To help you get ready for Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) registration week, 22 to 28 January 2024, we've compiled a handy list of FAQs and several ways for you to get to know MAKI Pups and our fantastic team. 

Who is Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) registration week for?

Children born between 1st March 2021 and 28th February 2022 are eligible for funded Early Learning and Childcare in the academic year starting August 2024. Registration takes place online, find out more from Argyll and Bute Council here. 

Open Hour at MAKI Pups

 Don’t just take our word for it, come along and see for yourself what MAKI Pups is all about at our open hour:

• Open Hour, 1pm to 2pm on Wednesday, 17 January 2024.
• Open Morning. Saturday 13 January.

No booking is required, just turn up.

These open events are for families who are interested in registering their child for either an immediate start or to come along for a look around and to ask the team their questions about ELC registration week.

We'll be on hand to show you around and answer any of your questions about our outdoor nursery and how ELC-funded hours work in practice.

Former families are more then welcome to pop by to say hello too!

We're based in the walled garden at Kilmory Castle, Lochgilphead.

Children at MAKI Pups learn to grow and harvest food and flowers in our polytunnel and raised beds.

Frequently Asked Questions

What about bad weather days? How can I split my ELC hours across different nurseries? Will my washing pile be huge?

If you’ve never attended an outdoor nursery before, you’ll have lots of questions. We’ve compiled a FAQ list, tackling the questions we are asked most often by parents.

Read our FAQ blog. 

Join our Mini Pups outdoor playgroup and Woodland Bookbug

Our regular Mini Pups Outdoor Playgroup is for families with babies and children up to age three. Come along for some nature-inspired fun and see how well your child responds to our outdoor nursery. This is the best way to really get to know what MAKI Pups is all about and witness the benefits for yourself.

Mini Pups is for families with babies and children up to three years and takes place on Wednesday mornings during term time and is hugely popular. We're pleased to say it returns on 17 January! 

We also run regular Bookbug sessions for local families with babies and children up to age five. Our next Woodland Wander and Bookbug is on 31 January. 

Keep an eye on our Eventbrite for bookings and our MAKI Pups Facebook page for announcements.  

Follow our Eventbrite

Follow us on Facebook 

Can’t make it for a visit, but want to get a feel for MAKI Pups?

Not only do we post about the kind of things that the children get up to, our passionate team also makes an appearance from time to time. Tips, activities, family-friendly events, our Facebook is a great starting point for you to get to know MAKI Pups. 

Follow MAKI Pups on Facebook

Katy and Lori and just two of our great team of practitioners at MAKI Pups.

What you’ll discover at MAKI Pups outdoor nursery

Our nursery is situated in the beautiful Kilmory Walled Garden, next to Argyll and Bute Council’s headquarters. The garden is a treasure trove of well-established plants and trees with a range of spaces waiting to be explored and adventures to be had. At MAKI Pups, there’s a woodland, a large lawn, an avenue of trees, a walled garden with raised beds, a polytunnel, Hobbit house, mud kitchen, sandpit and a bug city. 

Read more about MAKI Pups

Talk to us

Do you still have questions? Get in touch with our nursery manager Erin Kennedy, [email protected]