All about... organising space

MAKE ROOM

The design and arrangement of an early years setting can have as much influence on children as the activities and resources offered there

Recent years have seen a boom in design magazines, books and television series, all eager to advise us on how we can make flexible living spaces and a relaxing atmosphere in our homes and gardens. Nor has the workplace been overlooked, with many employers now seeking the advice of ergonomists on designing work stations for their staff. Where guidance has been lacking, however, is in how to create positive environments for young children.

Research has demonstrated that the organisation of a room and its resources can have a major impact on children's well-being, behaviour and relationships.

Childcare thinkers have long recognised the effects of adequate space, good layout and proper resourcing on play and learning. Nursery education pioneer Margaret McMillan, convinced of the correlations between a child's physical, emotional and intellectual development, concluded that young children need 'space, that is ample space, as much as food and air'.

Froebel, too, recognised the extent to which environment could foster positive development and concluded, 'You can't control the child, but you can control the environment.'

More recently, the Reggio Emilia pre-schools in Italy place such importance on the environment that there, it is referred to as 'the third teacher'.

Quality play that is spontaneous, co-operative, sustained and varied, will inevitably flow from an environment where the space, layout and organisation of resources have been carefully thought-out. And with the resulting sense of well-being, a child's intellectual, social, creative and physical development will flourish.

A poor environment, on the other hand, can inhibit a child's development in various ways. For example:

* Inadequate space encourages tensions between children, and bullying.

* Cluttered areas with poor storage limit children's abilities to make their own choices and to become independent.

* Spaces with poor lighting and ventilation make children listless and less willing to engage with each other or in activities.

* The presence of brash colours can inhibit children's ability to concentrate.

For the private early years provider, poor organisation of space can hinder the setting's economic as well as educational potential. Poor design makes a poor impression on parents and carers, whose initial experience will contribute to the way that both they and their children behave and respond to the setting - if indeed, they decide to use it.

First principles

Creating a stimulating, calm and well-organised setting is not easily realised. The knowledge needed to design the best settings is complex and needs to be based on sound educational theory, a practical understanding of child development, and experience of choosing the right equipment and resources.

Practitioners should work co-operatively in a setting to make the best use of space that will meet the individual and collective needs of children.

There is a set of principles that should guide them in this design task.

They should provide:

* enough space for children to move freely

* good ventilation and lighting

* a welcome area

* areas that are cosy and calming

* variety

* predictable space in which children can feel secure

* freedom to move from one area to another, indoors and outside

* well-defined boundaries which children understand

* clear pathways to navigate

* good opportunities for energetic physical movement

* private and group spaces

* spaces that are stimulating because they are complex

* flexible and accessible furniture and resources

* provision for personal security

* well-organised resources

* stimulating and informative displays

* balanced adult support.

Sufficient space

Wherever you site your setting, ensure that you have calculated that there is sufficient space for both children and staff. The guidelines described in the National Standards for Daycare are the bare minimum that must be provided.

By nature, young children like to be continually moving, so they need space indoors and outdoors where there is ample and unobstructed room to participate in all activities.

Toddlers and babies

Toddlers and babies need as much space for messy and outdoor play as older children, so they should not be confined in fully carpeted rooms that also house their cots. Ever-present cots in main baby playrooms may be convenient for adult supervision, but sleeping children need peace and quiet to benefit from rest periods.

Older children

Space for mobile older children should be designed to take into account the variety of stimulating experiences that can be offered through play:

* Group messy activities should have good access to washing facilities so that children do not have to disturb others engaged in more sedentary pastimes such as reading or building with construction toys.

* Messy activities require a flooring that is easy to sweep and wipe clean.

* Group dry activities, such as those in book corners and role play areas, should be sited to the side of the room that is not for messy play.

Carpets or rugs provide good surfaces for this sort of play.

Areas

Ideally, your setting should provide:

* a welcome area

* playrooms with direct outdoor access

* toilets and changing rooms

* a kitchen

* a staff room

* an office

* an outdoor play space

* a veranda for all-weather play.

Zones

Ideally, your early years space should be divided into four zones (see diagram):

* the entry zone, with children's and staff personal storage and parent information

* the messy zone, with the toilets, cooking and eating area, water and sand provision, creative areas, woodwork and science areas.

* the active zone, for large block play, music and movement and all role play.

* the quiet zone, for sleeping/resting, small block play and listening, containing the writing, maths and reading areas.

Outdoors

The outdoor space should have hard surfacing to aid the development of physical skills with small equipment and wheeled toys. There should be a porch or veranda for children to shelter from the rain or sun. There should be areas to dig the soil and plant and grow vegetables, flowers and fruit.

