Infant Nido Program

The Adventure Montessori Nido community is a carefully prepared home-like environment designed for the changing developmental needs of the infant from 6 weeks of age to walking. Nido, the Italian word for nest, is appropriately used in describing the infant room’s safe, cozy atmosphere for beginning life. Each classroom has specific areas for awake time, eating, sleeping and personal care routines. The floors are heated and provide soft spaces for the exploration of blossoming curiosity. Each Montessori caregiver is attentive to the individual needs of each infant and is highly trained in observation skills and child development. Our nido room is also a parent community, in that parents are supported and offered parenting techniques and education. Breastfeeding rooms are available for feeding or just for snuggling during those opportune times of the day. Our caregivers support and work with your whole family.

Often when families are touring a traditional Montessori Nido environment, one of the first things they notice is the uncluttered, open space. Then they begin to wonder where all the accessory equipment is, such as high chairs, walkers, swings and cribs. The answer is that all these pieces of equipment inhibit the infant’s ability to freely move about and explore his/her environment and are not used in a Montessori classroom.

Floor beds are another example of allowing infants the freedom to safely explore their environment according to their natural body rhythms of sleeping and awake hours. Even before an infant can crawl, he/she discovers that by wiggling out of the floor bed, exploration can continue! Maria Montessori observed that infants and toddlers learn through movement and the exploration of their surroundings. When encouraged and allowed to explore uninterrupted, they absorb a plethora of information about the real world they live in. Understanding about spatial relationships, cause and effect and problem-solving techniques are all foundational concepts learned by moving, touching, seeing, hearing, tasting and smelling.

Dining

Solid food is introduced to the infant typically at 6 months of age. The child should be able to sit up independently. In our classrooms, we have the children sit at a weaning table and chair; where they can freely move. They are offered food using real dishes and silverware as well as open cups to drink out of. While the child is first introduced to foods, he/she will receive assistance from the adult, but as they grow older they will be able to independently feed themselves.

Outdoor environment

The beauty of nature and the outdoors nurtures and calms all human beings. It provides experiences for all senses and stimulates the body and mind. The Nido outdoor environment offers space for mobile and non-mobile infants. It is a space where they can roll on outdoor blankets, laid in the grass. They can walk on different surfaces, climb on structures, and slide down small slides. In the summer time, we enjoy water play with standing water tables and sprinklers.

Schedule

Each day, parents will plan their baby’s schedule with the Montessori caregiver for determining individual feeding, sleeping and diaper changing routines. Each child’s unique, natural biological rhythms are observed and respected as he or she goes about the daily work of self-creation; creating the person within the child.

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