Looking for learning environment inspiration? In this article, we’ll look at an extensive list of preschool/kindergarten environment ideas.
Want help planning out your environments? We’ve created a planner that you can use to store ideas, take notes and plan your term.
Contents
Description: Rooted in the Steiner and Reggio approach that emphasizes the significance of the natural environment in a child’s learning, this reading nook resembles a serene forest glade. The ambiance fosters children’s curiosity about the natural world and storytelling.
Resources Required: Tree stump stools, cushioned mats with grass or leaf designs, fabric canopy with hanging leaves, forest and nature-themed books, fairy lights, and real potted plants.
Setting Up: Position the canopy overhead, giving an illusion of a forest canopy. Place the stump stools and mats in a circle. Integrate fairy lights to resemble fireflies and position the plants around the space. Arrange the nature-themed books in an accessible, low shelf.
Follow-Up Activities: Nature story sessions, where children can bring natural elements like leaves or stones and weave a story around them, or gardening days to care for the plants.
Description: Drawing from the Montessori philosophy of self-directed, experiential learning, this space resembles outer space, stoking curiosity about planets, stars, and the universe.
Resources Required: Glow-in-the-dark stars, planet mobiles, moon-shaped cushions, dark blue or black rugs, space-themed books, and a small planetarium projector.
Setting Up: Attach glow stars on walls and the ceiling. Lay the rug representing outer space, place the moon cushions around, and hang the planet mobiles. Place the books in a low-level, open shelf and set up the projector to showcase celestial events.
Follow-Up Activities: Planet storytelling, where kids can pick a planet and craft tales about it or sessions where children learn basic astronomy.
Description: This idea leans into the Reggio Emilia philosophy of environments being the “third teacher.” A whimsical, dreamlike atmosphere can help expand imaginations and enhance creativity.
Resources Required: Cloud-shaped cushions, rainbow bookshelves, fairy or dragon-themed books, whimsical decorations (unicorns, fairies, dragons), and pastel-colored drapes.
Setting Up: Drapes hang from the ceiling to create a soft, dreamy ambiance. Arrange cloud cushions on the floor, place books on the rainbow shelves, and decorate with whimsical elements.
Follow-Up Activities: Drawing sessions where children depict their dream worlds or story creation sessions based on fairytales.
Description: Mimicking a small cityscape, this idea reflects the Montessori philosophy of “learning by doing” in a real-world context.
Resources Required: Modular buildings/bookshelves, car and pedestrian mats, dolls, street signs, and city-based storybooks.
Setting Up: Set up the modular bookshelves resembling city buildings. Place the mats to look like roads. Organize city-themed books and accessorize with dolls and street signs.
Follow-Up Activities: Role-playing sessions, where kids can enact city roles (like a librarian or baker) or city planning days where they design their dream city.
Description: Melding the Steiner philosophy’s love for natural rhythms and the Montessori method’s hands-on learning, this space resembles a garden.
Resources Required: Green rugs, flower cushions, butterfly decorations, garden-themed books, potted plants, and insect magnifying glasses.
Setting Up: Lay green rugs and place flower cushions. Hang butterfly decorations, place books on a low shelf, and position potted plants within kids’ reach.
Follow-Up Activities: Bug exploration days, where children can explore the garden insects or plant tending sessions, where they learn about plant growth and care.
Description: This maritime-themed nook draws inspiration from Montessori’s emphasis on sensory-based learning. Children embark on a reading voyage, nurturing their sense of adventure and exploration.
Resources Required: Boat-shaped bookshelf, blue rug (representing water), fishing net with plush sea creatures, maritime books, sailor hats, and a ship’s wheel.
Setting Up: Place the boat-shaped bookshelf at the nook’s center. Lay the blue rug, drape the fishing net, and accessorize with plush sea creatures. Arrange maritime books and add the ship’s wheel and sailor hats for imaginative play.
Follow-Up Activities: Sea story sessions, where kids take turns “steering” the ship and telling tales of the sea, or craft sessions making simple boats.
