benefits from Pupil premium, there is no voluntary supplementary fee as the premium covers it.
What are the stay and play costs?
Stay and Play session £10.00 (child and carer). Baby, non walking siblings, can come along with no extra charge. The session lasts 1.5 hours.
How do children stay warm and dry in the winter?
The correct clothing is vital. No-one enjoys being wet and cold. We have previously recommended a very hardy outdoor waterproof set. However, over 2 winters we have found that not all parents buy it. This makes it difficult for those children who have lesser quality clothing as they become wet and cold quickly in the winter months and require multiple changes every day. We take your child’s comfort and safety seriously therefore it is vital that we ensure that they are warm and dry in all weather conditions - cold and wet children do not enjoy the outdoors.
From September 2026 all children who attend the nursery must wear Didrikson’s Boardman set, they have been designed in Sweden to withstand all weather conditions. They are comfortable, warm, hardwearing and practical, with waterproof outer layer and a fleece warming inner layer. A deposit is taken to hold your child’s nursery place. This deposit will be used to buy a set of water proofs, water proof gloves and a balaclava hat for when they start with us thus ensuring inclusion.
Don’t forget wellies. We have found that the “crocs” wellies are the most practical and hardy. Wellies routinely fill with water, Crocs wellies can be wiped on the inside and they are dry again. Perfect for puddle jumpers!
Please speak to us if you claim benefits or have a golden ticket as there are ways we can support you with the clothing requirements.
Layering of clothes is hugely important to keep warm. Base layers, mid layers and then outer layers all work to keep children snug. We would rather too many clothes so we can remove layers than too few so they are cold.
Multiple socks and welly liners are also vital!
Don’t forget to provide spare clothes, not only for toilet training mishaps but also for the overly zealous children who try to swim in the puddles!
My child goes to another nursery - can they come to you too? Can I split their days?
Yes, absolutely. We will take care of the arrangements of this and contact the other nursery to share your child’s development progress against the early years framework.
Why don’t you open for longer? The nursery hours don’t suit my work schedule.
We are an off grid, outdoor nursery so we are at the mercy of the weather and day light hours. Your child will be expending energy all day, whilst we will keep refuelling them there is a limit to what they can do, particularly when they first come to us, their stamina will have to be built up. They will need to rest and relax.
Whilst we are a childcare facility we pride ourselves that we are so much more, we are a life choice for your child’s future. We want the best for your child and believe that the outdoors provides all that they need to develop, grow and enjoy their childhood to the fullest.
Do you provide food?
We want your child to be well fed and happy during our sessions - young children can be particular about their food or may have specific dietary requirements and/or allergies. It is important that they eat well to maintain their energy and so we ask parents to provide a healthy and varied, no waste packed lunch and reusable bottle of water. We will provide additional snacks and milk/ milk alternative throughout the day. Please see our nutritional guidance for lunch boxes and how to pack them for all weathers.
We cook once a week, the food type is dependant on the weather, in winter we cook soups and baked potatoes, in spring we cook pastas and rice dishes, in summer we get creative with fruits and wraps.
Allergies and intolerance - We are able to cater for children with specific dietary requirements when cooking or making foods as part of the curriculum - please talk to us about this so we can ensure our activities are available to all. Please refer to our food and nutrition policy for further information - link below.
What do you do when it rains?
We do the same as when the sun shines, only with water. We encourage children to embrace all kinds of weather. We believe that with the right clothes and attitude we can have loads of fun - whatever the weather! Of course, spare socks and wellies are vital at these times so we encourage a bag of spare clothes to be brought in for your child’s comfort. This bag can be left safely in our boot shed on arrival until needed.
For those not so keen on playing in the rain, or who might need a break, our log cabin or field shelter provides cover.
What do you do in storms?
We are not a survival school and take the welfare of your child very seriously. There may be occasions when the weather is deemed too extreme (high winds / thunder storms) to be on site. In such instances we will contact you in advance to advise you of the situation.
What about toileting?
We have 3 purpose built compost toilets and we have added a transportable camping toilet which we can move around as the need arises - the compost toilets can be far away for little legs who are desperate to wee. A nappy change facility is provided in the boot shed - please supply your choice of nappy changing equipment which can be stored safely in the boot shed until needed. If your child is still being toilet trained we are very happy to work with you to support them according to their individual stage of development, however, please provide lots of additional clothing to support their mishaps, what ever you think they need, double it.
Can I come and have a tour of the setting?
Of course! We love to welcome new people into the community. Please complete an enquiry form to arrange a visit.
Our prospectus and registration form are available on the menu bar above.
Are there places left for 2027?
Yes, please get in touch to arrange a tour.
The prospectus and registration form is now available to view/download on the menu bar of this website.
We have a waitlist in place on the menu bar of the website for children who are not yet 2 - we use this to keep parents/carers updated on their Childs place.