Dolly and Bear Day Nursery

My little girl has been coming to Dolly and Bear since she was 9 months old last November, she is now 16 months and is thriving! Her confidence, independence and speech has come on massively since starting. The staff have been amazing with her, kind, caring and accommodating to her needs. My little girl loves coming to nursery and is always happy to see the girls! Management have been really accommodating with any needs or concerns I had during the settling in period, made me feel really at ease in my transition back to work after maternity leave. Would highly recommend Dolly and Bear to anyone!

A fantastic setting which develops children of all ages and allows them to explore at their own pace. The children have endless opportunities to learn both in and out of the nursery. My eldest daughter loved it here and my youngest who attends now loves coming too. The staff are amazing and give the upmost care. Could not recommend this nursery enough!

My son has been attending Dolly and Bear since the beginning of January 2025 and my experience with them so far has been amazing. My son is in the baby group. I'm sent photos and updates on how he's getting on during the day, this is great as he can get a little upset in the mornings. He's given a variety of food, which is great and his nappy is changed throughout the day. Due to the app they use, you can have constant communication with the nursery.

Amazing and friendly staff who are happy to help at any time and accommodate any requirements for the child to their best ability. Excellent Management which is going above and beyond with organising all activities and events

My son has been attending Dolly and Bear from 10 months old and the confidence and progression he has made has been outstanding. He is well supported and cared for and we can easily check on the app to see what he has eaten, when he slept, etc. More recently there have been daily updates which I've enjoyed as we are able to ask him about his day and continue his learning at home too. I absolutely love that he isn't confined to just a room - they are taken to play in the garden, cinema, beach, sea life, shops. They also nearby everyday skills such as cooking, eating and drinking themselves, teaching them to also have independence. The staff are approachable and friendly. Overall I would recommend the nursery as my son has thrived since being there.

Amazing nursery with caring and knowledgeable teachers! Management is friendly and helpful, supported my children throughout their early years education. My boys love attending nursery and are very attached to their key people.

My daughter enjoys her time at nursery and always looks forward to going. I started taking her here when she turned 1 and she has improved her speech and confidence so much. The staff are lovely and attentive!

The new uniform is great our granddaughter cannot wait to put it on in the mornings. She enjoys her days at the nursery always excited to tell us about her day. The nursery has fresh ideas continuously to spark the imagination.

Absolutely amazing nursery. The management team and staff are fantastic in supporting my family with my son. The SENCO team are always going above and beyond for my child, staff are always trying to learn the best ways to help my son, learn his ways and with him having multiple diagnoses including autism and being non - verbal they have gone above and beyond to provide an environment for him to grow and feel safe. I wanted somewhere my son felt like another home from home, and received love and affection and you can really see the bonds he has built with the staff and his key worker, and it's just so heartwarming to see how kind and caring everyone is and how much the staff generally work with a kind and caring nature. As a first time mum, scared to leave my son with anyone due to his disabilities, I am so grateful for the team here at dolly and bear and would recommend to any parents/guardians or carers to consider here as their child's first step into education.

I have two sons at this nursery and I am eternally grateful that I found this place. My eldest son has been in attendance for over two years and nursery has been an integral part of shaping him into a fantastic four year old. This nursery covers all the main attributes a child requires for development. Communication, confidence, empathy. As well as physical developments like dexterity and exercise. Will be very sad when the time comes for school. It's been an amazing journey.

My son has settled in really well at the nursery and has not cried once when dropping him off, he loves coming here and always smiles when his Key Worker opens the door! I like the updates throughout the day of what he's eaten/when he's been changed/when he's slept and the nursery are really communicative if he has any accidents. They also take the group out on a lot of trips to places like the library which is really nice to know he can experience new things.

My son has made a very special bond with his key worker and the staff who look after him, which is very reassuring.

It is nice that they take them on little walks and trips.

Since my child has started at Monkey Puzzle, he has come leaps and bounds. I get regular reports on his progress. The nursery staff are friendly and helpful. If messaged on the nursery app, they respond very quickly. My child enjoys all the food at the setting. He especially enjoys the garden. I would definitely recommend this nursery to anyone. Management are nice and helpful and organised with keeping parents updated with relevant information. Also, they organised nice trips and events at the nursery to keep the children happy and entertained. I've never really had any trouble with Monkey Puzzle Southend and overall 100% happy with the service!

I have been very happy with the care that my children have received at Monkey Puzzle. The staff are lovely and seem to love their jobs which makes a huge impact. They have been very accommodating to needs and welcome communication from parents/carers. My children enjoy all the different creative ways of exploring topics and learning new skills that the staff set up. The outside area may be on the small side, but they have resourced it well and my children love to spend time in the garden.

My daughter has been attending for one year and I am proud she is learning new skills every time and all teachers are doing a good job and understanding all situations. They try to give different food to my daughter.

I think all the girls are amazing my daughter loves it there and you can tell they love her too. Whenever I need an extra day The Manager or Assistant Manager are so helpful with this. Only thing I would like is that more photos were posted whether that being on social media or to myself. Before joining the nursery I was told I'd get once a day but when joining it was every month sometimes turning into every few months. Apart from this anyone who asks for a nursery I always send them to Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Southend.

My son loves his primary carers and enjoys his time at nursery. I have seen such tremendous growth in his physical and verbal development during his time at nursery and I am so blessed to be able to send him to Monkey Puzzle Southend.

My daughter has been going to Monkey Puzzle Southend since she was 6 months - she is now 2 1/2! My partner and I both work full time and the manager and the team are so helpful and accommodating to our needs alongside our daughters. It really is my little girl’s home from home which is so reassuring for us. She is absolutely thriving and loves her time spent there. Highly recommended!

I am very happy with Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery. The staff are always so reassuring, respectful, kind and happy! I have major anxiety being away from my daughter and who looks after her so her going to nursery was a big thing for me. I am so glad I picked this nursery I can not fault the staff at all. My daughter is well looked after by them and that’s all I could ever ask for. The day that my daughter has to leave Monkey Puzzle I will actually be quite sad about it! I 100% recommend.