BHN’s foundations can be traced to the late 1950’s, when a group of Brown Memorial Church families acknowledged the need for a mother’s group in the area. Eventually their group grew into a cooperative nursery school that served the needs of both working and non-working parents. Bolton Hill Nursery was officially founded in 1969.
In the mid-1980s, Bolton Hill Nursery became an independent, non-religious, non-profit school utilizing a play-based philosophy of learning. In December 2012, the BHN board made the decision to purchase our current building, the former home of Family and Children's Services. Importantly, the building boasts a big yard perfect for children’s outdoor discovery and spacious, bright, “homey” rooms ideal for indoor investigation.
About Us
Our Philosophy of Learning
Children at Bolton Hill Nursery learn through discovery and play in a loving community that emphasizes social and emotional growth. At BHN, we believe that children are natural learners. We create environments and hands-on learning opportunities that tap into children’s innate curiosity with the aim of encouraging a lifelong love for exploration.
Children are respected. At BHN, all children are learners. BHN educators meet children where they are to provide the best learning experience for them.
Our Vision
Play, community, discovery, and love inspire the learning and teaching at Bolton Hill Nursery.
Our Mission
To foster a play-based nursery school and childcare program that nurtures and empowers empathetic, creative, and inquisitive children.
Our Core Values
COMMUNITY
Children are community members. Circle meetings and classroom responsibilities emphasize children’s membership and responsibility in their classroom communities. Justice and equity is emphasized. BHN’s classroom communities give children experience participating in active roles in their society.
EMPATHY
Children develop empathy. In BHN classrooms, children learn how to recognize and care for one another’s needs and feelings in social environments.
JOY
Children experience the joy of learning. When learning is play, learning is joyful. Although learning is serious work for children and can be challenging, they engage in this work because it feels good. At BHN, laughter is a hallmark of learning.
DISCOVERY
Children are given space and time to discover. Under the guidance of educators, children at BHN experience their own “a-ha!” moments, explore cause-and-effect relationships, and discover their own voices in their classroom communities. There are no mistakes in learning!