Reggio Emilia-inspired learning at home
Follow the idea they keep coming back to.
Reggio Emilia is a learning approach that sees children as capable, curious thinkers who learn through exploring, asking questions and expressing ideas and so does Nookly. Nookly helps adults personalize content inspired by Reggio Emilia ideas, so you can notice and return to what your child cares about.
Illustrative example
Start with what they love
Choose an idea your child keeps returning to.
An adult asks · Shadow shapes
“She keeps playing with shadows on the wall. What materials could I set out?”
Three possible outputs
- GuideLight and shadow setup ideas
- PrintableObservation page for you
- PromptsQuestions to wonder together
How Nookly works
Made in five stepsFrom child to finished thing, in five steps.
Step one
First, Nookly gets to know the child.
Before anything is made, you tell Nookly who this child actually is — how they look, who lives in their house, the friends and pets they talk about, and what they are obsessed with this month. Everything Nookly creates later is built from this one profile.
Set up once. Reused in everything after.
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Home
Mom, Dad and baby brother
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Best friend
Chloe from school
Zara, age 5
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Interests
Dinosaurs, puddles and the colour red
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Pets
Biscuit, a very slow tortoise
Step 1 of 5
The whole child
Notice. Keep. Return.Notice it. Keep it. Come back to it.
Children have many ways to express an idea.
Reggio Emilia is an approach to early learning that began in the Italian town of the same name after World War II. It sees children as capable, curious thinkers who learn through exploring, asking questions and expressing ideas in many ways: drawing, building, movement, play. Adults listen closely, set out inviting materials and write down what children say and do, so learning grows from the child’s own interests.
Nookly builds every idea around four of its core principles: following your child’s questions, offering many ways to express them, setting up an inviting space, and documenting what you notice together.
- 1. The child leads
- Children are capable researchers. Projects grow from the questions they keep asking.
- 2. A hundred languages
- Ideas can be shown in drawing, building, clay, movement, music and talk.
- 3. Environment as teacher
- A thoughtful space with open-ended materials invites children to explore.
- 4. Documentation
- Adults record what children say and do, then revisit it together to go deeper.
Learning bundles
Explorer bundlesBundles for curious explorers
Watch shadows, puddles and plants, then build, test and improve. Bundles that follow a child’s questions wherever they go. Explore more ready-made ideas in Nookly’s public children’s learning resource library, the Neighborhood.
Want one made just for your child? Subscribe below to personalize this bundle, or create your own around your child’s name, interests and goals.
Story
Where Did the Puddle Go?
Follow a vanishing puddle to discover where the water really goes.
Ages 8-9
Outdoor Science: Weather, Shadows and Plants
Inquiry-led, nature-based science for curious kids. Observe weather, shadows, and plants outdoors and ask why they change — a story, comparison cards, and a video investigation to spark the questions.
$7.99
Beyond the screen
Off the screenTake it off the screen
Setups that invite play and noticing.
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Window light table
Tape colored paper to a sunny window and let them explore the light.
You’ll need: Colored paper, tape
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Found-object tray
Arrange stones, sticks and leaves on a tray to draw and rearrange.
You’ll need: A tray, found objects
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Idea wall
Pin drawings and quotes about one idea and add to it all week.
You’ll need: A wall space, tape
What's in the membership?
Personalized stories and learning experiences, guided by their family. Work toward a learning goal with a personalized plan, or create something for the moment they’re in.
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Personalized creations
Stories, videos, songs, podcasts and activities made around the child in front of them.
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Learning plans
A personalized learning plan, called a Blueprint, supports a goal the family chooses and helps the kid achieve it.
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Resources to explore
Explore ready-to-use stories and activities, with personalization where available.
Ideas to try togetherIdeas for learning together
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Guide
The Hundred Ways of Saying “Look!”: Reggio-Inspired Learning at Home
Following a child’s ideas with materials, patience and simple notes.
Read the article -
Comparison
Nookly vs Reggio Children Resources vs a Documentation Journal: Following an Idea
Books, a paper journal and a planning tool, compared by fit.
Read the article