Childcare Surroundings

Childcare centers need to designate which areas of the facility that will be used for the child care and which will be off limits to children in care such as rooms for staff to rest or eat lunch, cleaning closets and staff restrooms. Rooms that are used for child care must be well-lighted, have good air flow and be kept at a comfortable temperature and humidity.

Play space should be well-organized and have distinct areas. Children should know where things are and where to put them away. Consider creating a friendly environment and childcare furniture friendly for each kind of play, such as:

• Circle time, with a rug for sitting and a place to display children’s names and/or pictures of children and their families, a calendar, pictures illustrating their daily schedule and program rules.
• A quiet reading area with comfortable pillows or armchairs and low shelving or baskets for access to age-appropriate books
• A block play area
• Sensory activities
• Dramatic play, with dress-up clothes, dolls and stuffed animals, and other props
• Arts and crafts area, with a variety of art supplies, easels, smocks, and a table and chairs
• Small muscle activities area, with age-appropriate lacing and sorting activities, puzzles, stacking and nesting toys, etc.
• Writing area, with writing materials, notepads and paper and a small table with a couple of chairs
• Large muscle activities area, with space for running, riding, climbing, balancing that this may also be your outdoor space
• A small place for one or two children or a child and an adult to rest quietly, with comfortable seating, quiet music and favorite stuffed animals

When choosing childcare furniture AUS such as chairs, the most important thing to remember is that, when seated, the child’s feet should be flat on the floor. For children ages 3–6, it is suggested there be chairs 10–12 inches (about 25–30 cm) in height, while elementary-age children need chairs 12–16 inches (about 30–30 cm) in height. Table tops should be about 8 inches (approximately 20 cm) from the top of the child’s legs to insure good posture and proper work habits. If you’ll be caring for even one child in diapers, you’ll need a designated diaper-changing area. Plan to set up your changing table near a sink that is not used for food preparation for easy hand-washing. Your space should also have a place to store diaper-changing materials out of children’s reach. Your diaper-changing area should be set up away from the food preparation and eating areas.

There are a number of simple ways to maintain healthy room acoustics. Of course, establishing ground rules, like speaking in a normal volume and teaching children how to get your attention by tapping you on your shoulder instead of shouting across the room are a must in all circumstances. Other strategies include:

• Using curtains to help dampen noise.
• Covering walls with corkboard, banners, posters, and children’s artwork.
• Arranging childcare furniture on an angle.
• Repairing defective electronic fixtures.
• Keeping doors and windows closed when there are loud outside noises.
• Placing soft tips on the bottoms of chairs and tables.

Teachers are well aware of the effect of the immediate environment on a child; this fact is easily observed when teachers and other adults give children their complete and undivided attention. Consider different aspects of the physical environment and childcare furniture AUS, discuss how they affect children, and explore some practical methods to implement to make the preschool environment a more comfortable and appropriately stimulating place for young children.