Top tips in making the most out of your Early Years environment
The Early Years environment supports children in learning about the world and exploring their surroundings to build on their knowledge and experiences. It is important that the environment meets the individual needs of all children and offers opportunities for engagement, investigation and exploration.
Early Years settings can feel under pressure to provide a range of resources and areas for the children to access; however this can create a need for lots of furniture and storage space. Smaller settings may find it difficult to create space due to the need for storage, impacting on the environment for children.
It is important to think about your environment in terms of space and needs. You need to ensure children are given the space to extend their learning and build on their experiences. Furniture such as tables or chairs can restrict activities to one area of the room and impact on the child’s ideas and play.
Furniture should have a purpose in the room, possibly adding another element to the environment. Low storage units can be altered, adding fake grass to the top or painting the side using chalkboard paint, offering an alternative level to explore and play.
Adding portable resources such as child sized tubs carrying pencils or clipboards enable children to move around the room, promoting independence and choice. Clipboards and paper are another great addition to each area of the environment. This can support children in becoming active learners while developing thinking and decision making skills.
The Early Years environment can impact on the communication skills of children. Cluttered walls or large boxes of resources can be overwhelming to small children and distract their learning. This can be supported by offering neutral backgrounds and offering a carefully selected number of resources. Children will learn to make choices and focus without the added distraction of clutter.
Looking at the needs of the children and the setting can support practitioners in developing the environment and maximising its potential. How can you use this information to extend learning opportunities in your Early Years setting?