The Nature Nest Difference
Outdoor Fun
& Nature Exploration
More than just for a "recess", outdoors is an extension of the learning and living space. A place for story time, lunch or snacks, sensory play & nature exploration, walks or even tree & rock-climbing. At the Nature Nest, we enjoy the outdoors quite a bit and we like to think that the outdoors enjoy us too! =)
Music & Movement...
is a part of each and every day at the Nature Nest. Whether outdoors or indoors, children have various opportunities to listen to various genres of music and explore a variety of intruments and different ways of movement expression.
Cooking, Science, Gardening & All-Things Messy
Children participate in cooking activities and gardening regularly. Measuring, filling, pouring and mixing ingredients are great fun! As are planting, watering, harvesting, etc... And what better way to learn early math and science concepts as well as life-skills than in the kitchen or the garden!
Baby Wearing & Nurturing Attention
At the Nature Nest, all babies are given the opportunity to experience the benefits of nurturing and attentive practices such as baby wearing and holding while bottle feeding. Nurturing, attentive-care is at the center of everything we do!
Arts & Crafts
Exploration & Expression
At the Nature Nest, children's creativity flourish as they have endless opportunities to explore creativity using a variety of tools and materials. Themes, stories, songs and rhymes all provide great inspiration for our little artists!
Natural Parenting Choices Supported
A family should never have to be turned away from quality care because they choose to cloth diaper their baby or feed their baby only homemade baby food. At the Nature Nest, such choices are not only allowed, but celebrated. We simply ask that you provide the necessary supplies and we'll take care of the rest.
To Register:
1-Please print, fill out and return the completed enrollment forms (links to the right) prior to your child's first day.
2-Be sure to check with your doctor about the turn around time on medical forms. Some pediatricians require a two week notice to complete such forms.
3-Submit Security Deposit and Registration Fee along with the completed paperwork and book your child's transition visits.
For full instructions on how to register click here.
Family Suites:
Childcare “family suites” consist of groups of children who stay together with the same caregivers over a several-year period. Bonding to adults who provide consistent, nurturing care during the years of early childhood is tantamount to the development of healthy relationships in youth and adulthood. Brain research indicates that “the architecture of the brain depends on a series of critical but subtle emotional transactions between an infant and a devoted caregiver…clearly formulating the elusive building blocks of creative and analytic thinking, and the sense of self” (Dr. Stanley Greenspan).
The mix of children’s ages may differ in the various LifeWays locations. Childcare homes can easily provide a “family” grouping with children of various ages. Childcare centers that incorporate several family suites function like a little neighborhood of childcare homes. In some States, a licensing waiver for mixed ages may be necessary. LifeWays North America is an advocacy group that will work with you and your licensing agency toward acquiring necessary exemptions.
An emphasis is also placed on the learning that is cultivated through mixed-age groupings. The younger ones learn basic self-care and social skills from observing the older children, and the older ones learn basic nurturing skills by observing the caregivers tend to the little ones. Another benefit of having mixed ages is that the ratio of children to care providers enables more of a family feeling. The caregiver/teacher is able to meet the special needs of each age group.
Living Arts
As a LifeWays® Aligned Early Childhood Program, we recognize that human relationship and activity are the essential tools for all foundational skills for life. In infancy and early childhood, daily life experience is the “curriculum” through which your child experiences healthy life rhythms and routines. Beauty, comfort, security, and connection to the living world of nature form the basis for the “Living Arts:”
-
Domestic Arts—Children find joy in the practical and meaningful activities of daily life, laying a foundation for future academic skills, initiative and purpose.
-
Nurturing Arts—Your child will be nourished with natural foods, hair brushing, calming foot baths, daily outdoor time, and rest for full-day children.
-
Social Arts—Mixed-age groupings foster a secure relationship with the primary caregiver over time and provide the opportunity to be both a younger and older “sibling.”
-
Creative Arts—Imaginative play is enriched by story telling, puppet shows, artistic activities, crafts, music and singing.
We invite you to read more about the Living Arts and our our approach to curriculum by visiting http://lifewaysnorthamerica.org/child-care-curriculum/
Unlike any other
Child Care Provider, Nature Nest...
offers a safe, inviting space just like home, and warm, nurturing care complete with educational activities designed to meet the needs and interests of all children while promoting individual development.
Our toys and play spaces are regularly cleaned and disinfected using only the best, most-effective natural products that are both effective and safe around the little ones. From handsoap to surface cleaners you can rest assured your little one is never exposed to any chemicals that would not be safe enough to ingest.
That is just one of the ways the Nature Nest is meeting higher standards in child care and aspiring to set a set new a benchmark for quality in the field of early childhood care and education
Eco-Healthy Childcare
Communication
Our center(s) proudly use(s) Brightwheel as a convenient way to communicate and share information with parents. Our teahers send daily activity reports via Brightwheel app, whih includes photos of your child, feeding, napping, diapering information, dialy activities in the classrooom and developmental portfolios for each child. Parents are able to access their child's daily report electronically in real time through the Brightwheel app on any mobile device (Android or Apple). Brightwheel is secure, private and easy to use! We look forward to sharing your child's magical moments with you!
REGISTRATION & ADD'L INFO
