Dianeslittleexplorer's Reviews
Childminder
5 out of 5
Parents say
The childminder receives consistently high praise for providing exceptional care in a welcoming, family-oriented setting. Parents appreciate the variety of activities, outings, and learning opportunities offered. They highlight the childminder's excellent communication, professionalism, and ability to nurture children's development. Many emphasize their children's happiness and eagerness to attend, reflecting the childminder's loving and trustworthy approach.
Summary generated by AI from the text of most recent member reviews
Parent reviews
Below are the latest reviews for Dianeslittleexplorer. Please note that reviews represent the subjective opinions of other Childcare.co.uk members and not of Childcare.co.uk. Parents must carry out their own checks and references on childcare providers to ensure that they are completely happy before enaging in the use of their services.
Both our 3 year old and 10 month old go to Diane 4 days a week. Our 3 year old has been with Diane since he was nine months old and has absolutely thrived in her care. He has come on leaps and bounds and Diane adapts the provision based on his learning and interests. He loves going out to playgroup, parks and farm visits and enjoys the homely atmosphere with Diane and her family. Our baby settled instantly and is so happy in Diane’s care. We couldn’t ask for a better childminder - knowing both of our children are happy, safe and so well looked after is invaluable.
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Louise D
on 01/12/2024
Diane has looked after our daughter for the past 1.5 years and we couldn’t be happier with the service that she has provided so far. She has a huge range of toys and activities on offer, takes the children to playgroups, visits other childminders, takes them to the farm, local lakes and more! We love the daily photo updates and the excellent standard of care that Diane provides. Our daughter is very happy there. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a childminder in the North Herts area.
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Florence
on 25/11/2024
We have had our two girls with Diane and very sad our little girl is going to nursery. Daine and her family are amazing with the kids. Her own 2 kids are talked about as much as Diane herself.
She is very invested in the kids. She brings them out to farm and visits other childminders to socialise the kids. My girls have loved Diane and will sorely miss her
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Maggie
on 04/06/2024
Diane has been brilliant with our youngest daughter and also been flexible to offer holiday support for our elder.
She provides detailed daily updates, has a lovely bright and clean setting and varies the activities and play every day, including many outings.
The children really enjoy it and their little friends and i can't recommend our experience enough :)
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Stephen
on 07/06/2023
Diane has been an outstanding childminder who has looked after both of my children. We have used her amazing services for nearly 6 years and sadly our youngest will soon be leaving to start full time nursery. Both my girls have flourished in her care and have enjoyed do many fun activities and days out. I would recommend Diane's little explorers to anyone looking for a loving, friendly, fun and caring setting for their children.
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Ellie
on 23/05/2023
Our son has been with Diane since he was a year old and we have always been blown away by the exceptional care he has received. Diane is amazing, it’s clear she cares about all the children in her care and our little one adores attending her setting! He has made some amazing friendships since he has been with her and Diane’s EYFS provision is incredible; our son has many opportunities to learn through his personal interests and do so many fun things like attending farms, play groups and soft play sessions. A huge thank you to Diane and her lovely family, we really couldn’t ask for more!
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Kerry
on 20/05/2023
Diane’s care for our son has been amazing! He has been with her since he was 9 months old and has come on leaps and bounds! Diane runs a welcoming, family oriented setting and our son can’t wait to run through the door everyday. We couldn’t have asked for a better and more supportive childminder - we feel so at ease going to work knowing that our son has a place in such a caring and safe environment.
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Louise D
on 15/05/2023
My son has been with Diane for around a year now and he absolutely loves it. It really feels like home from home and Diane’s family are all so lovely - my boy loves them so much! I couldn’t be happier and feel relaxed going to work knowing my son is happy, safe and having fun!
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LauraM
on 14/05/2023
Diane and her family couldn’t be more more welcoming. Our daughter will go to school in September and has been with Diane since she was 1. She adores her. Our son, who is 18m, started in September 2021 and settled straight away. The children are treated as one of the family and have so much fun. Diane is professional and totally trustworthy. Definitely, definitely recommend!
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JNG
on 02/03/2022
We had no childminder experience before Diane and she’s set an exceptionally high standard for us moving forward. We met with several minders but from the moment we spoke to Diane we were impressed with her perfect balance of friendliness and professionalism.
Our boy’s been comfortable from the initial settling in sessions and from his first day being there independently. He’s had the love and care of not only Diane but also her amazing children and even her cat! We’ve had daily photo’s and updates detailing every aspect of each day have seen our boys confidence and character flourish as a result of his interaction with the other children in such a safe family environment. Would highly recommend!
