Cagliari · Sardinia
Nido Marea is an independent bilingual nursery and preschool in Cagliari, created for children to explore, imagine and grow at their own rhythm.
Ages
6 months–6 years
Languages
Italian + English
Place
Cagliari, Sardinia
Places
Limited places available
Opening
Childhood is not preparation for life. It is life.
At Nido Marea, children are treated as capable, curious individuals. They learn through relationships, movement, experimentation and play — not by being hurried toward a later version of themselves.
Programs
Groups stay small. Educators stay. The Nest and The Atelier share a garden, a kitchen and a way of paying attention.
6–36 months
A calm, nurturing beginning built around secure relationships, sensory discovery and each child’s natural rhythm.
3–6 years
A creative preschool environment where questions become projects and children learn through a hundred different languages.
Our approach
01
We begin from the belief that children arrive already capable. Educators observe, document and offer materials — they do not rush a conclusion.
02
Rooms are composed at child height, with natural light, honest materials and enough emptiness for an idea to take shape.
03
Understanding grows between children, and between children and adults who have time to listen. Groups stay small so those relationships can last.
04
The garden, the wind off the gulf, collected leaves and water are not extras. They are daily material, in every season.
The spaces
A south-facing room for drawing, projection, colour and slow looking.
42 m² · lime plaster · north and south light
Baskets of grain, water, wood and fabric — offered without a script.
28 m² · cork floor · natural fibre
Shade, soil and enough running space for a morning to change its mind.
180 m² · citrus, herbs, sand and a low wall
A dimmer room for rest, stories and the youngest children to settle.
24 m² · linen, timber, filtered light
Where meals are prepared in view, and children set the table themselves.
36 m² · ceramic, wood, a window to the garden
Easels, clay and large paper under a pergola — weather as a collaborator.
Pergola 32 m² · stone, canvas, running water
A day at Marea
Children arrive in their own time. Materials are already waiting; no one is marched into a circle.
08:00
Food
Seasonal meals are prepared each morning in the shared kitchen. Dietary requirements are held carefully and without fuss. At the table, children pour, pass and sit with one another — lunch is part of the pedagogy, not a pause from it.
Care
Each child is received by name at the door. Collection is only with named adults, and the hand-over is unhurried.
Rest is offered, never forced. The quiet nest is prepared the same way every day so the body can recognise it.
A brief written note at the end of the day, and a longer conversation whenever something needs more than a sentence.
Nappies, toileting and handwashing are handled with dignity. If a child is unwell, we call early and keep them comfortable until you arrive.
The first weeks are planned with you. Stays lengthen only when the child — not the calendar — is ready.
Our team
The team trains together each week. Pedagogical supervision is ongoing, and families are collaborators rather than an audience at the door.
Pedagogical coordinator
Degree in Education · Reggio Children study group
She still stops in doorways to watch a child finish a thought.
Nest educator
Professional educator qualification · infant observation, Tavistock model
She knows that a nine-month-old can hold a whole conversation with their eyes.
Atelier teacher
Academy of Fine Arts · atelier training, Reggio Emilia
He treats clay, wire and questions with the same seriousness.
Garden and movement educator
Sports and movement sciences · forest school leader, level 3
She would rather follow a snail across the terrace than hurry anyone inside.
Families · demonstration
What I notice most is the way they speak about my daughter: not as a type of child, but as this particular person who arrived this morning with a pocket full of stones.
FAQ
We keep a rolling list and confirm places for the following autumn in January. Mid-year places appear when a family relocates. Apply when you are ready; we would rather talk early than rush a beginning.
Yes. Visits are by appointment, usually in the late morning when the atelier is at work. You will meet an educator, walk the rooms and have time for every question. Book through the visit form — this demonstration does not send the request anywhere.
The first days are short and you remain nearby. Hours lengthen only when the child can stay, eat and rest without distress. There is no fixed number of days. We write the plan with you after the first visit.
No. Italian and English are used in the ordinary life of the room — during play, meals and stories — rather than as a separate lesson. Children enter with one language, two, or a mixture. None is treated as a deficit.
Lunch is prepared here each morning from seasonal produce. Allergies and dietary requirements are recorded before the first day and checked by the cook and the room educators. Substitutions are made without calling attention to them at the table.
Monday to Friday, 08:00–16:30. Arrival is unhurried until 09:15. Collection begins from 16:00. We close for two weeks in August and for the usual Italian public holidays.
A change of clothes, a sun hat, and, for the youngest, nappies and milk as agreed. Indoor shoes stay here. Favourite comfort objects are welcome. We provide linen, meals, sun cream and all materials.
A short written note is prepared at the end of each day. Photographs of projects — never posed portraits — are shared weekly. Elena holds a conversation with every family each term, and you may ask for time at the door whenever you need it.
Visit
The best way to understand Nido Marea is to experience it. Meet our educators, explore the spaces and ask every question you have.