Barcelona Mum

La Caseta - Alella

Familial-style private guarderia in a pretty street in the town of Alella. Children accepted from 4 months to 3 years. Classes are in Catalan although children have English classes from a very early age! Swimming is an option in the second year and the nursery also has regular theatre and concert trips as well as trips to the farm! Price from around 180 euros a month and the hours are flexible.
La Caseta Calle Verdaguer 6 Alella 08328 Tel 935.556.407

Comments:
"I have been sending my daughter to La Caseta since she was 14 months and I cannot recommend it highly enough. The staff are amazing and very friendly & caring. The activities are well planned and vary day to day. Everyone I know who send their children there absolutely loves it!" (CF)

Recommended by Carrie Frais

Els Pinyons - Alella

Public nursery in Alella which comes highly recommended
Avenida Bosquet Alella 08328 935555509

Comments:
"Els Pinyons is a new local crèche (municipal) run by a girl I knew from La Caseta (also a great creche) Lidia is professional and a fantastic directora. We have been very happy with the place. All the girls are very capable, well qualified and great with the kids. Being a government crèche, the security and safety regulations are very strict. If however you are used to the familiarity of a private crèche, it is not quite the same, you have to stick to the hours to drop off and pick up kids, and they are very strict with doctors certificates etc, which is not a bad thing...All communication, reports etc are in catalan. Places are quite restricted so if you are interested get information well in advance" (KP)

Recommended by Kate Procter

Escola Bressol El Campanar - Alella

Private nursery in the centre of Alella. Seven groups of children from four months onwards.Main language Catalan and they speak some Spanish. No English It is a concertada which means it is susbidized by the state. Regularly inspected by the Generalitat. Home-made food.
Escola Bressol El Campanar Placa Eglesia 6, 08328 Alella 935552147

Comments:
"What is a good sign is that my son Pau now does not like his holidays anymore, he wants to go to the "colle" and is very disappointed it is closed for 5 weeks!" (MS)

Recommended by Marieke Severens

Ludoteca - Rialles

Ludoteca with outside space onon the N11 Vilassar, near the station. They can also come to your home and look after your kids in the holidays or after school. They organize parties for birthdays etc
C/ Sant Jaume 34  08340 - VI Vilassar de Mar (Barcelona) Te 661-374-136 ludoteca-rialles@hotmail.com


Comments:
"They have very friendly tutors. Although the space is not big it is open till 19.30 and normally is not overcrowded.
It is open already up from 8 AM and you can park your car quite easily for a few minutes near the ludoteca.
Offcourse the advantage is that they are open on days where the 'normal' nurseries are closed (in August etc., in January)" (IVB).

Recommended by Ingeborg van Bavel

Hamelin International Nursery (Alella)

The Hamelin Guarderia is located in the same place as the main school.
C/ Riera de la Coma Fosca , nº 3-5
08328 - Alella-Barcelona 935552296 hamelin@escolessas.com

Comments:
"My son, who is 21 months, started in the guardaria in September. He took about a week to adapt to his new routine and is now very happy. The trilingual structure is present from the beginning: the daily language of the guardaria is Catalan but the children also have one hour of English and one activity in Spanish each day. The drawback with the guardaria is that there is one set price per month whether your child attends for half a day or a full day. My son is the only child who is collected after lunch; all the others stay for the full day. We decided that the transition to P3 would hopefully be easy as he already knows the school." (JM)

Recommended by Jane Mitchell

C.E.I. Bambi - Teia

Situated on the main street in Teia ( La Riera),this is a private nursery and is run in Catalan though there is the option of taking English classes.
Tel: 93 540 3046

Comments:
"My daughter is in her second year in Bambi and the experience for all of us has been very positive. The staff are very friendly and practical and there is a lot of communication with the parents. The activities vary from day to day and the children seem to love it. They celebrate all the local festivals and seem to do a lot of singing and dancing!" (CE)

Recommended by Cliodhna Egan

Ludoteca - Vilassar de Mar

Crèche in Vilasar for children from 0-6 years. You can come as little or for as long as you like and parents can stay with their children if they choose. They also offer courses such as Baby Massage and Nutrition courses.
Calle Sant Ignasi 38, baixos. 08340 Vilassar de Mar. 937597585 info@divertit.net www.divertit.net

Comments:
The ludoteca also organizes children´s parties

Recommended by Rebecca Lovell