There is a saying about children being able to ‘soak up information like sponges’ during their formative years. Ensuring that young minds are in a stimulating environment is highly important for the development of their mental, physical and cognitive abilities.
The first five years of a child’s development are especially crucial, which is why putting a child into an early learning environment, like the Advantage Early Learning Academy in Gahanna Ohio is of the utmost importance. This is where children can interact with each other, try to share and communicate through motions and eventually words, be in a safe learning environment and benefit from child care specialists.
Creating an exciting, captivating and stimulating environment in the classroom is vitally important for infants, toddlers and young children. There are a few simple ways to improve the environment of the classroom, to better energize the minds of the young children.
Bring In Some Color
Visually stimulating a child is one of the best ways to capture their attention and engage them with topics.
A smart idea is to strategically place colors around the classroom to make certain areas different but also unique. It is said that the cooler colors of blue and green bring about creativity in children. An idea could be having blue wallpaper or blue decorations around the painting section in the room. This attracts children to this area and also stimulates their minds to think creatively in the art section.
You can also use other colors, like a softer green or pale yellow in the nap area to stimulate calmness. On the other hand, bring in colors like red and orange which are said to bring energy and activity out of children to areas where energy is required.
Think About Singalongs and Music
Children are born with a natural rhythm. They respond well to music and this always lightens the mood and brings in fun. It’s a great idea to listen and dance to some music with the children regularly. This can be part of morning classroom habits, with songs that include greeting words for example. Or it can be some music or dance time after a lunch break. It is up to the teacher to decide when the music is best placed to energize and stimulate the kids but including some form of music is a great idea.
Another thing that children love is a ‘sing-along’ song where they get to partake in the singing and use their hands to make musical moves to suit the song. This is a highly stimulating act for children as they need to listen to the song, learn the lyrics, follow the rhythm, work as a team to sing together, learn the moves and dance. This is a combination of many elements, both physical and mental. It is very beneficial for children to learn how to handle all-encompassing things like this from a young age, as it equips them well for multi-tasking at an older age.
Regularly Update Displays and Toys
It is not so much about toys or displays becoming outdated, although everyone knows that children largely gravitate toward the big and fluffy or the shiny and new toy before going toward a worn-out one, but it’s more about ensuring that children are continuously challenged. It is important for children to constantly learn new things. Playing with the same toy, board game or display over and over again may result in them not learning as much as they could.
The introduction of new games allows children to try to decipher the new game, learn how to play it with their peers, allow themselves to be excited and challenged by the new colors and words. All of which ultimately leads to a highly enriching classroom activity.
