6 weeks – 1 year · STUDIO GUIDE
Nido — Nest
At Piccolini’s Place St Helena, Nido offers a gentle beginning for our youngest children.
A secure beginning. A world to discover.
For babies, learning begins in relationships and everyday discoveries. Feeling secure, noticing familiar voices and faces, reaching towards something interesting and communicating a need are all meaningful parts of growing.
THE MEANING BEHIND THE NAME
Why Nido?
Nido means nest. As a symbol, a nest suggests warmth, belonging and a secure place from which to begin exploring. It is a gentle way to describe the importance of feeling known and cared for in the earliest months.
Growing and learning in Nido
Connection and wellbeing
Responsive interactions help babies feel noticed. Families’ knowledge of their child’s cues, comforts and routines is an important starting point.
Communication before words
Looking, facial expressions, sounds and gestures are already ways of communicating. Giving babies time to respond makes room for their contribution.
Movement and discovery
At their own pace, babies explore through their bodies and senses. Safe, age-appropriate opportunities to look, reach and move support curiosity without rushing milestones.
A Reggio Emilia-inspired perspective
A Reggio-inspired view recognises a baby as an active participant, not simply a recipient of care. An attentive adult notices what captures a baby’s interest and responds with warmth and time. The focus is on the relationship and the discovery, rather than a finished product.
What an inquiry could look like
A baby notices a changing shadow. An adult follows their gaze, pauses and names what they see. This simple example shows how observation and shared attention can turn an ordinary moment into learning.
Illustrative learning example, not a fixed activity schedule or a promise of individual outcomes.
Growing in partnership with families
Your child’s interests, culture and experiences help us understand what matters to them. Conversations about what you notice at home can connect learning across home and the studio.
Every child develops differently. The listed age range is an existing studio guide, not a developmental deadline. Room transitions and individual arrangements should be discussed with the team.
Rest, comfort and individual rhythms
Children are not forced to sleep. We respond to each child’s age, needs and tiredness cues, with calm rest or quiet play for children who do not need a sleep.
We work with families on familiar routines while keeping safe sleep practices and supervision central. Respecting children’s voices sits alongside our responsibility to provide safe, responsive care.
Nido has a dedicated separate cot room. Families bring their child’s sheets; please discuss suitable bedding and your child’s familiar sleep routine with the team.
See the Piccolini’s approach for yourself.
Explore the learning environments and talk about your child’s interests.