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Natalie
on 24/02/2022
Our little girl has attended Diane’s Little Explorers for nearly 3 years now, since she was 10 months and we cannot thank Diane enough for the amazing work she has done for our daughter & us!
Our little girl has blossomed & become a very bright young lady who has loved learning through so many different ways over the last few years! From painting to planting seeds and from going for walks to investigating shaving foam, every aspect of Diane’s way of teaching & playing has shaped our little girl into a wonderful, happy, unique person! We are so upset to have to leave Diane’s now for our daughter to go to school but she has grown up with the very best start in life & again we cannot thank Diane enough!
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Georgina
on 06/05/2021
We have known Diane for over 4 years now.
Diane looked after our first daughter from 9 months old for two days a week right up until she started nursery aged 4. She now looks after our second daughter 2 days a week and she is getting along just as well in Diane's setting as our first.
It was very daunting looking for a childminder with our first born as we had to completely trust who we were leaving her with. Diane was very understanding of this and we built a great rapport straight away.
Diane's house is very much a home from home for both of our girls and Diane very much feels like extended family. She also has two lovely kids of her own that get along brilliantly with both of ours.
She is highly organised, has great communication skills and we have always been very impressed with the way that she has accommodated any of our requests and kept us up to date with our childrens' progress.
It is without doubt that both of our girls have greatly benefited with their learning and development under Diane's care.
I highly recommend Diane as your new childminder.
Yours faithfully,
Lawrence and Ellie
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Lawrence
on 06/05/2021
Diane looked after our first child flawlessly and is currently looking after our second. When our daughter joined the family we had no doubts regarding who we wanted as our childminder. Diane is patient, kind, and provides a loving environment for our children. One of Diane’s key attributes would be how well she communicates. We receive an end of day summary via Whatsapp which includes not only basic information, but also lovely photographs and a summary of what our little one has been up to. This helps put into context what my 3 year old communicates to me about the day and allows me to feel connected despite having to work.
Throughout the pandemic Diane has kept up to date with all recommendations regarding keeping us and our children safe. She regularly updates her policies and practices ensuring that the children are able to socialize and play in a safe environment. We could not recommend Diane enough. Diane has always proven knowledgeable about child care in general and has always been receptive to our parenting philosophies, i.e. reusable nappies, extended rear facing, breastfeeding etc. As parents we would both highly rate and recommend Diane’s childminding services. However, even more important than our opinion is that of our children. Even my eldest who no longer attends Diane’s still raves about her. My youngest thoroughly enjoys going, and this to us, serves as the strongest evidence of how well nurtured they are with Diane. We are confident that you will love her just as much as we do!
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theFlint
on 06/05/2021
Our daughter started with Diane when she had just turned one. The thought of sending your child to someone you barely know is very daunting especially when she wouldn’t be left with anyone but myself or my mum (not even my husband!) but Diane made us feel really at ease and our daughter took to her from day one. She loves going to Diane’s house and talks excitedly about what she has done each day. They do a variety of fun and engaging activities and we look forward to our son starting with Diane in the next couple of months. We totally trust Diane with our daughter and are really pleased we chose her 😊
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JNG
on 04/05/2021
My little girl has been attending Diane’s Little Explorers for 2 years now and she has blossomed into a clever, confident child! I’d never used a childminder before this and was nervous about what to expect but Diane made us feel very welcome as though we’d known her for years! Now 2 years on, my little girl is bright, happy & can’t wait to go in the mornings! She brings home the most wonderful stories of her day and gladly shows us all the brilliant things she had made!
I’d definitely recommend this setting and I trust Diane implicitly with my child! A fabulous childminder who I feel loves my little girl almost as much as I do!
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Georgina
on 25/10/2020
My little girl has been going to Diane for over a year now since she was 9 months old, and I can honestly say we could not have chosen a better childminder. My little one has been so settled since day one and always has a smile on her face at the beginning and end of every day. Diane's setting is lovely and homely and her own children are a credit to her as they love my girl as much as she loves them! My girl always tells me of all the fun she has and what she's been up to each day!
The care that Diane has for my little one is second to none and she is always encouraged to learn and explore. Diane has taken our lead with aspects that we want to teach our girl and we love getting daily updates and monthly breakdowns of how she's getting on.
I completely trust that my little one is in exceptional care and that all the learning and fun that Diane offers is excelling her development so much.
Thank you Diane!
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Ellie
on 25/09/2018
The search for a suitable childcare provider was a very daunting prospect for us as new parents, but finding Diane meant I was able to return to work after maternity leave, knowing my daughter was being well looked after in a caring, home from home environment.
Our daughter has been going to Diane's for almost 2 years and from day one she has been welcomed by Diane and her family, whom she adores.
