Effective indoor environments
The indoor environment provides a safe, secure yet challenging space for children. For some children, it is like a second ‘home’, providing a place for activity, rest, eating and sleeping.
The indoor environment contains resources which are appropriate, well maintained and accessible for all children. They are planned so that they can be used flexibly and an appropriate range of activities is provided (Principles into Practice cards, EYFS 2008).
Best practice
- Understand that some children may need extra support to express their feelings and come to terms with them
- Encourage children to help to plan the layout of the environment and to contribute to keeping it tidy
- Ensure that children have opportunities to be outside on a daily basis all year round
- Help children to understand how to behave outdoors and inside by talking about personal safety, risks and the safety of others
- Create an indoor environment that is reassuring and comforting for all children, while providing interest through novelty from time to time
- Where possible link the indoor and outdoor environments so that children can move freely between them.
Relevant resources
The documents below open in new windows apart from the external links.
- Enabling environment audit - Word, 16KB
- Ideas to engage boys in mark making - PDF 150KB
- Loose parts play - PDF, 204KB
- Managing risk in play provision (Play England - external site)
- Quality Matters: Learning environment - childminders - Word, 172KB
- Quality Matters: Learning environment - early years settings - Word, 171KB
- Quality Matters: Learning environment - schools - Word, 201KB
- Spaces for children: Room layout for 0 -5-year-olds (Community Playthings - external site)