Our design team had just developed a product to enhance Communication and Personal, Social, Emotional Development before the revised EYFS raised these areas of learning to prime area status. Early Education’s new document, Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage, suggests “Create areas in which children can sit and chat with friends, such as a snug den and cosy spaces”. That’s exactly what we were after!

Obviously, children need to feel at home before they have confidence to develop relationships and communicate. We had pondered this for some time and dreamed of  designing intimate cosy spaces where children would feel secure, relaxed and in control. The only question was “How?” After wrestling with this for several months we came up with a new line of little arches and lovely bamboo panels that can be combined in various ways to create child-size hidey-holes. These arches, curves and wave panels are compatible with Roomscapes so you can design your own nooks by building onto furniture you already have. You can also choose from an array of ready-made Cosy spaces.

Wouldn’t you have loved that kind of space as a child?

P.S. It’s not just children that love them – nurseries tell us parents respond positively to their children having a “place of their own”.

What is a table for? It’s a simple question, but there’s more to the answer than “for sitting at to do schoolwork”. Several years ago an Infant School in Kent refurbished three of their reception classrooms. They replaced the bright red plastic tables and chairs with Community Playthings MultiTables with adjustable height legs and Woodcrest chairs. Following this change, they noted several unexpected consequences. When they adjusted the tables to standing height, some of the chairs in the room could be removed. This in turn freed up space for more activities. They also found that free-flow art projects worked much better when the children could comfortably stand at the table for taping, gluing and cutting.

Many computer tables used in schools are too high for the children to use the keyboard comfortably. An adjustable table with no apron allows staff to set the table at the correct height for the children. If a child in a wheelchair needs access, one table can be adjusted to the correct height right on the day.

At the Education Show last year we ran a contest to see who could adjust our tables the fastest. One lady adjusted the table height in 8 seconds on her first try. I can’t do it quite that fast, but who knows, you might set a new record.

I find it fascinating working with customers on their room layouts. You quickly become a team and share the hopes and dreams they have for their setting and the children in it. As we wanted another case study for our website, I visited Tidemill Primary Academy in London, a new building we had recently planned. I hoped to capture how the furniture shapes activity areas within the rooms. I was met by Carl, the early years teacher. He had spent a day with us in Robertsbridge planning and was eager to show us how the rooms had worked out. Carl introduced me as “From Community Playthings – the people who made our wooden furniture and blocks!” The smile of recognition from teachers who’d never seen me before started the visit on a positive note.

I was delighted with the light airy feel of the rooms. They had mounted Roomscapes pinboard panels on shelving to create displays in the different activity areas. I took some pictures showing the room layouts. Then the children arrived and the real fun began! Every activity area was soon humming. The children became deeply engrossed in what they were doing. The only difficulty was where to look first! The children were naturally curious and when I explained to one child that I work in the blocks and chairs factory her response was “No-o-o you don’t!” I guess I don’t look much like Bob the Builder. Next time I’ll take a tool belt and some wood shavings.

I don’t believe there is a perfect set-up for a room. Each group of children is different and room use or the age of children using a space may change. The key to laying out furniture is to allow for flexibility. Carpeted areas, however, can severely restrict the possibilities for rearranging interest areas as the room’s use changes. Let me illustrate the point. In May 2010 my colleague Suzanne and I toured eight council nurseries in the Midlands. We spoke with the manager and practitioners at each nursery trying to understand the dynamics of the rooms – what was working and what were the problems.

One problem surfaced immediately – flooring. Many of the rooms had flooring installed at the basic ratio of one third vinyl sheet goods to two thirds carpet. Even where the ratio was closer to half and half, the problem was the same. Inevitably some or all of the carpet was in the wrong place for where they wanted to locate the activity areas. Some rooms had carpet right where the children entered from the outside play area. Others had a narrow strip of sheet goods by the sinks, not wide enough to incorporate the wet/messy play that then flowed over onto the carpet. With its sound-deadening properties, carpet can certainly help the acoustic balance in a centre. But how do we decide where it should be placed when the room is being designed or refurbished?

The simplest solution is to put sheet flooring throughout the centre and use area rugs. This gives future flexibility and also lets you replace a specific rug without having a new carpet installed. It lets you use a softer, more tactile carpet in the book area which wouldn’t work in other areas. By area rugs I don’t mean the “educational” rugs that fill many catalogues. Just choose something functional that fits your décor from the local carpet store and have them edge-bind a piece the size you want.

For more information about room layout download our free booklet Spaces: Room layout for 0–5 year olds.

I have known Sally Eaton and the work of The Childcare Company for many years. We worked as a team creating an “Enabling environments” area for an early years exhibit in 2009. Last year Sally approached Community Playthings with two new projects, but the best would be if I let her tell about them:

“Having spent many years training nursery practitioners to create stimulating, high quality learning environments, I wanted to ensure that our new nursery in Langley provided children with a safe and exciting place to play. I asked Community Playthings to advise me on planning the rooms and furniture so that it would enhance the learning activities we do with the children. I spent a whole afternoon at Robertsbridge and benefited greatly from their expertise and ideas. The model room was inspirational and allowed me to see first-hand how rooms could be divided to make cosy spaces. The Community Playthings planning team had endless patience and allowed me to try out various plans until we settled on the one that was best. The whole process from beginning to end was a pleasure and I am delighted with what we have created. Parents and visitors are highly complimentary and the whole nursery certainly has the wow factor!

“When we opened the nursery in September 2011 the children settled quickly. I am sure the warm homely environment that Community Playthings helped me to create contributed significantly to this process. We have now equipped Langley Hall Primary Academy, (our new Free School) reception classes with Community Playthings equipment and furniture also, so as the children move from the nursery to the school they will experience that continuity of approach.”

Sally Eaton, Education Director for Wellingtons/Langley Hall

When I was little my brothers and I used to transform our kitchen table into a den. My sister and I also used to turn our bunk-bed into a ship. A generation later, I watched my children finding or creating their own cosy spaces. Visiting nurseries in recent years, I often notice a lack of intimate corners into which children can withdraw from all the busy activity. Many rooms are full of cushions and equipment but there is nowhere for a child to have a little personal space. Some settings have found a way to provide such nooks, even if it is not much more than some material draped in a corner. But it is difficult for many because they are not allowed to attach anything to their walls. That's why we designed these new Cosy spaces. Some, like the Swallow's nest, have been figured out for you – but you can also take the panels, posts and arches and design your own cosy spaces for the children in your care. Have fun!

Through the centuries those who care for children have understood the significance of a child's surroundings. Already in the 1800s, the childcare expert Froebel stressed the importance of environmental design in the sense of a garden, natural, organic, ever-changing. He maintained that when care is applied to children's surroundings, behaviour can be guided and inspired. The simplest of locations can become a haven of play and learning.

The amount of space in a room and how it is organised affects children's behaviour. A tight space may encourage working together but can also lead to aggression and frustration. Reducing clutter and installing flexible furnishings can maximize the use of each area. On the other hand, too much space in a room can cause children to be restless and unfocused and have low interaction with their peers. Using dividers to create activity areas or pockets reduces distraction and can help teachers facilitate absorbed play.

Are the children in your care deeply engrossed in their activities, or are many at loose ends? The difference may well stem from room layout, good or bad. As you are choosing the furniture you will also want to consider the way in which the furniture is laid out. This is why we offer a free room layout service which can help you create flexible learning environments and design ideal interest areas which will encourage the behaviour that you want to nurture.