Nestling House

✨Teacher Spotlight on Ms. Kaycee✨

Ms. Kaycee has been with the Nestling House Herman team for over a year. She strives to create an environment where children can explore through play, movement, art, and nature. She provides a special focus on helping children build independence, confidence, and empathy. Her goal is to create a space where every child feels seen, supported, and celebrated for who they are, fostering a love of learning, exploration, and their peers that they carry with them beyond our walls.
In her free time, Ms. Kaycee loves to hike and play ukulele. She has a passion for nature that she delves into through her interest in gardening as well as her potted plant collection. Nestling House is so lucky to have her on our team!

✨Nestling House Spotlight: SwanSong✨
SwanSong is owned, operated, and created by Chrisa Lorch and Jerry Patzwald. Located at 3216 S Howell Avenue in Milwaukee, directly next to our Howell location, SwanSong is not only a place you can grab a bite to eat but also an amazing art space.

Their food and drink menu are inspired by European café culture featuring items like Klassiker and Spanikopita plate, as well as an extensive drink menu.

Their art space offers a rotating collection of local and regional artists with a Beer Industry wall tiled "45° North".

SwanSong is an amazingly unique place and we definitely suggest checking it out! Thank you for being our neighbor, SwanSong!

💞Nestling House had such a wonderful time attending the Humboldt Park School Open House & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for their playground renovation project!💞

☀We were honored to host a booth featuring information about our year-long program, our summer camp program, and how to join our amazing team!

🫶Humboldt Park School holds a special place in the hearts of the Nestling House team. During the summer months, the children in our care get to enjoy their playground, and we are proud to have a commemorative brick on their property recognizing when we became an employee-owned cooperative.

🎉Congratulations to Humboldt Park School, and thank you for including us in such a special event!🎉

While Teacher Appreciation Week may be over, appreciation for the incredible team at Nestling House never ends. Your dedication, care, and positive impact are felt every single day. Thank you for all that you do to support, nurture, and inspire our community year-round!

Please reach out to [email protected] if interested!

Check out our new flyer!

✨ The Magic of Open-Ended Play✨
At Nestling House, we love using open-ended materials (sometimes called “loose parts”) like blocks, kitchen tools, water, and other natural items. These simple materials spark BIG creativity!

💡 Learning Through Exploration💡
Children experiment, build, roleplay, and create. This allows them to develop problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and imagination along the way.

🌱 Supporting Growth🌱
Open-ended play helps children grow in so many ways:
• Cognitive: thinking, planning, problem-solving
• Physical: fine & gross motor skills
• Social-Emotional: collaboration, confidence, sharing ideas

🎨 The Magic🎨
Some of the best learning happens when children explore freely without a set goal. From there, teachers can ask curious questions to spark even deeper thinking and creativity.

Sometimes, the simplest materials create the most meaningful learning 💛

Outdoor play is a big part of life at Nestling House! 🌿 Even in cold, rainy, or windy weather, time outside supports children’s mood, learning, sensory development, and connection with nature.

As temperatures fluctuate, it is important to have you child prepared for every kind of weather. This helps us to continue enjoying outdoor play comfortably. 🩴🧤🧥

You may notice in photos that some children choose not to keep every layer on. We encourage appropriate gear, but young children are active, independent, and want autonomy!

Thank you for supporting outdoor play in all seasons! 💛