The most important part of your preschoolers’ day in your early learning environment is when they are free to explore and play in the space you have provided.
Play Time!
Play is the richest platform for learning. Children learn more during free play time then they do during any other time of day. In addition to being safe and age-appropriate, your children’s learning environment should provide many different opportunities for discovery and should allow for independent play as well as social play.
To make free-play exploration an effective learning experience for your children, prepare several different areas for learning. Within each learning area, provide materials that your preschoolers can explore without your direction. But you can still be involved in your children’s play by offering ideas that they can expand upon if they are experiencing a block in their creative flow. Free play is not a teacher’s break time. Though your children must be encouraged to take the lead, your participation will enrich their learning experience.
When a group of preschoolers are together during free play time, a great deal of social learning takes place. They are learning to share, cooperate, get along with others, lead, and follow. They are also learning about math, reading, writing, shapes, creating patterns, the principles of cause and effect, and many other skills! They are developing their muscle control, learning to deal with conflicts, and learning to solve problems.
Setting up Your Indoor Space for Play
Play or learning areas are separate, “subject” areas that promote an opportunity-rich learning environment. Many of the suggested items below can be stored in containers at a level that your children can reach. Label each container and each container’s storage area by attaching a picture of the materials (one that you’ve taken, drawn, or cut out from a catalogue). Write the name of the materials on each label.
These labels will help your small children easily find the toys they want, will promote your children’s reading skills, will keep your classroom organized, and will resolve confusion during clean-up time, and promote independence. Labels should also be attached to shelves where items without containers are stored.
Block Area: Supply a variety of large and small wooden, cardboard, or plastic blocks. Make sure this area has plenty of floor space for your children and their imaginations. Store the blocks where your children play with them, in a place that they can access easily.
Art Area: Depending on your children’s experience and guidance in art, you may need to supervise this area more so as they learn where they can and can’t use the materials! Decorate this center with posters or collages of art from around the world. You may also choose to add extra lighting or music to enhance your children’s art experiences. All of your art supplies should be organized and available on low shelves near a table with chairs. Your art area should offer these basic supplies:
- A container of crayons (if possible, multiple crayons of the same color)
- A container of markers (multiples of the same color)
- White and colored paper in various sizes
- Glue sticks
- Several pairs of age appropriate scissors
The activities below can also be included in your art area. However, be aware that these activities require more direct guidance:
- Finger painting. (You will need finger paints, finger-painting paper, and old shirts for smocks.)
- Painting with paint brushers. (You will need paint brushes, large sheets of paper, temera pints, and smocks. Easels are helpful, as well.)
- Playing with rubber stamps. (You will need a variety of rubber stamps, ink pads, and paper.)
- Playing with play dough. (You will need play dough, and tools like butter knives and forks for cutting and making patterns.)
- Making creative collages. (You will need glue, paper, and craft items, such as pom-poms, feathers, and silly eyes.)
Dramatic Play or House Area: Supply a play kitchen area, living room area, and/or bedroom area with play furniture that is suitable for small children and dolls. Your children will enjoy old household items that no longer work, such as telephones, calculators, and mixers. Supply the play kitchen area with old pots, pans, and unbreakable dishes (store bought play sets can be used). Provide dolls and stuffed animals. Doll houses and accessories are also fun. Put some of your old clothes and shoes in a basket for playing dress-up. To keep this area fresh, add new items from time to time, and rotate their use with the old items.
Reading Area: Collect age-appropriate books from stores, garage sales, friends, family, and the library. Place the books on a low shelf or in a basket. Provide a rug, beanbag chairs (or floor cushions), and direct lighting. You might also want to provide a big, comfortable chair for reading while one or two children sit on your lap.
Science and Math Area: Provide containers of connecting toys and puzzles. Toys that have pulleys or ramps are also good for the science and math area. Post the numbers 1 through 10 on the wall with pictures that represent each number. Supply a magnifying glass and a scale.
Create a sensory table (a waterproof tub that is raised off the ground, and filled with sand, water, or other sensory items) or shelf with toys and items from nature, such as rocks, leaves, sticks, pine cones, turtle shells, snake skins, plants, and beach shells. Rotate these items based on your children’s interests and thematic units. Care for a hermit crab, gerbil, hamster, or fish in this area.
Cozy Corner: This area is the place where your class meets as a group. Provide a comfortable rug, a music player, a calendar, a pictorial representation of the daily schedule, class pictures, and a box of props to be used for group songs, stories, and fingerplays. A plastic storage container works well for your props. The container might include various puppets, a beloved story-time puppet, your “helper-hunter thinking cap.”
This area is also a good place to keep musical instruments and large floor puzzles for free-play time. Have a large tablet of paper on an easel and a pen handy. Write your children’s words on the easel as they play. Then, point to their words as you read them aloud.