There should be areas for outdoor role-play, investigating wildlife, observing the natural world and enough space to run, to play ball and other games and to join in rough-and-tumble games on soft surfaces, such as grass.

The vision for an outdoor area should aim for a haven of both peace and activity, and a space that is designed to offer children physical, intellectual and imaginative challenges.

Indoors

In a similar fashion, the internal space should be large enough to offer children physical and intellectual challenges. The organisation of space, colour schemes and furniture should complement the design of the building, so that children are exposed to harmonious surroundings, rather than a typically institutional look.

Access and divisions

Avoid using the children's playrooms as access routes to other rooms or areas in the building. Use furniture in such a way that it helps to delineate each of the play spaces, so that children can learn to distinguish between them. Reinforce the divisions you have created by naming and labelling the areas. This will remind them how the overall space is organised for their benefit and enjoyment, as well as helping to develop their vocabulary.

Good ventilation and lighting

To keep nursery settings from looking like other institutions such as schools, consider carefully the choice of artificial lighting and the use of natural light.

If you are building your own nursery, ask the architect to incorporate low-level windows. These will allow in lots of natural light, let the children view the outdoors all through the year and stimulate their interest and imagination.

Fit all windows with curtains or blinds so you can darken the room and protect children from direct sunlight.

Avoid overhead strip lighting, as its glare can adversely affect vision and cause headaches. It also emanates a low hum that makes an annoying background noise. Instead, use strategically placed spotlights, well-positioned hanging lamps with standard bulbs, and wall lights.

Organise the space so that the areas where children are likely to engage in close observation benefit from natural light. Natural light is especially important in the book corner, writing area and creative areas.

Ventilation

It is important to ensure that children do not have to play in stuffy, overheated rooms, which will make them feel lethargic. Remember that adults are often more sensitive to the cold, whereas children, being constantly on the move, generate more heat in their bodies.

In the summer, avoid using fans, which create a false impression that they circulate fresh air. Fans can be dangerous, and they cause draughts and make a distracting whirring noise.

Ideally, follow the philosophy of Margaret McMillan, whose nursery, named after her sister Rachel, provided a haven for the poorest children in Deptford, south London, in the early 20th century. There the children had access to the garden throughout the day. They played beneath the wide verandas in all weathers and learned many basic skills by growing and cooking vegetables and fruit.

Good personal, social and emotional development depends on children feeling at ease and secure with other children and adults. Children who have a choice of being indoors or outdoors will be better able to modulate their temper and mood.

Cosy and comfy

For a child to feel relaxed and ready to engage in activities, it is important that a setting is cosy and comfortable. From a child's perspective, comfort is not about expensive furniture.

* Ensure that inside the setting it is warm and well ventilated.

* Provide safe surfaces for all activities.

* Provide soft surfaces, such as carpet or rugs, to lie on for a read or a chat.

* Create dens or cosy play spaces outdoors by laying mats and blankets under trees, providing child-sized play houses, or even by converting a storage cupboard, removing the doors and lining it with carpet samples and cushions.

* Let children know where they can find spare blankets, mats or cushions to increase their comfort or enrich imaginative play.

* Children need to be able to withdraw into quiet spaces to read, talk and contemplate. It is also important that rest periods are planned into the timetable, especially after lunch when children should be encouraged to lie still or nap.

* Train children to fetch mats to lie on and blankets to cover themselves.

* Remember that when lying on a mat on a carpeted floor, body temperature drops quickly, so blankets will ensure that sleeping children will keep warm.

* Play restful classical music to help children relax.

* Explain to parents that if children sleep during the day, it gives them the opportunity to relax and recharge.

Variety

It is vital that the environment in which children spend so many hours of their day, and so many weeks of their year offers them a broad variety of experiences.

Practitioners should make sure that the room's layout can be altered and sometimes even rearranged by the children. Such an agreement will help give the children a sense of ownership of the space.

If, for example, children would like to organise the role-play corner, give them the encouragement and support that they may need to arrange the furniture and equipment they want to use. This opportunity for adult-child dialogue will allow them to talk about their decisions about where the furniture and props should go.

However, also remember to remain sensitive to children's needs for continuity and stability - don't move furniture and resources too frequently. Young children like to know where everything is, and enjoy relating to their families what they have done and where they have played in the day. Children will feel unconnected and disorientated if the furniture is moved too often.

Children derive great satisfaction from participating in daily routines that are unchanging and predictable. However, they also enjoy variation, such as taking tables and chairs outdoors so they can eat on the veranda instead of dining inside, so plan these elements of flexibility and novelty into your programme.

