Battling your Infant Toddler Environment Dilemma

Have you ever changed your room around 10 times in one month only to discover that the room still wasn't meeting the children's needs? Don't worry you're not alone; room arrangement support is the most requested topic the Infant Toddler Project staff receive.

Most of your day with infants and toddlers is spent in routines and activities. As infants become more mobile, they need places to explore safely. They are ready for activities such as playing with toys and blocks, exploring sand, water and art materials, cooking, music and movement and exploring books. These routines and activities mean that you may want to provide the following types of spaces: a greeting area, a food preparation and eating area, a sleeping area, a changing area and bathroom and play areas with spaces for both active and quiet play; individual and group play. The following are some guidelines to keep in mind when preparing your infant toddler environment:

• Include special touches - What makes you happy? Is it plants, pictures, special touches throughout the environment? Soft furniture and reading materials? These same types of features can make an infant toddler area welcoming to the children and their families.
• Avoid over stimulating children - Displaying a few carefully selected toys on low shelves is more likely to lead to meaningful play than shelves overloaded with playthings.
• Allow for movement - Children who are in an environment where they are free to move safely will feel more competent.
• Be aware of how space affects behavior - Large open spaces encourage children to run and explore materials on a larger scale. Small, enclosed areas promote social interaction and make it easier to concentrate. Your environment should offer both types of spaces.
• Make each space easy to maintain - Use as many washable items as possible. Position the eating and messy activities in spaces with washable flooring. If your environment does not include washable flooring, you can use an old shower curtain to cover the floor during messy activities.
• Organize and label storage space - Place shelves and bins on a level that is easily accessible to the children. Make picture labels to show children where toys and their personal items belong.
• Continually evaluate how the environment is working - Observe how children use the space and how they react to changes you make. Be prepared to make adjustments to meet the ever changing needs and growing abilities of infants and toddlers.

If you would like additional information or support with this topic or any other infant toddler issue please contact:

Special ProjecsCoordinator
Oklahoma Child Care Resource and Referral Association
4200 Perimeter Center Dr. Suite 235
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
1-888-962-2772
birthtothree@oklahomachildcare.org