Diane has a well structured routine for the children which helps them feel secure and comfortable in her care, and also encourages them to learn good habits, like taking shoes off and washing hands for example.
Diane has a very good understanding of child development and offers a huge variety of activities for the children throughout the year to encourage learning through play.
We get a daily diary of our daughter's activities and receive a Learning Journey every term, which enables us to see how she has progressed and what areas Diane will be working on next.
Our daughter always looks forward to her days with Diane, and often tells us about the fun activities she has been doing that day. We could not be happier with the professional service Diane provides, we would highly recommend her to any parents seeking a warm and happy environment for their child to flourish.
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on 24/09/2018
Cody has been going to DIane since he was 8 months old. Cody loves Diane and all her family and is always full of smiles when he knows he is going to see them. Cody's care is first class and we are only looking for alternative care due to moving to a new town. I was so confident in cody's care that i was able to return to full time work. I get daily updates on how Cody is and Diane always goes above and beyond her duty. Thank you for giving me peace of mind and confidence. We will most definitely miss you all.
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Victoria
on 23/09/2018
Diane is a warm and loving person with an intrinsic understanding of the needs of children. The environment that she creates for children is clean, well presented, and well suited to children so as to keep them safe but also encourage their learning through play and exploration. Her approach towards children provides clear boundaries so that my little one feels safe but is also able to develop a sense of independence. Diane has proven to be invaluable in responding to our family’s needs. She proved knowledgable about breastmilk and its storage needs when we provided frozen breastmilk for our little one. She respects our no television rule, fulfils our desire to keep Marley rear facing in the car, and has patiently supported Marley in his potty learning.
One of Diane’s biggest strengths is her communication skills. She gives us detailed written accounts of our little one’s day which is supplemented with a photo journal to help keep track of our little one’s struggles and achievements. Our little one’s firm attachment to Diane, as evidenced by an unwillingness to come home on occasion, further proves the unparalleled level of care Diane provides to the little one’s she cares for. We feel that our little one has a second home at Diane’s and I don’t say that lightly. Diane is an amazing and caring childminder. We could not recommend her enough, and we are very grateful to have found her.
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theFlint
on 22/06/2017
My 3 year old daughter Lily has been attending Diane's little explorers for over 2 years now. We are absolutely delighted with the level of childcare Diane provides for our child.
Lily has so much fun at Diane's and always wants to tell me about her day when she gets home and often chats about all her friends at Diane's and playgroup's they go to.
Diane has a lovely clean and welcoming home which made it an easy decision to leave my daughter in her care. Lily is very fond of her 2 children who are very well mannered and spend a lot of time playing with Lily.
Diane is very accommodating with everything we ask of her, she has Lily in the same routine as home and it works perfect. Diane has also supported Lily with her Milestones like Potty training.
Overall fantastic childminder.
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Parent
on 09/05/2017
My 18 month old daughter jenna has been going to diane's house for almost a year. Jenna always gets excited when we pull up outside dianes house in the morning and is always keen to get going and get in.
Diane is fun and Jenna is so busy going to play groups twice a week, playing in the garden or doing an activity like painting.
Diane keeps me up dated at times with pictures whilst I am at work and always shows me what jenna has been doing when I pick her up.
Jenna has settled into a routine with lunch and nap times at Diane's and is totally at ease in her clean and friendly house.
Diane's 2 children are so welcoming and often will play with jenna before or after school.
I am so happy to find a childminder that my daughter is so happy to go to week on week. I can see jenna's progress with termly updates when Diane sends me jenna's on-line folder which has details of all sorts of developments that diane observes whilst jenna is with her.
Much deserved 5 stars
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Parent
on 24/10/2015
I can not recommend Diane enough! The care for the children in her care is second to none! Diane has looked after my children, of varying ages, on a number of occasions. It is clear that they love going there as they never want to leave and count down the time until their next visit!
The atmosphere in Diane's house is always happy, relaxed and under control. It is always fresh and clean and very welcoming.
Diane has strong family values and I feel that her own children, who are polite and well behaved are a testament to the effectiveness of these values.
I would highly recommend Diane to any parent looking for quality childcare and plan on using her again myself when I return to work.
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Parent
on 01/10/2015
Diane has looked after my daughter on many occasions. My daughter is always keen to go and never wants to leave. Diane's own children have impeccable manners and are very well brought up. Diane will accommodate my daughters' fussy eating habits and has a wide range of toys available for all children to play with. Diane has a very tidy and clean house and manages to find a place for all the resources she needs. She always plans a range of activities for my daughter to do when she goes round which she loves. If I need to leave my daughter with anyone Diane is always my first choice. I can't recommend her highly enough to other parents.
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Vic1
on 22/12/2014