Predictability

For children to learn to help look after the environment, they need to know where the resources are stored, including cleaning equipment. Easy access to child-sized cleaning equipment encourages them to play their full part in maintenance of their setting and this involvement helps them develop a sense of responsibility.

Having predictable environment also helps develop memory skills. Children will remind their friends and parents of the sequence of events in the day as they associate them with the location in which they take place.

For example:

* Children who are encouraged to lay the table for lunch will remember where the cutlery and place mats are stored.

* Children who feed the pet goldfish will look in the same place each day for the fish food.

Ensure that these resources are always accessible at the correct time, so that children will not feel frustrated in their efforts to complete a task and so gain recognition and praise for it.

The predictable organisation of furniture and resources also helps new children settle into the setting. Children who have been there longer gain confidence and pride from showing a new child around and explaining what they can do and where they can do it.

FREEDOM TO EXPLORE

Children should be allowed to explore the environment freely and discover the areas in which they most like to play and spend their time. Be flexible in their arrangements and don't let the boundaries for play become restrictive.

For example, older children who choose not to sleep after lunch need to be offered more than a single sedentary activity at one end of a room. Often, lack of choice occurs in day nurseries because adults supervise both sleeping and playing children. If the wakeful children become bored they may misbehave to attract the adults' attention. By providing space for both groups and sufficient choices, children can be trusted to play peacefully and independently while the younger ones sleep.

Freedom to explore outdoors should mean that children are encouraged to use equipment and the terrain creatively. For instance, they could use cardboard boxes to build hiding places or fill the boxes with interesting, safe objects to drag behind the bikes.

To facilitate children's freedom to explore, consider their perspective on their environment and offer challenges that fully engage their interest. It is important that the organisation of the day and routines do not stifle children's creativity and interest. Put children's needs first, and the staff's needs and expectations second.

Well-defined boundaries

Children learn quickly what adults expect of them and respond naturally to the idea that there are rules to be obeyed. They are more socially responsible than adults usually expect.

If they set their own rules, they are more likely to abide by them and to remind each other of them, so maintaining the group boundaries.

In terms of space, children expect adults to ensure that a space is safe to play in. By erecting internal gates around areas such as an office, stairs or kitchen, children will respect that these places are off-limits to them.

Outdoors, too, children will not usually venture beyond perimeter fencing, or other boundaries. They soon learn that it is safe to run on flat surfaces indoors and outdoors, but that it is more sensible to go up and down with caution.

Clear pathways

Young children by nature are inquisitive and like to investigate their surrounding space to discover the new activities on offer each day. It is important to plan the area and arrange the furniture so that children have clear and inviting pathways to navigate.

Barriers

Demarcate areas with barriers such as storage drawer units and low shelving. Children can see over these barriers, while those playing in the space beyond are protected from disturbance.

Partitions

Use low-level partitions, such as garden trellis securely embedded in planting troughs.

Plant small palms and ivy to help soften the regular lines of the classroom, and encourage children to take repsonsibility by watering the plants.

Mats and rugs

For floor activities, demarcate spaces allocated to each child by placing them on mats or rugs. For example, provide:

* a 'road map' mat for cars, the garage and model people

* a 'country scene' map for the farm set, domesticated animals and people

* a mat for the train set

* a mat for seascape and toys

* a mat for building bricks, and so on.

Stepping stones

To help focus children's attention on moving round, rather than walking across, other children who are playing, use numbered and laminated paper stepping stones to guide them safely through spaces. These have the advantage of teaching children the sequence of numbers and offering them a novel way of getting from A to B.

Balance beam

Another way to indicate a pathway is to place a wooden balance beam on the floor that will aid the development of physical skills and provide an attractive bridge between spaces.

Roadways

Use wide coloured sticky tape on linoleum, or similar surfaces, to create your own simple roadways or zebra crossings. Make simple floor markings that help children learn about direction, and support them in using the correct vocabulary to describe their movements.

Replicate these ideas outdoors on hard and soft surfaces by using:

* a variety of surfaces that children learn to associate with different activities

* paving stones or wooden steps embedded in grass or across wood chip

* large planters and trellis

* low level brick walls and wooden seating

* low picket fences and gates

* pergolas and verandas

* low-level bushes and small trees

* narrow troughs planted with bamboo

* surface markings, such as roadways, for vehicles and zebra crossings

* movable equipment to delineate spaces and offer challenges for physical development

* mats and rugs that can be taken outdoors on fine days

Children like to find their way around a space and to experiment with new ways of navigating through it. Practitioners need to provide the stimulus for these investigations.

