6 Best Nurseries In Abu Dhabi

Choosing a nursery in Abu Dhabi means navigating acronyms you've never heard of, comparing waitlists that fill up before your child is born, and trying to work out whether your toddler really needs to learn Mandarin at 18 months. The city hosts over 200 nationalities, and its nurseries reflect that mix. British curriculum here, Montessori there, Reggio Emilia somewhere else, and a handful that combine all three just to keep things interesting.

Location matters as much as curriculum. Live in Saadiyat, you'll want something nearby. Yas Island families face the same calculation. Then there's the language question – English plus Arabic makes sense for cultural integration. French opens European doors. Some nurseries throw in Spanish and Russian for good measure.

Below are some of the nurseries worth knowing about in Abu Dhabi.

Montessori Approach

Redwood Montessori Nursery

Redwood has two nurseries in Abu Dhabi that follow the Montessori method. Established over a decade ago, it remains one of the few nurseries in the capital accredited by the Montessori Association, ensuring that every teacher holds formal Montessori certification. With mixed-age classrooms, tactile learning materials, and a focus on independence from the start, everything is designed for small hands and big curiosity.

Where Redwood stands apart is in language. Arabic, Russian, French, and Spanish are all taught, integrated naturally into play and conversation. Most nurseries offer English plus one other; Redwood offers four, letting families choose based on their background or future plans. It's as cosmopolitan as Abu Dhabi itself.

Classrooms use low furniture and open shelving so children can move freely and make their own choices. Teachers observe and support rather than direct, helping children discover at their own pace. Outside, vegetable gardens are tended daily for planting, watering, and harvesting, with older students (ages four to six) taking on simple food preparation. The independence often translates at home.

British Curriculum

Ladybird Nursery

Thirty years in Khalidiya give Ladybird a certain authority. It follows the British Early Years Foundation System (EYFS) framework, but unlike most nurseries that treat art and music as supporting subjects, this one puts them at the centre. Creativity here is play-based, but always purposeful – sentiments that have guided the nursery since it opened 15 years ago.

The art studio feels lived in: clay under fingernails, fabric scraps on tables, jars of freshly mixed paint. Projects take days, sometimes weeks, so children learn to think in stages rather than produce something neat for a fridge magnet. The music programme brings instruments from everywhere – Indian tablas, West African djembes, even simple shakers made from recycled bottles – and lets children experiment with sound and rhythm.

Three languages – English, French, and Arabic – are spoken throughout the day, taught by fluent teachers through conversation and storytelling rather than formal lessons. By the time they leave, most children understand all three naturally, even if fluency varies.

The calm atmosphere and long-serving staff are mentioned often. The baby room waitlist stretches months ahead. It's structured learning in a warm environment.

Falcon British Nursery

Falcon British Nursery holds official UK EYFS accreditation from Ofsted, meaning inspectors from Britain visit and assess the nursery against national standards. Few nurseries outside the UK go through this process. Falcon does, and consistently exceeds standards.

Children switch between English, French, and Arabic during activities, absorbing all three without thinking about it. 

One feature sets Falcon apart: its dedicated STEM laboratory. Designed specifically for under-fives, it includes microscopes, building materials for early engineering, and safe spaces for simple experiments. Teachers trained in early-years STEM lead discovery-based activities that feel more like play. 

Outside, the learning continues. The outdoor classroom operates year-round, with shaded canopies for summer months. Falcon accepts infants from 45 days old, making it one of the few nurseries in Abu Dhabi offering care for very young babies once maternity leave ends.

British Orchard Nursery

British Orchard Nursery belongs to the Aldar Education network and has become one of the UAE's most established early-years groups, with more than 30 branches across the region and full ISO certification for quality, health, and safety. The scale shows, but so does the care.

Custom-built campuses replace converted villas, with classrooms designed around movement and exploration. Construction zones, sensory rooms, and rotating role-play corners encourage hands-on learning, whilst the GymJuniorz area adds physical development into the day.

Learning follows the British EYFS framework and runs on long-form projects rather than quick weekly themes. Children explore topics over time, often with parents contributing stories, recipes, or cultural traditions from home. The result feels grounded in Abu Dhabi's multicultural life. English, Arabic, and French rotate throughout the day naturally.

There's also peace of mind, as links with Aldar's primary schools mean children transition easily when it's time to move up, making British Orchard a trusted first step in education.

Reggio Emilia and Mixed Approaches

Odyssey Nursery

Odyssey Nursery blends the Reggio Emilia philosophy from Italy with the Washington State Early Learning and Development Benchmarks from the United States. It is one of the few nurseries in Abu Dhabi to implement Reggio Emilia in full, combining inquiry-based learning with measurable developmental outcomes.

Children here are treated as capable thinkers. The atelier, or art studio, sits at the middle of the nursery and is led by a qualified atelierista. Materials range from clay and wire to recycled and natural items collected outdoors. Each project begins with a question – how does light move? Or what happens when clay meets water? – and unfolds over several weeks. Teachers document the process through photography and written panels, creating a visible record of discovery.

Outdoor spaces are considered extensions of the classroom. Mud kitchens, water play areas, and loose parts are rotated to match the children's interests, and shaded garden zones encourage sensory exploration even in warmer months.

Founded in 2014, Odyssey now operates multiple branches across Abu Dhabi, with each campus maintaining a low child-to-teacher ratio for more individual attention.

Discovery Nursery

Founded in 2007, Discovery Nursery incorporates the British EYFS framework with Reggio Emilia influences, applying them in a way that adapts as children grow, ensuring their development, familiar routines, and learning environments are consistent.

Facilities are practical and thoughtfully designed. An indoor gym encourages movement year-round, and a shaded splash pad keeps outdoor play possible through much of the year. Each classroom opens onto play zones, giving children the freedom to explore safely.

The nursery welcomes children from birth to four years old. Baby rooms transition into toddler and preschool spaces, which makes life easier for families with more than one child. Teachers keep small group sizes, allowing attention to stay personal even as classes grow.

Arabic, French and English come up in storytelling, songs, and daily routines. By the time children reach preschool level, many respond comfortably to all three.

Discovery works closely with local primary schools, offering families information sessions and introductions when choosing the next step. It feels more like a community than a single nursery; the kind that grows with the children who start there.

Abu Dhabi's nurseries reflect the city's international character. The best share certain qualities: teachers who understand early childhood development, environments designed for exploration, and respect for children as capable learners. Depending on what families prioritise, there are nurseries aligned with every approach and language mix. The key is matching nursery values with family needs and practical considerations like location and working hours.