At The Nest, we consider the environment an extremely important part of children’s learning experience. Everything in our environment is selected and arranged with care! While the specific items out at any time may change, we always follow these guidelines:

  • Safety–toys, furniture, and all equipment are kept clean and are always safe enough for children to play with freely, without too many adult-imposed limitations, allowing them to take acceptable risks and test new skills.
  • Accessibility–materials are on low shelves within reach of children, allowing them to choose for themselves what to play with at any time.
  • Appropriateness–materials are chosen specifically for the age groups served, and are open-ended to support natural development, to encourage creative play and to suit multiple skill levels.
  • Aesthetics–we believe children have the right to an early learning environment full of beautiful, inspirational things. It shows respect for children, and teaches them respect for their environment, to supply them with high-quality, well-kept toys and materials.