Teddy Learners

Preschoolers thrive on structure. A day runs roughly: 07:30 welcome, 08:45 morning circle, fresh fruit, then indoor or outdoor activities, a warm lunch around 11:45, nap or rest time at 12:45, a healthy snack around 14:45, more activities, and pick-up through 18:30. The predictable rhythm gives children comfort and stability while leaving room for flexibility.

We follow the Dutch staff-to-child ratios: 1 educator per 8 children aged 2 to 4. Every group also has a Dutch-speaking and an English-speaking educator, and each location has a Dutch-speaking head teacher on top of the team who can step in whenever needed.

We start potty training when your child shows they're ready or when you've already begun at home. From around 2½ years we gently encourage children to join toilet moments, with clear fixed times during the day and lots of positive reinforcement — children love sticking stickers on their chart. We keep it pressure-free: if there are three accidents in a day, we put the nappy back on and try again the next day. We never force it.

Children aged 0 to 7 are in the ideal window for simultaneous language acquisition. We use the OPOL method, with a Dutch-speaking and an English-speaking educator in each group and activities offered roughly 50/50 in both languages across the week. This builds two well-developed language systems and gives your child a head start — bilingual children often have a larger vocabulary and stronger cognitive flexibility.

Children get a warm lunch in the middle of the day, freshly prepared by Moekes Maaltijd, a children's caterer in Utrecht, using 100% natural, seasonal and largely organic ingredients. Meals are served family-style to build healthy habits and table manners, primarily vegetarian with designated meat days (full vegetarian on request), in a 100% peanut-free environment. Children are never forced to eat but always encouraged to try new things. We accommodate dietary and cultural needs such as halal, dairy-free and allergy-safe.

Yes — we think it's important to go outside at least once a day, and every location has its own outdoor space where children can move freely. We stay inside only in extreme weather: below -5°C, above 30°C (on hot days we avoid outdoors between 12:00 and 15:00), or in heavy rain. A few times a year, children aged 2 and up go on outings such as the library or playground, always with at least two educators and signed parental consent.

Every child has a mentor — a fixed educator who follows their development and whom you can always see in Nest. The mentor carries out an observation every six months and shares the findings with you in person. When your child moves to a new group we plan a 10-minute conversation, and before the move to primary school we complete an observation form to pass on key development information (you choose whether to share it with the school).