Opportunities for movement

Children need to be encouraged to develop physical skills and control of their bodies. Rearrange indoor furniture to provide a flexible space for dancing, or moving on safe, low-level climbing and balancing equipment.

Outdoors, ensure that there are lots of worthwhile opportunities to encourage children to move safely and to learn to take calculated risks.

This can be achieved by providing, if possible:

* areas of tall grass where children can creep and hide, pulling themselves forward on their bellies

* tree trunks and tree stumps to climb, scramble over and jump from

* tractor tyres to perch and balance on

* small trees to climb

* space to erect structures with large building blocks

* paths and hard surfaces to navigate bikes, prams and wheelbarrows

* spaces to dig the soil.

The organisation of these spaces and the equipment needed should be planned early into the design of the outdoor area. Many of these features require early planting, and the location of the building, light and wind direction all need to be taken into account.

Private and group spaces

Support children's growing sense of independence by providing spaces where they have privacy. This refers not only to individual toilet cubicles, but also to areas in the setting, indoors and outside, which are quiet and cosy. Here they can play in small groups or alone and feel protected from the noise and activity of the large group. Children who are new to the group need the time and attention to adjust to the hustle and bustle of a lively childcare environment.

Such private space can be created in:

* the book area, with cushions and a soft mat

* the block area, where children build models with bricks or construction toys

* the home area, where children can relax and act out their fantasies

* in the garden on a blanket under a tree, or on the veranda, where the children can engage in imaginative play, read, draw or do jigsaws

* in a garden playhouse.

Space for large groups is also necessary for children to learn social and physical skills together. To create such a space, rearrange the furniture indoors, and have large expanses of grass outside.

Privacy for young children is about giving them their own space and trusting them not to abuse it. It is about the adult not dominating the play, knowing when to withdraw and letting children choose what to do and how they want to do it.

Stimulating and complex spaces

It is essential that children are offered a balanced programme of energetic and restful activities, and that they learn what behaviour is expected of them in different parts of the overall space.

The organisation of furniture and equipment gives children clear signals about what is, and what is not, possible in an area. A subtle reminder from adults about the behaviour that is required in a specific space also enables children to learn self-control.

To make sure the space works well for children, invite them to help make the rules and keep these to a minimum. Make sure the rules are positive, and always emphasise the reasons for them. For example, 'We speak quietly to avoid disturbing other children playing.'

Children should not be bombarded with information and an excess of colour.

There should be areas where they can spend time being creative and, therefore, need lots of interesting objects to stimulate their imagination, and other areas that are calming and have fewer, less 'busy' visual stimuli.

Flexibility and accessibility

Involve children in changing their environment by moving furniture and equipment. This is a physical task that makes them stronger, and it will teach them about the nature of furniture and how its position affects the use of space.

Children can help by:

* learning to carry small chairs

* shifting tables by one child picking up each end

* pushing wheeled trolleys and drawer units

* rolling up mats and stacking them

* moving containers of toys.

Fitted carpets can limit the versatility of a room's space. It is better to use mats that can be placed and moved around to create new play areas. Lino tiles or wood create a warm surface that can be used for a wide number of activities. These can be swept and wiped clean every day.

For the environment to be used in a flexible way, practitioners need to ensure that children have good access to the resources and learn to make choices about how and when they want them. Children develop confidence and self-esteem when they can act on the decisions they make for themselves.

Well-organised resources

Children develop independence and self-confidence when they select resources and learn to look after them. Good organisation of space as well as built and mobile storage units are ideal to promote the development of these skills. Store:

* toys and resources on open shelf space

* equipment on low-level tray units

* bricks and construction toys in large floor baskets

* dressing-up clothes and accessories in laundry baskets or free-standing hanging racks

* collections for investigation and exploration - treasure baskets - in wooden boxes or wicker baskets.

* Ensure that the setting is organised so effectively that adults and children learn that 'there is a place for everything, and everything in its place'. Within this ordered environment, children learn to respect resources and return them to where they belong when they have finished with them.

Prepared with the help of Martin Rimes, designer, Community Playthings

Further reading

* Spaces - Room Layout for Early Childhood Education and Building Spaces published by and available free from Community Playthings (tel: 0800 387 457). Community Playthings also offers help with planning rooms and creating interest areas.

* Designing for Three- and Four-year-olds published by DfEE in 1999.

