About Us

Who We Are

The  Nanny Poppins Children Pui O team are nurturing and patient, and are natural

educators. They are there because they have a genuine love of children and feel 

privileged to be part of your child's life.

The play space is owner managed and run.

Vanessa is a native English speaking South African who is a Hong Kong registered kindergarten teacher with a passion for children and education that began early on in her life.

"Holidays were always exciting times for us. My Mom would make padkos (food for the road), we would all help to make 'beds' in the big yellow Volkswagen kombi, and we would leave in the early hours of the morning, when it was still dark, knowing that we would travel for a good many hours to our destination - it was part of the fun.

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I was 12 years old the year that holiday changed my life.

We stayed in East London, South Africa, in a lovely coastal place. I noticed a little boy (he must have been around 16 months old - he was already walking) who used to play outside close to where we were staying, and he had his nanny watching him. I started playing with him and soon, I was given permission to take Lloyd (I will never forget his name), along with my family, down to the beach and look after him, and then bring him back to his nanny. Lloyd had a father, but he didn't have a mother - the nanny told me this. At 12 I never asked why, I just decided that Lloyd needed extra love and care. We had a great holiday, and for many years I had a photo of Lloyd and I standing next to a canoe, but I never saw him again in person. After that I just knew that my life's 'work' would be with children, but not in what capacity. My career has been that of a professional nanny / governess / house manager / qualified early years teacher / private English tutor, and I have loved it all".

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For many years Vanessa ran her own playgroup in South Africa for little ones between 14 months and 4 years old, and in the 90's she co-owned and ran a kindergarten. She arrived in Hong Kong in 2016, worked in two education centres and then as an education director for 3.5 years. Her training is in early childhood development, she is a kindergarten teacher and has a First Aid Level 2 Certificate with AED and CPR (adult, children and babies), which was updated in June 2022. Vanessa ran a successful summer club at Lantau International Cheung Sha in July / August 2023, and thereafter set up her own space in Pui O. A Nursery Assistant helps ensure that children are safe and cared for in a clean space.

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Nanny Poppins Children Pui O provides love, care, laughter, hugs, and a variety of age-appropriate educational, creative and sensory activities, including fine and gross motor sessions daily, all of which the children are encouraged to participate in. 

Dancing - we love to dance, and so do the children!

Fun, fun, fun - it never ends!