Preschool-age children learn best in environments where they can have secure relationships with caring and responsive adults, where they feel safe and where they feel free to explore and learn. A well-arranged environment can help you meet preschool-age children's needs during play and routines. We call this “active learning” or “hands-on learning,” and it's an important characteristic of any high-quality preschool or nursery program. Lots of reading time, arts and crafts, music, dance, exploring the natural world, outdoor play—these are all critically important to young children. We proide following: