For children under 18 months
nido.
nurturing independence right from the start
A nido, or “nest” in Italian, is designed to provide a safe, comforting, and predictable environment for infants. This environment serves as a secure home base from which babies can confidently begin exploring and learning about everything around them.
In the caring and supportive Nido classroom, infants and young toddlers can safely explore and develop new abilities. It is incredible to see what your child can achieve in an environment that enables independent experimentation and adaptation.
features of our nido programme:
Foundational trust and loving guidance.
Our method, guided by respect for the infant’s competence, is based on sensitive observation. Our infant specialists observe and guide your child towards natural routines for sleeping and eating, letting him drive the process. We gently support and encourage your child as he becomes increasingly independent, developing healthy relationships with sleep, eating and toileting along the way.
Free movement for strength and coordination.
Your infant's gross motor development progresses rapidly, and we support it through free movement. We don't use playpens, jumpers, or high chairs since they restrict the developing mobility. Instead, everything is lowered to your infant's eye level where babies gain strength, coordination, and confidence. We support a child’s natural development with ample safe space to move, and beautiful environments that entice them to explore.
Development of the hand with fine motor skills.
The use of one’s hands opens the door to intelligence. Our curated infant materials are carefully designed to support this developing hand-brain connection. Careful attention is given to milestones like whole-hand grasp, pincer grasp, hand-eye coordination, and coordination of two hands working together.
Collaborative caregiving.
During care activities, we encourage even the tiniest infant to become an active participant rather than a passive recipient of the activities. We intentionally create opportunities for interaction, cooperation, intimacy and mutual enjoyment by being wholeheartedly with the infant during caregiving routines. Refuelled by unhurried, pleasurable caring experiences, your child is ready to explore their safe environment with only minimal intervention by adults.
Developing language joyfully.
Our English and Mandarin interactions are vibrant and meaningful. We describe what each infant is doing, what we are doing, and what other children are doing with precise vocabulary, and we incorporate joyful songs and stories. Our goal is to familiarise your child with precise language in English and Mandarin and help her to begin to understand emotions. We expose your infant to as much vocabulary as possible, clearly identifying objects and actions.
Building blocks of independence.
Our infant specialists strike a gentle balance between doing for, doing with, and stepping back once independence is achieved. Your infant will be given full support and be empowered to try new things during extended periods of uninterrupted play.
at nest preschool, we believe every child is tremendously capable.
But what’s even better, the children believe it too.
Every child at Nest Preschool knows they can accomplish real things and engage in real learning. Not because someone tells them so, but because they choose it, experience it, and succeed at it every single day.