An effective physical learning environment

We all learn from direct experience through exploring, identifying patterns and interacting with others. Older children and adults also learn through a wide range of written, aural and visual sources of information.

In early years, children are only beginning to develop the skills to learn in adult ways. To provide high quality early years education, it is important that the physical learning environment you create in your setting supports and enables children’s learning through direct experiences and social interactions with peers and adults. To begin to develop independence in learning, your physical learning environment also needs to support your children in learning how to learn for themselves.


General design features of high-quality early years learning environments

High quality early years learning environments are organised into areas dedicated to particular curricular areas or types of activity from which children can choose. This ensures that the main resources that children will need for each type of activity are readily accessible. It also enables you to ensure that each child experiences a balanced range of experiences and activities. Some other effective design features include:

 



You should have a flexible design and layout, so that changes can be made to accommodate children’s current interests. By keeping your physical learning environment under constant review, and consulting with children about changes where it is clear that some areas are not working well or are not often chosen, will provide your children with a sense of agency and valuable problem-solving opportunities involving discussion, planning and review.

 

Ideas for areas and activities that support curricular and cross-curricular opportunities

High quality early years learning environments contain a range of specific areas and activities, with some that relate directly to specific curricular areas, and others that provide more cross-curricular opportunities to support development of more general skills.

See ‘Resources’ for further guidance about the types of resources to consider for your children across your whole setting.



Cross-curricular areas that are beneficial for developing children's skills

Children develop skills relating to social and emotional development, self-regulation and language and communication through pretend play. A role play area supports children’s development of a range of skills. 

A role play area could contain dressing up materials and play objects that:

  • relate to a current theme and/or a context decided on in discussion with your children
  • are mostly simple and generic, so that children can adapt them to the play theme
  • include play objects designed and made by your children
  • opportunities and resources for mark-making/writing

A technology area containing computers and/or other digital devices, such as digital cameras, programmable toys and other technology, will provide children with opportunities to explore technology, supporting their work across a range of curriculum areas. Children should not be left unsupervised with internet capable devices. See ‘A safe learning environment’ for further guidance.

A games and puzzles area where children can develop their social and emotional, mathematical and communication and language skills through playing individual, co-operative and competitive games; it contains a table or floor space, a range of games and puzzles with set rules (e.g. jigsaws, card games, board games) and basic games equipment that children can use to invent and play their own games (including through making games in the art and craft area).