Description: Rooted in the Steiner philosophy, which underscores the bond between humans and nature, this nook is an enchanted forest, cultivating respect for nature and wildlife.
Resources Required: Tree-shaped bookshelves, animal cushions, forest soundscape (birds chirping, rustling leaves), forest-themed books, and leaf canopy.
Setting Up: Position tree bookshelves and arrange books. Place animal cushions for seating. Set up a speaker for the forest soundscape and hang the leaf canopy overhead.
Follow-Up Activities: “Forest Keeper” days, where children care for potted plants or storytime that revolves around forest folklore and animal tales.
Description: Reflecting the Reggio Emilia principle of environment as a “third teacher”, this nook transports children to different historical eras, cultivating an appreciation for history and different cultures.
Resources Required: Time-period posters (dinosaurs, ancient Egypt, medieval times), a tent or teepee, historical books, period costumes, and a small hourglass.
Setting Up: Assemble the tent in the nook’s center. Arrange books inside and hang posters on adjacent walls. Place the hourglass as a centerpiece and keep period costumes for dress-up.
Follow-Up Activities: “Time Detective” games, where kids use clues to guess an era or enact plays based on different time periods.
Description: Celebrating Montessori’s global perspective, this nook takes children on a world tour, promoting cultural understanding and global awareness.
Resources Required: World map rug, books from various countries, global landmark miniatures (like Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal), flags, and travel backpacks.
Setting Up: Lay the world map rug and position books on low-level shelves. Decorate with landmark miniatures and flags of different countries.
Follow-Up Activities: “Passport” days, where children get stamps for ‘visiting’ different countries through stories or cooking sessions to explore global cuisines.
Description: Aligning with Reggio’s emphasis on sensory experiences, this nook engages all five senses, fostering holistic learning and sensory development.
Resources Required: Textured cushions (fluffy, silky, rugged), scented bookmarks (lavender, vanilla), auditory books with sound buttons, tactile wall panels, and taste-themed books.
Setting Up: Arrange textured cushions for diverse tactile experiences. Integrate scented bookmarks with books. Place auditory books in an accessible area and set up tactile wall panels for touch exploration.
Follow-Up Activities: “Sensory Adventure” sessions, where children describe feelings evoked by different textures or scents, or sound story sessions exploring the world of sounds.
Description: Drawing from Montessori’s emphasis on the integration of arts, this reading space is infused with musical elements. As children read, they can explore rhythm and sounds, nurturing their auditory skills and love for music.
Resources Required: Books related to music and instruments, small musical instruments (like tambourines, maracas), cushioned seating resembling piano keys, and a musical note wall decor.
Setting Up: Arrange the cushioned seating to resemble a musical space. Place books in an easily accessible position. Scatter the small instruments around the space and add the musical note decor to the walls.
Follow-Up Activities: “Sound Stories” where children create tales using instruments or sessions where they learn about different musical instruments from books.
Description: Embracing the Steiner philosophy’s value on environmental immersion, this nook gives children a feel of the Arctic. The chilly, magical ambiance fosters curiosity about polar animals and the ice world.
Resources Required: White and blue cushions, books about polar animals and icy adventures, plush polar bears and penguins, igloo tent, and snowflake decorations.
Setting Up: Set up the igloo tent as a central reading hub. Surround with white and blue cushions. Decorate with plush animals and snowflake designs. Arrange the Arctic-themed books nearby.
Follow-Up Activities: “Polar Explorer” days, where kids learn more about life in the Arctic or craft sessions making snowflakes and other winter-themed items.
Description: In line with the Reggio Emilia approach’s emphasis on construction as a form of expression, this nook looks like a mini construction site. It encourages children to build, plan, and understand structural design.
Resources Required: Construction-themed books, Lego or building blocks, blueprint rugs, safety hats, and mini construction signs.
Setting Up: Lay the blueprint rug at the center. Arrange books and building blocks in an organized manner. Decorate with mini construction signs and keep safety hats for kids to wear.
Follow-Up Activities: “Little Architect” sessions where children design their dream houses using blocks or storytelling sessions around construction adventures.
