Nutrition & Daily Activities
Balanced, nutritious meals and enriching activities for your child's growth and development.
Healthy Meals, Happy Kids
At The Nest we focus on homestyle healthy. Students eat scratch-made, family-style food with their care providers guiding and educating them about health, nutrition, and manners. We serve nutritious meals and snacks prepared fresh in our kitchen, with balanced portions that fuel busy days of learning and play.
Menus are planned around whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and protein that children actually enjoy eating. Our nutrition director works directly with families to accommodate allergies and dietary needs, so every child can eat safely and confidently at the table.
Plus structured daily physical and cognitive activities encourage socializing, problem solving, companionship and acceptance.
Sample Weekly Menu
Menus rotate seasonally and are posted in the entryway each week.
Monday
Breakfast
- Cereal
- Blueberries
- Milk
Lunch
- Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwich
- Baked Beans
- Pineapple
- Bun *GF sub
- Milk
Snack
- Goldfish *GF sub
- Fruit Crisps
- Water
Tuesday
Breakfast
- Waffles
- Strawberries
- Milk
Lunch
- Beef Hot Dog
- Mixed Vegetables
- Pears
- Bun *GF sub
- Milk
Snack
- Graham Crackers *GF sub
- Mandarin Orange
- Water
Wednesday
Breakfast
- Toast
- Banana
- Milk
Lunch
- Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
- Green Beans
- Mixed Fruit
- Garlic Toast *GF&DF sub
- Milk
Snack
- Cucumber Slices
- Cottage Cheese
- Water
Thursday
Breakfast
- Oatmeal
- Apples
- Milk
Lunch
- Chicken Pasta Salad
- Mixed Vegetables
- Pears
- *GF Pasta
- Milk
Snack
- Cheezits *GF sub
- Applesauce
- Water
Friday
Breakfast
- Penelope's Fun Friday Cereal Day
- Orange Juice
- Milk
Lunch
- Chicken Nuggets *GF&DF sub
- Potatoes
- Peaches
- Belly Bears *GF sub
- Milk
Snack
- Animal Crackers *GF Sub
- Grapes
- Water
- **Menu subject to change as necessary for product availability etc.
- * whole, unflavored milk is served to children ages 1 and older
- **DAIRY FREE and LACTOSE free sub available upon request
- WG = Whole Grain; HM = Homemade
- *CACFP Recipe Book
- *ALL items with GLUTEN will automatically have a substitute
- Substitutions — DAIRY FREE: cheese, milk, yogurt, butter. GLUTEN FREE: Bread, crackers, muffins.
A Day at The Nest General Daily Schedule
A sample daily rhythm that balances learning, play, rest, and nourishment.
6:30 - 8:30
Arrival / Learning Centers
8:30 - 9:00
Breakfast
9:00 - 9:30
Large Group / Circle Time
9:30 - 10:30
Learning Centers / Small Group
10:30 - 11:00
Outside
11:00 - 11:30
Storytime
11:30 - 12:00
Lunch
12:00 - 2:00
Afternoon Nap / Quiet Activity
2:00 - 4:00
Learning Centers
4:00 - 6:00
Learning Centers / Dismissal
This schedule is a general guide of how a day looks at The Nest. Each room has their own version of this schedule, tailored to their needs.
Diapers are changed every two hours, unless needed sooner. Children have the ability to use the potty when they need to.
Days Full of Play & Discovery