* Building for Young Children by Mark Dudek (Education Design, 10, tel: 020 7792 1984)

A welcome area

* First impressions of a setting are crucial to parents when they decide where to leave their children. With this in mind, it is important to create a welcome space that sets the tone for the rest of the nursery and provides the essential facilities that are necessary for parents and children to feel they belong.

A welcome area that takes into consideration the users and their needs makes an effective contribution to the atmosphere and philosophy of the setting.

Provide sufficient space for parents to manage children's paraphernalia.

Each child should have a hook for outdoor clothes and a box or drawer for extra belongings, such as a change of clothes and a special toy from home.

Provide comfortable seating for parents to sit and help children remove coats and put them on at the end of the day.

Hang noticeboards for essential information about the nursery and to display children's work.

Ideally, access to the welcome area from the street should be controlled by entryphone.This area should be in view of the nursery office space, so that staff members can greet parents and visitors to the nursery and can also supervise the entrance.

Personal security

* A secure setting means one that is designed to keep children in and to prevent strangers from entering. The organisation of the space should provide children and adults with good access to all areas and any restrictions should not adversely affect the experience of working or playing.

Parents like to know that their children are safe and for this reason they will put up with some personal inconvenience when visiting the site. This may take the form of an entryphone or a bell. Obtrusive gates and prison-like walls, however, are always off-putting and they can frighten children.

Safety needs to be considered internally in relation to the more dangerous areas, such as the kitchen and staffrooms where electronic equipment and other resources are stored.

Use sensible methods to restrict children entering. Most children will learn quickly where they can and cannot play, particularly when the dangers are explained clearly to them.

Safety within a group

Personal security is also about safety within a large group. Teach children to respect each other's space, and provide sufficient room to circulate around areas and activities. For example, children worry when they see that their work may be in danger of being knocked over or torn. So do not let movement be restricted by too narrow passages between tables.

It is also essential that children feel their belongings are safe in the setting. Provide each child with a named tray in which to deposit their things, and a hook for their outdoor clothes. These facilities also will reinforce each child's individuality and create positive links with home.

Displays

The aesthetics of an early years setting has a significant impact on children's learning. To teach children effectively, the setting must provide a window on the world in which they will all live, through wall and table displays.

* Displays should represent a balance of visual material, in two and three dimensions.

* Use photographs, paintings and artefacts to develop knowledge and understanding of the world.

* Ensure that displays are changed regularly so that they do not become boring or neglected.

* Celebrate children's own work in displays to boost their self-esteem and to inform parents about their children's achievements.

* Avoid using commercialised cartoon characters in displays.

* An inclusive environment means that within displays, books and resources, due consideration is given to portraying positive images of race, culture and disability.

Children's own work should be valued in terms of the thought and skill that has produced it.

Label objects of interest, displays of children's work, information and resources so that children begin to learn the relevance of written language.

Visual stimuli and good labelling make an impression on everyone who attends and visits the setting, so it is important to work pro-actively to create displays to be proud of.

View points

ADULT ROLE

Providing an environment that addresses the needs of the Foundation Stage curriculum, and promotes good outcomes for children, is not only about organising space and resources. It is about reflecting on the philosophy of the service and staff views of their role and their ability to influence children's learning. It is useful to acknowledge that there is not just one way of doing something, and that development must be ongoing through regular evaluations of the environment.

Children's needs should always take priority over adults' needs. Staff should encourage children to express their views about the environment, continuously evaluate their practice, and assess whether outcomes for children might be improved by changing aspects of the organisation of the environment. This process may seem arduous, but the efforts will have a truly powerful impact on the whole provision.

Balanced support

One of the most difficult aspects of the work of practitioners is to know when to intervene in children's play to develop skills, and when to withdraw, allowing children to engage in activities by themselves. Having the time and independence to explore the environment is crucial to stimulate children's curiosity and promote learning.

Remember to:

* offer supportive environments, in which children feel comfortable to explore, experiment and practise new skills.

* provide easy access to equipment and resources, and encourage children to develop the confidence to use them.

* be facilitators for children's learning. Present them with challenges that promote understanding of the world about them, and their ability to express their thoughts and ideas.

* offer children the chance to participate in daily routines and to perform simple tasks, such as preparing for meal times.

* plan the educational programme to take account of the areas of learning that can be encouraged through routines and child-initiated play.

A child-centred environment is easier to support and ensures that both children and adults work and play in harmony.

Key questions

To gauge how effectively your setting is organising its space and resources, start by asking the following questions:

* How many children are playing?

* How many children are playing together? (Play, and co-operative play are both necessary)

* Is an area hardly ever used?

* Do the children tend to play in only one or two areas?

* How much management is needed in each area?