Secondhome

Truly the best, we only wish our eldest had been!

We have had a truly wonderful experience with Mina and Ali. Our youngest has attended her setting for almost 2 years, and both our daughters go to hers during the school holidays. Mina and Ali have not only created a beautiful, safe and loving setting for the children, but we are often in awe at the level of dedication they provide. The time and effort they put into each day is astonishing. They will regularly have a themed day (everything from Pancake Day to World Turtle Day to St Patrick's Day!) with props, costumes, arts and craft and music. They take them on trips to Kew Gardens, Hampton Court Palace, farms and playgrounds. Each child is thrown a birthday party that is tailored to them and their interests. She even turned her living room into a winter wonderland at Christmastime, covering everything in fake snow and glitter, complete with a homemade cardboard sleigh and Ali dressed up at Father Christmas! She teaches them Spanish as well as phonics and maths, and it is incredible that our 3 year old can write her name and simple equations, and more importantly that this has never been pushed but delivered in a fun, playful and gentle way. Mina will send me dozens of photos and videos of each day our daughter attends her setting. My only regret is that we didn't know about Mina and Ali when we were looking for childcare for our eldest, as although she does get to attend during her school holidays, I'm sure she would have felt happier and more secure than she did at her nursery.
Although Mina and Ali stand out for all the trips, education and fun they provide, what we truly are grateful for is a setting where our children can thrive, because they have been shown love, respect and acceptance for who they truly are.

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by Amy on 09/06/2025

Supportive, Loving, and Learning-Focused

We feel incredibly lucky to have found Mina. Our second child is now with her, and just like with our first, the experience has been wonderful. Mina offers something truly special, a real home from home that’s warm, caring, and filled with love.

Her setting is not only nurturing but also enriching, stimulating, and learning-focused. Each day is thoughtfully curated to support the children’s development, encouraging their curiosity, building confidence, and helping them grow into independent little people.

The children in her care form beautiful bonds, and Mina fosters that sense of connection so naturally. She also takes them out daily to fantastic places, parks, museums, playgroups and more, making every day a beautiful adventure.

We honestly couldn’t imagine a better person to care for our little ones. Mina is one of a kind.

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by Armin on 09/06/2025

Mina is the BEST

Mina has given our daughter the most amazing early childhood experience! Mina lavishes love and care on the children. Every activity is planned and deliver with care and engineered to bring the children joy! From learning to write and doing simple maths (my daughter could write her name and add numbers up to 10 by three and a half years old) to daily outings that are matched with learning activities and crafts in the afternoon, Mina has made every effort to prepare the children for school, and bring them fun and wonder.

Her energy knows no bounds. She manages to transform the setting to create special environments for the children’s birthdays - it is extraordinary! And themed days for holidays (VE day, earth day etc), are immersive experiences for fun and learning.

Mina has cared for our third child for nearly three years. Our older children went to large nursery settings and they (and we) always wish they had gone to Mina’s instead when they see what their sister does each day. They often ask if they can go to Mina’s instead of half term camps and clubs.

Mina and Ali make delicious meals for the children - my little one loves the food, and has some special favourites that we’ve learned to make at home too.

Mina’s home is truly our second home and we have been so happy - we could never have picked a better childminder.

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by SKE on 09/06/2025

Brilliant childminder

My son has been with Mina since he was 11 months and he absolutely loves going to Mina!
We love all that she does with him and the lovely places he gets to go with her. Couldn't not recommend her more, she's
brilliant!

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by Claudia on 07/06/2025

The best childminders you could ask for

We couldn’t ask for better childminders than Mina and Ali. They go above and beyond in every way – the care they provide is second to none. The effort they put into planning activities is incredible, with daily outings to places like the Magic Garden, the farm, Kew Gardens and more. At home, they have so many resources and always set up creative, engaging activities that my kids absolutely love.

There’s always a new theme to explore – from learning about different cultures and the changing seasons, to developing early writing skills through play. My children come home excited, happy, and full of stories, proudly showing off the wonderful things they’ve made. It’s clear how much love and thought Mina and Ali put into every day – we feel incredibly lucky to have them.

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by Steph on 07/06/2025

The very best there is!

We can't rate Mina highly enough. Both of our children and those of many of our friends have been coming to Mina for several years. Our opinion and that of everyone we know that has experienced this setting is unanimously five star. The care, affection, education, stimulation and entertainment the children enjoy is second to none. The children are so well looked after, fed well with a great variety of dishes, enjoy so many themed days of the calendar which are meticulously planned and exhaustively put together. When they walk (actually enthusiastically run, without looking back to say goodbye) through that door, it's into a world of wonder and excitement which brings new adventures and surges their development forward. They learn new skills and words each day, and we know that they are in such fantastically capable hands. They also - somehow, despite all the fun and activity - leave cleaner and with their hair and clothes better groomed than when they arrived! The communication is excellent and we are always kept well informed of the activity and updates. We count ourselves lucky to have found Mina, who is unmatched and would whole heartedly recommend to anyone.

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by MACtw11 on 07/06/2025

Truly a second home

My son started going to Mina’s at 20 months old and he absolutely loves it there. She and her family are great at what they do and are so knowledgeable about young children.

My son only cried for about 5 minutes during the first week of settling in but by the second week, he was happy to go to Mina’s! She made the transition so easy.

They go on outings or the park pretty much every single day. Mina puts in so much effort in age appropriate activities and my son has learned so many new skills and words. They provide him with healthy and delicious meals and he always comes home really happy. Our biggest concern was his nap but he sleeps so well there, she usually has to wake him up! We look forward to the pictures and videos she sends to let us know what he’s been up to during the day.

Mina’s setting is exactly like a nursery but with a small group of children so your child gets more attention and care. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a childminder in the Teddington area.

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by tinalam on 31/10/2024

Good childminder

I couldn’t recommend Mina highly enough.
She has looked after occasionally my two sons few times during the weekends . My children were very happy when I picked them up from her. She is lovely and helpful nice lady.

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by Gosia on 31/05/2023

Response by Secondhome on 20/06/2023:

Hi lovely., thank you so much for your review its very kind of you

This childminder deserves the world!

Our son has been with Mina since he was six months old, for just over a year now. We immediately saw the benefits: he's been a very social kid since spending time at Mina's setting with other kids, showing perfect development for his age encouraged by Mina, he's always happy to go and always delighted when coming back from her setting, showing signs he had a great and educational time.

Mina is highly organised, ensuring the children have daily learning activities and outdoor activities in the best places in the area (Kew Gardens, Teddington parks, etc.) There's a focus learning every week adapted to all ages, with fun activities and Mina updates us with pictures and messages every day throughout the day.
Her helpers are the sweetest and always caring for our little one.

Our son has a very healthy and structured routine at Mina's setting and we couldn't recommend her strongly enough. Excellent ratio of caring per child and a beautiful environment for the kids.

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by Cristina on 12/03/2023

Fantastic childminder

Mina is looking after our little boy for almost a year now and we cannot be happier. She is absolutely amazing! Our son settled in within a week and now he is making himself ready every morning to go to Mina’s:) The progress he made is unbelievable. She is providing cooked meals, snacks.. they are regularly visiting Kew Gardens, Magic Garden, farms, markets, playgrounds, children centres etc. And birthday parties that she is preparing for each child, absolutely speechless! And the most important she is caring and kind and children adore her. It really is a second home. We couldn’t recommend her more. Happy to be contacted by future parents for any reference.

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by Anita on 06/07/2022