Is this the most eco-friendly nursery in Suffolk?

At Little Leaders, natural materials, sustainable products and recyclables can be found throughout (Image: Archant)

Little Leaders Childcare is far from your average nursery. With one flourishing location in Ipswich and another newly-opened centre in Framlingham, this nursery has a refreshingly original approach to childcare, prioritising creativity, curiosity and sustainability in all of its activities.

Take a look inside the Little Leaders nursery, and you'll instantly notice an absence of brightly coloured plastic toys, which have become part of the furniture in most modern day cares. Instead, you'll find children playing with a variety of natural materials, while plants adorn the nursery, helping to bring the outside in. Little Leaders follows The Curiosity Approach, which promotes the use of recycled materials, natural resources and loose parts in play and learning. Curtain rings, corks, buttons, wooden blocks, stones, gems and cardboard boxes are among the many everyday objects that serve as toys and playthings at Little Leaders, coming to life with just a little imagination.

By favouring natural materials over plastic toys, The Curiosity Approach helps children to tap into their imagination and creativity, allowing them to experiment with different ideas. Curiosity is at the very heart of learning, and this approach aims to foster inquisitiveness and imagination among young learners. What's more, it also prioritises sustainability, helping nurseries to reduce their plastic usage and adopt natural or recycled alternatives.

Little Leaders is the first setting in Suffolk to gain an accreditation in The Curiosity Approach, and its staff members are now engaged in helping other local nurseries to set up this approach. Little Leaders first began its journey towards sustainability around 16 months ago, and has been gradually eliminating plastic from its premises. Along with overhauling its selection of toys - swapping out shiny plastic playthings for loose parts - it has also introduced some more sustainable furniture, using wooden crates as tables and stools.

In May of this year, Little Leaders received an Ofsted rating of 'outstanding' in all areas, reflecting its hard work and commitment to providing a fantastic early learning environment. The setting offers a calm, tranquil and inviting place for children to begin their learning journey.

The nursery's new, curiosity-first approach has received an overwhelmingly positive response from parents, who can see first-hand the positive impact that it is having on their child's learning. Many Little Leaders parents have been inspired to adopt the approach at home, introducing sustainable, natural toys to their children's toy boxes and encouraging their little ones to tap into their creativity during playtime. With its newly-opened nursery in Framlingham, Little Leaders is excited to develop its original approach in a new setting, helping to inspire curiosity and wonder in a new group of young learners. Little Leaders has space for 34 children at its Ipswich-based centre, and will cater to 40 children in its Framlingham nursery.

For more information, call 01473 221 777.