Description: Based on Montessori’s belief in learning through real-world experiences, this aquatic nook offers a dive into the marine world. Children are surrounded by the beauty of the oceans, fostering curiosity about marine life.
Resources Required: Blue drapes, ocean-themed books, plush marine animals, seashell cushions, and bubble machines.
Setting Up: Hang the blue drapes to create an underwater atmosphere. Place the seashell cushions for seating. Arrange marine books for easy access and decorate with plush sea animals. Position the bubble machine to simulate an underwater experience.
Follow-Up Activities: “Marine Biologist” days where kids delve deeper into marine life or activities where children replicate marine animal sounds and movements.
Description: With a touch of Steiner’s love for art and color, this vibrant nook uses the spectrum of colors to introduce children to the concept of light, color, and art. The vividness also stimulates visual senses and creativity.
Resources Required: Color spectrum rug, rainbow cushions, colored bookshelves (each shelf a different color), books about colors, and rainbow wall decals.
Setting Up: Place the color spectrum rug at the center. Organize the bookshelves by color, ensuring books related to each color are placed in their respective color shelf. Decorate with rainbow cushions and decals.
Follow-Up Activities: “Color Wizard” sessions, where children mix primary colors to see what they create or storytelling sessions centered on tales of rainbows and colors.
Description: Channelling the Montessori focus on tactile learning and children’s innate curiosity about the ancient world, this nook is dedicated to prehistoric wonders. The environment allows children to become junior paleontologists, exploring the age of the dinosaurs.
Resources Required: Dinosaur-themed books, plush dinosaur toys, faux fossil dig pits (sand pits with small ‘fossils’), volcano cushions, and dino footprints decals.
Setting Up: Designate an area for the faux fossil dig pit and place plush dinosaurs around the space. Organize the books in an accessible manner and decorate with dino footprints decals. Add the volcano cushions for seating.
Follow-Up Activities: “Dino Dig” sessions where children can excavate ‘fossils’ from the pit or storytelling activities where children weave tales about their favorite dinosaurs.
Description: Rooted in the Steiner philosophy’s emphasis on nature and the cosmos, this nook lets children’s imaginations soar to the skies. The ambiance instills a sense of wonder about clouds, stars, and the vast universe.
Resources Required: Sky-themed books, cloud-shaped cushions, star and planet hanging mobiles, blue drapes, and a gentle wind machine.
Setting Up: Hang the blue drapes and mobiles from the ceiling to recreate the sky. Place cloud cushions around for seating. Arrange sky-themed books neatly. Position the gentle wind machine for an occasional soft breeze.
Follow-Up Activities: “Stargazer Nights” where kids can learn about constellations or craft sessions where children create their own kites or paper airplanes.
Description: Celebrating the Reggio Emilia principle of children expressing themselves through a hundred languages, this nook emphasizes visual storytelling. Children can dive into the world of art, understanding different styles and mediums.
Resources Required: Books about famous artists and art forms, easel stands, coloring sheets, art supplies, and replica paintings.
Setting Up: Position easel stands and art supplies for hands-on exploration. Display replica paintings on the walls. Organize the art-themed books in an accessible area.
Follow-Up Activities: “Mini Monet” days, where children attempt to recreate famous artworks or sessions where they draw scenes from their favorite stories.
Description: Echoing the Montessori method’s emphasis on real-world connections, this reading space resembles a bustling city. Through this urban environment, children can explore societal roles and community functions.
Resources Required: Books about city life, miniature buildings and vehicles, cityscape rug, and traffic light cushions.
Setting Up: Lay the cityscape rug as a foundation. Position the miniature buildings and vehicles in an organized layout. Arrange the books about city life in an easily accessible spot. Use traffic light cushions for seating.
Follow-Up Activities: “City Planner” sessions, where children discuss how they’d design their city, or role-playing activities, enacting different professions within a city.
Description: Blending the Steiner philosophy’s reverence for nature with the Reggio belief in an environment as a third teacher, this treehouse-themed nook provides an elevated reading experience. The structure allows for a unique vantage point, evoking curiosity about different perspectives.
