Reggio Emilia–Inspired
Child Care in Toronto
Improve your child's curiosity, creativity, and confidence at Atelier Kids. Our full-day and part-time childcare programs welcome children aged 0 to 5 years at our High Park and Annex locations in Toronto.
Inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy, our child-led approach combines purposeful play, creative exploration, meaningful relationships, and engaging indoor and outdoor learning experiences.
Loving relationships, the natural
world, and the creative arts.
The pillars of our program are loving relationships, a deep connection to the natural world and plenty of opportunities for engagement in creative arts.
Together, these principles create a nurturing, respectful, and inspiring environment that reflects the values of Reggio Emilia pedagogy.
01
Loving relationships.
Loving relationships are the foundation of children's learning and well-being. In a Reggio-inspired program, children are viewed as capable, curious, and full of potential. Warm, responsive relationships with educators help children feel safe, valued, and confident enough to explore ideas, take risks, and express themselves. Relationships among children, families, educators, and the wider community are equally important because learning is understood as a collaborative process built through listening, dialogue, and shared discovery.
02
A deep connection to the natural world.
A deep connection to the natural world encourages children to develop curiosity, attentiveness, and respect for their environment. Nature provides an ever-changing setting filled with authentic opportunities for investigation — whether children are observing insects, experimenting with water, collecting natural materials, or noticing seasonal changes. These experiences invite children to ask questions, form theories, and revisit their thinking. This reflects the Reggio belief that the environment is the third teacher: a thoughtful, beautiful, and engaging space that actively supports exploration and learning.
03
The creative arts.
Creative arts give children many ways to communicate and make meaning. Reggio pedagogy describes these varied forms of expression as the hundred languages of children. Drawing, painting, sculpture, movement, music, storytelling, dramatic play, and working with natural or recycled materials allow children to represent their ideas in ways that go beyond spoken language. When children have time, space, and rich materials for creative exploration, they strengthen their imagination, problem-solving abilities, confidence, and capacity to communicate complex thoughts.
These pillars are deeply interconnected. Secure relationships give children the confidence to explore; encounters with nature generate questions, wonder, and ideas; and the creative arts provide ways to investigate and express those ideas. Together, they support a Reggio-inspired image of the child as a competent learner, an active participant, and a valued member of a caring community.
