The Whitney Brothers Nature Reading Haven is the winner of the 2020 Teachers' Choice Award for Preschool - a biophilic design reading retreat for Early Learning classrooms that brings the calming quality of an outdoor canopy indoors, available across North America. The curved roof is the defining feature: a safe, sturdy, shatterproof acrylic panel printed with a realistic spreading tree canopy image, arching over the interior and filtering light through in the way a real tree canopy does. Children looking up from inside see branches and foliage above them. Teachers and caregivers looking in from outside see straight through the acrylic roof at all times. 

The interior is designed for the child who needs a genuine retreat within the classroom. Two built-in book display shelves on one side panel give the child a small personal library within reach - books are present and accessible without any reaching out or getting up. Viewing cutouts on the opposite panel admit light and provide an additional supervision angle. Tunnel openings on each end panel give children free entry and exit from both sides of the structure, preventing the feeling of a sealed enclosure and giving teachers clear sightlines from multiple positions simultaneously.

The Nature Reading Haven satisfies every state and provincial requirement for a dedicated quiet space in Early Learning classrooms and coordinates with all other items in the Nature View Collection (each sold separately), making it the natural centrepiece of a cohesive, biophilia-inspired room environment. The Green Floor Mat (SKU 140-340) fits the interior and is available separately. 

Key Features of the Whitney Brothers Nature Reading Haven

• Shatterproof Acrylic Curved Roof - Realistic Tree Canopy Image - The unique curved roof is constructed from sturdy, shatterproof acrylic printed with a realistic tree canopy image, creating an immersive nature-above experience from inside while remaining fully transparent for adult supervision from outside.
• Two Built-In Book Display Shelves on One Side Panel - Two integrated book display shelves on the interior side panel give children immediate access to books without leaving the structure, creating a natural reading invitation within the private space.
• Viewing Cutouts on the Opposite Side Panel - Window-style viewing cutouts on the side panel opposite the bookshelves admit natural light into the interior and provide an additional supervision angle for teachers.
• Tunnel Openings on Each End Panel - Tunnel-style openings on both end panels give children free, easy access from either side, reduce the feeling of enclosure, and provide maximum adult visibility of children inside from multiple positions.
• Satisfies Every State and Provincial Quiet Space Requirement - Meets all regulatory requirements for a dedicated quiet space in Early Learning classrooms . 
• Coordinates with All Nature View Collection Pieces - Designed to coordinate with every other item in Whitney Brothers' award-winning Nature View Collection, enabling a cohesive, biophilia-inspired classroom environment (each piece sold separately). 
• Biophilic Design - Brings Nature Indoors - The biophilic design of this oasis for children connects children to the natural world through the tree canopy imagery, supporting the documented learning and wellbeing benefits of nature-inspired design in Early Learning environments. 
• Winner of the 2020 Teachers' Choice Award for Preschool - Recognised with the 2020 Teachers' Choice Award for Preschool, confirming the product's standing as an exemplary piece of Early Learning classroom furniture. 
• Green Floor Mat Available Separately - The 140-340 Green Floor Mat (37.75" x 37.75" x 1.5" thick, phthalate-free, jersey-lined vinyl) fits the interior perfectly and is available separately. 
• Birch Plywood Construction - All Edges Rounded and Sanded Smooth - Constructed from durable birch plywood with all edges rounded over and sanded smooth throughout for child safety.
• Non-Toxic Natural UV Finish - Finished in a safe, non-toxic natural UV coating that will not yellow and withstands rigorous use.
• Certified Antimicrobial - Certified antimicrobial, confirmed for the Nature Reading Haven range.
• GREENGUARD Gold Certified - Meets the most stringent indoor air quality certification for chemical emissions.
• Made in the USA - Manufactured by Whitney Brothers.

Skills and Benefits of the Whitney Brothers Nature Reading Haven

• Sensory Regulation and Calming - The enclosed, nature-canopied interior creates a genuinely calming retreat from classroom stimulation, supporting self-regulation, emotional reset, and de-escalation for children who benefit from a lower-stimulation private space.
• Biophilic Wellbeing - The biophilic design connects children to natural imagery throughout their time in the space, supporting the documented cognitive and wellbeing benefits of biophilic design in learning environments. 
• Literacy and Reading Engagement - The combination of a private, comfortable reading space, immediately accessible book shelves, and a naturally inviting canopy overhead creates ideal conditions for voluntary, self-motivated reading and book exploration.
• Focus and Independent Activity - The quiet, enclosed environment supports sustained individual focus, independent play, and self-directed activity in a defined space separate from the broader classroom.
• Confidence and Emotional Safety - A private, named space within the classroom gives children a sense of ownership and emotional safety, particularly meaningful for children who benefit from knowing they have a reliable retreat.
• Curiosity and Nature Connection - The tree canopy image and the experience of being enclosed under a nature scene develop curiosity about the natural world and an emotional connection to nature that supports environmental literacy and biophilic engagement.

Ideal For

• Preschool and kindergarten classrooms seeking an award-winning, biophilic quiet space that satisfies state and provincial regulatory requirements
• Schools and childcare centres building a cohesive Nature View Collection room environment
• OTs, counsellors, and support staff using enclosed, lower-stimulation spaces for sensory regulation and emotional self-management
• Head Start facilities and daycare centres seeking GREENGUARD Gold certified, antimicrobial-certified classroom quiet space furniture
• Libraries, museums, and reading areas where a distinctive, nature-inspired reading retreat adds a calm, inviting focal point for children
• Any classroom across Canada and the US where a calm corner, quiet zone, or sensory retreat is a curriculum or compliance priority

GreenGuard™ Gold certified.

• Dimensions: 39.5" W x 39" D x 38" H
  
• Weight: 85 lbs (without floor mat) 97 lbs (with floor mat bundle)
  
• Construction: Birch plywood, non-toxic UV finish
  
• Arrived in 1 Box / 2 Boxes