Resources Required: Tree-themed bookshelves, wooden ladder or steps, canopy of green leaves, forest soundscapes, and books about treehouses and forests.
Setting Up: Set up the tree-themed bookshelves in an elevated yet safe manner. Provide ladder or steps for children to climb up. Hang the canopy overhead to give the feeling of being amidst treetops. Play the forest soundscapes in the background.
Follow-Up Activities: “Treetop Tales” where children share stories from their unique ‘treehouse’ perspective or nature exploration walks to observe real trees and wildlife.
Description: Taking inspiration from Steiner’s philosophy of storytelling and imagination, this nook is a magical realm filled with fantasy elements. It nurtures creativity, transporting children to fairy tales, kingdoms, and enchanted forests.
Resources Required: Fairy tale books, mushroom-shaped cushions, fairy lights, castle or fairy tent, and plush mythical creatures (dragons, unicorns).
Setting Up: Set up the castle or fairy tent as a focal reading spot. Surround it with mushroom cushions and plush creatures. Drape fairy lights across the area, and arrange the fairy tale books within arm’s reach.
Follow-Up Activities: “Kingdom Chronicles” sessions where children can act out their favorite fairy tales or craft sessions creating their own fairy crowns or magic wands.
Description: Embracing Montessori’s holistic approach to understanding the world, this nook allows children to embark on a cosmic journey. It promotes curiosity about planets, stars, and the vast universe.
Resources Required: Books about the solar system, planet cushions, glow-in-the-dark stars and planets, a rocket ship tent, and space-themed music.
Setting Up: Establish the rocket ship tent as the central reading spot. Scatter planet cushions around. Affix glow-in-the-dark celestial bodies to walls or ceiling, and play space-themed music softly in the background.
Follow-Up Activities: “Galactic Gatherings” where kids discuss planets and stars or hands-on sessions constructing simple telescopes or rocket models.
Description: In line with Reggio Emilia’s idea of nature as an educator, this nook cultivates an interest in botany. The space offers kids insights into the plant world, from seeds to full bloom.
Resources Required: Books about plants, potted plants, seed packets, plant growth chart, cushioned mats, and a mini greenhouse or terrarium.
Setting Up: Place cushioned mats for seating. Organize books and set up the mini greenhouse or terrarium in the corner. Display the plant growth chart on the wall and position potted plants throughout the area.
Follow-Up Activities: “Green Thumb Days” where children can plant seeds and monitor growth or story sessions discussing the life of a plant, from a tiny seed to a blossoming flower.
Description: Drawing from Steiner’s emphasis on immersion in natural environments, this reading space evokes different terrains — from deserts to rainforests. The varied ambience encourages exploration of diverse habitats.
Resources Required: Books about different habitats, themed rugs (sand for desert, green for forest), matching plush animals, and ambient soundtracks for each habitat.
Setting Up: Segment the nook into different sections representing each habitat. Place matching plush animals and themed rugs in each section. Organize books according to the habitat. Play ambient soundtracks to match the mood of each section.
Follow-Up Activities: “Habitat Huddles” where kids discuss animals native to each environment or drawing sessions to depict their favorite habitat scenes.
Description: Inspired by Montessori’s emphasis on exploration, this nook is all about mountains, cliffs, and high terrains. The elevated setting cultivates a sense of achievement, metaphorically teaching children to ‘climb’ towards their goals.
Resources Required: Mountain-themed books, climbing wall for kids (with safety mats), peak-shaped cushions, wall murals of mountainous terrains, and ambient mountain sounds.
Setting Up: Set up a safe climbing wall on one side with mats underneath. Position peak-shaped cushions for reading. Paint or attach murals depicting mountainous terrains, and play ambient mountain sounds in the background.
Follow-Up Activities: “Summit Stories” where children share tales of mountain adventures or sessions where they discuss different mountain animals and terrains.
Ready to start planning?
Click the button above to get our planner that can be used to store ideas, take notes and plan your term.
