Top 3 tips for creating a joyful early learning environment

Sometimes we overthink things when it comes to the design aesthetic of learning environments. We see these beautifully curated photos of spotless early childhood classrooms. We get these fabulous school supply catalogs in the mail and see a gazillion options for decorations. We might have a vision in our head about what an early learning space SHOULD look like, or we think our neighbor’s space looks better than ours. And we want to decorate!!

The reality is that simple is almost always better. Less is more, as they say.

My top 3 tips for setting up a joyful early learning environment:

1. Keep the focus on the children
2. Be intentional
3. Stay true to yourself
4. Bonus tip: Learning doesn’t happen on the walls. (My motto!)

Let’s break it down.

1. Keep the focus on the children

Always remember who the space is for. It’s not for Pinterest. It’s not for adults. It’s not for Early Childhood Design magazine (which isn’t a thing.) Your learning environment is first, last, and always for the children. Save the decorations for your next big birthday or house party.

Bells and whistles don’t enhance learning. While they might please families and other adults, how do they support the children each and every day? If you’re thinking about adding some kind of fancy shmancy decoration, first ask yourself, “How does this support the children?”

If it just looks cool, you don’t need it. If you work with infants, are they going to get your super cute display about dinosaurs? If you work with toddlers, are they going to get your very creative Magic School Bus and Mrs. Frizzle display? If you work with preschoolers, will they get your highly inviting display about the beach and ocean life if they have never been to the beach or seen the ocean?

These displays may look fabulous, and I’m sure they are. I’m sure they took a lot of thought, time, and energy. The reality is, your environment shouldn’t be just another pretty face.

If you are considering a display that doesn’t help children feel seen and valued, please reconsider.

2. Be intentional

It’s so easy to get caught up in the latest TikTok craze or Pinterest Board, but does the creator of those early childhood designs work with YOUR children? Does that creator know the demographics and needs of the children you work with? Probably not. What looks good and works for them may not work for you, your children, or your physical space.

It’s also easy to peruse a school supply catalog or website and get distracted by the shiny new things they offer. And don’t forget about the email or mailing list enticement of a sale or special offer for signing up. Those web and catalog pages are intentionally designed to create a desire to buy more. Those emails and sign-ups play on your FOMO. Don’t fall for it!! (Hey, I’m trying to save you some money!)

Unless you are just starting out, changing age groups, or moving to a new program, you probably don’t need to buy a bunch of new stuff. A little refresh here and there is OK, but you don’t need to reinvent the wheel at the start of every school year.

Before you buy something or put something on the wall or on display, consider the following:

• Who is this for?
  • If it’s not for the children, you don’t need it.
• Why do I want to put this out?
  • “Because I like it,” or “because it looks cool,” is not a good reason (but see tip #3).
  • “Because the parents (or other adults) will love it” is not a good reason.
  • “Because I saw it on (fill-in-the-blank) social media” is not a good reason.
  • “Because my director said so” is not a good reason, except in this case, you have to.
• How does this support my children?
  • Is this aligned with my learning goals?
    • Yes – absolutely put it up (but see my bonus tip first!)
    • No – see everything above
  • Does this reflect the diversity and cultures of the children and families?
    • Yes – absolutely put it up (as long as you follow the other tips)
    • No – is there a better resource you can use? Why did you choose this resource?

3. Stay true to yourself

Do you just love the color blue, but the current “IT” color is avocado green? Stick with blue, or you will end up hating everything that is avocado green.

Are you a minimalist, but the latest design trend shows multiple themed collages hanging from the walls, windows, and ceiling? Don’t follow the trends. Stick to simplicity or you will feel overwhelmed.

Does your teacher bestie have really cute displays of her 8 cats posted throughout her room? Don’t feel like you have to compete and create displays of your sweet puppy. What works for your bestie might not work for you. Always remember tips #1 and #2! It also probably won’t work if you and your bestie teach different age groups.

In addition to reflecting the culture and diversity of your children, your design aesthetic should also reflect who you are. After all, you will spend almost as much time in this space, if not more time, than your children will. You want your space to be joyful and welcoming to you AND your children and families.

4. Bonus Tip: Learning doesn’t happen on the walls!

This is my motto!! The thing I say ALL THE TIME!

But what do I mean by this? Young children learn through hands-on exploration and interactions with peers and adults. No poster or decoration can take the place of experiential learning for children.

Do you really need 12 number lines and 7 alphabet strips on the walls? Do you really need another set of posters that show community helpers? Do you really need that calendar?

The answer is NO. Definitely not.

And if you’re not sure, go back to tips #1 and #2 and answer those questions.

But what about….?

• If you’re asking about what parents want to see, ask yourself again, “Who is this for?”
• If you think that this is what ALL early childhood spaces SHOULD have, ask yourself again, “Why do I want to put this up?”
• If you think some poster, calendar, number line, or any other decoration aligns with your learning goals, it might. But let’s go back to “Be intentional.”
  • When was the last time you saw a child learn the alphabet by seeing an alphabet strip on the wall?
  • When was the last time you saw a child learn how to count and make sets by looking at a number line?
  • When was the last time you saw a child understand the weather by looking at the weather bear poster?

So, what do you do with all those posters and decorations? Use them as learning tools!

I always recommend taking that stuff off the walls and putting it in places in your room where children can actually do something with it.

• Put the alphabet strip in your writing center, or create a matching game for children to match the upper and lower case letters, or pictures to beginning sounds.
• Put the number lines in your math and science center for children to use for one-to-one correspondence, matching numbers, or to use as a reference for counting when they are making sets or comparisons.
• Put the calendar in dramatic play, where children can use it as a prop when they play house, or as a scheduling tool for a doctor’s office.
• Put pictures of architecture and buildings from around the world in the block corner for inspiration.
• Take the posters of community helpers and use them to create book covers for a class book about “What I want to be when I grow up.”

There are many more ways you can use those decorations as intentional learning tools, just not when they are hanging on the walls.

One final thought

Your learning environment should be a space where you and the children feel welcome and comfortable. You spend a lot of time in this space. Make it your own, ensure that it reflects you and your children, and keep it simple.

Simple and intentional is the key to joy!