NHI: Arranging Space and Materials

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Arranging Space and Materials

Family Day Care providers should set up the environment so children can easily select, replace, and care for materials. This allows providers to guide children’s behavior in a way that helps them develop self-discipline. Materials that are about a certain topic or interest related to development should be moved in and out of the program on a regular basis.

Arranging Space

Space should be arranged based on the developmental age of the children.
Note: Divide these areas for safety purposes and the best developmental interest of children.

Materials for school-aged children materials should be placed on a higher shelf so that it is accessible to the age group.
Three and four year old materials should be placed on lower shelves that are accessible to the children of that age.
Infant and toddler materials should be placed in a selected area for that age group.

Children that are developmentally ready must be taught the rules of use of materials in the Family Day Care home. Just as small objects can become choking hazards for young children, older children can break toys designed for younger children.

Rotating Materials

Children of different ages use materials in different ways. They need a variety of items at different times to promote learning. With variety being the key, providers can rotate items in and out of learning centers. Some examples are as follows: Develop "prop" boxes in specific theme areas (such as the farm, community helpers, the five senses, etc) by collecting items and putting them into individual containers that are labeled with the name of the item and a picture. Store all of the items in large containers and rotate things in and out as needed. Ideas for prop box items are as follows:

Infants

Washable, cuddly toys and stuffed animals
Durable plastic rattles
Plastic key rings
Teething rings
Squeak toys
Toy telephone
Balls of different sizes
Fill and "dump" toys
Large plastic or wooden animals
Soft cloth blocks
Cloth and vinyl dolls
Stacking toys
Plastic food containers

Toddlers

Tapes of music or stories
Push and pull toys
Peg board and large pegs
Wooden or string puzzles of large pieces (3-8)
Wooden or plastic animals and people figures for play
Doctor’s kit
Trucks, cars and wagons
Large crayons
Pails and shovels for sand play
Large cardboard blocks
Picture books (use the library)
Dress up clothes, hats, suitcases, and shoes for dramatic play.

Preschool

Small play house, zoo, garage, farm set
Family set and animal figures
Plastic snapping blocks
Pegboards and pegs
Interlocking toys
Magnetic board with shapes
Felt board with shapes and felt animals and people
Sturdy puzzles with 8-20 pieces
Crayons and washable markers, chalk, glue and scissors
Balls and hula hoops
Wagons, baby carriages and tricycles
Water based paints and brushes
Blocks
Props for block play, such as small animals, buses, airplanes, cars, dolls, furniture, traffic signs and trains.
Collage materials
Library books and books on tape
Household plants to care for
Puppets
Self Help garments to button, zip, tie, etc.
Playdough

*Making "prop boxes" of materials may take a long time. When you plan for each week, decide what materials can be moved in and out to make learning more fun. When items are not in use, store in large boxes or bags marked with the age of children that would be playing with them.

Labeling of Items

Children learn though word and picture association. That means that the child learns a word by seeing the picture and the word together.

The picture is the first step, and knowing it means the same as the word beside it is the second step toward reading.

Preparing for Labeling

Write the names of classroom toys and materials on paper.
Draw picture clues or put an actual picture of the item next to the word.
Tape the labels to shelves, tubs, boxes or containers. Cover with clear contact paper.
If the item is in a container such as large legos, the label should have the word and picture on the container as well as on the shelf where it is stored.
Use pictures from the boxes that toys come in to make labels, or cut pictures of like objects from school supply catalogs.
Draw around different shapes of blocks, and then label the block shelf with the shapes so children can match the shapes with the blocks.
Trace around supplies (like scissors and glue bottles or utensils in the housekeeping area like pans and cups). Attach the outline to the shelves with clear contact paper so children know where things belong.

Placement of Toys

A small bookshelf, a shelf in a closet, or a low table are also good places for storage.
Put out a manageable selection of toys. Too many toys and materials can be overwhelming to children; too few may cause fighting.
Display toys in more than one room. One shelf of toys may be stored in the kitchen so they can be used when children first arrive or for art activities.
Storage of toys with small items must be out of the reach of small children and in sturdy containers. These toys should be selected ad played with in areas that smaller children cannot get to.
Put items out so that children can see what is available. Don’t stack mounds of material on top of each other. Place all items in clearly labeled containers for use by the children.
Keep safety in mind. Depending on the item, it may be better for a child to request a specific toy instead of putting it on a shelf if it poses a choking hazard for smaller children.

Sources

Feldman, Jean. Transition Time, Let’s Do Something Different, Gryphon House, Beltsville, Marylant. 1995. ISBN 0-87659-173-X, p. 97.

Dodge, Diane T and Colker, Laura L., The Creative Curriculum For Family Childcare. Teaching Strategies, Washington, D.C., 1991, ISBN – 0-9602892-7-5, pp. 110-112.

Harms, T. and Clifford, R.M., Family Day Care Rating Scale. Teachers College Press, New York, NY. 1989. ISBN 0-8077-2955–8, p. 13.

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