An Ideal Childcare Surrounding

The physical environment in a group care setting of a child care furniture powerfully affects children, caregivers, and their interactions. In infant/toddler classrooms without furniture specifically aimed at supporting children's development, young children spend much of their time either aimlessly wandering about the room or engaged in teacher-directed activities. In poorly designed classrooms, children's engagement in self-directed exploration and focused play is impaired. When children are not appropriately engaged, aggressive behavior increases.

A landscape for learning can be built into the child care furniture or design of any classroom. Through the use of platforms, lofts, recessed areas, low walls, and canopies, all placed along the periphery of the classroom, the room can be sculpted to provide a variety of age-appropriate activity areas. The walls frame the activity areas, while the center of the classroom remains fairly open, allowing for the circulation of children and adults, as well as providing flexible space that can change depending on the teachers' observations of the children's interests. Children play under natural sunlight next to the windows and play things and can look outside, maintaining a visual connection with the outdoor environment while indoors.

Child care furniture must be safe at the hands of a child. Private spaces can also be achieved by incorporating into the classroom a tunnel; a carpeted, built-in cabinet with the doors removed; a cozy loft space; or a few risers enclosing a small corner of the room. Instead of experiencing the stress of being in a large group all day, the infant can withdraw to a private space to rest, observe, and recharge emotionally. With access to these small-group activity areas, two toddlers who are just beginning to develop a relationship can go off together. Incorporating some relatively simple features into a classroom can result in significant improvement in the way the spaces are used by children and caregivers. Careful consideration of the needs of infants and toddlers-to move, to change activities at will, to rest and observe-suggests additions and changes that can strongly influence the atmosphere of the classroom.

Movement and learning is essential to a child's physical and emotional development. Once an infant can crawl and pull herself up, moving becomes a major focus of her day. Even if there is nothing safe in the classroom to climb on, she will find a way to climb-onto tables and shelves, rocking chairs, and high chairs. Because these activities are unsafe, the teacher will redirect the child off the piece of equipment. The safety of the materials and furniture is the most important of all. Make sure that the equipment and materials on the child’s surroundings are safe and not hazardous to its health. The message the child receives is that what she is interested in doing is not okay. Self-initiated exploration, a primary focus for healthy development, is prevented instead of promoted.

Creating a classroom with child care furniture that supports appropriate movement is a fundamental component in designing a developmentally appropriate environment. Motor competence and emotional competence are closely linked in infants and toddlers. Feeding oneself, crawling to a desired toy and picking it up, climbing to the top of a loft, and going down a slide are all activities that help the infant develop a sense of self, a feeling that he is capable, that he can achieve, that he can master with the help of the comfort of its surroundings.