Our Nido takes children between the ages of 3 months – 18 months. They have their own special, self contained area where all their needs are met. We treat this time of life as being of immense importance as young learners start to explore the environment. We aim for the children to experience warmth, security and a sense of belonging so that they really enjoy their time with us.

The most important elements in the environment for children at this stage of their development is other human beings, their knowledge, their love and wisdom. We try to create a natural environment similar to the home environment the children are familiar with, thereby offering security and a sense of order. A natural environment is sometimes distinguished more by what objects are left out, than by which are included. Among the items that are not usually necessary and sometimes even detrimental, are swings, walkers, playpens and pacifiers, because they all inhibit natural development. It is amazing to see how focused a baby can become when concentration is not interrupted.

To illustrate this: a mother took her baby for a walk in a buggy and noticed he stared at a poster on a building. When the mother wanted to move, the baby began to cry, so she allowed him to continue to look at it. Twenty two minutes later the baby gave a deeply satisfied sigh and looked away. What was he thinking? What was he doing? We cannot know, but we know that we have to watch for and respect these periods of intense interest. This is just an example of support in a natural environment.

A natural environment for a baby is one, which provides wise and observant adults and an interesting and safe place for them to rest, explore, and develop their abilities.

Our programme encourages the development of all the senses and introduces activities that nurture both fine and gross motor skills. We emphasise the development of early vocabulary and provide our children with a loving environment always rich in new experiences.