A daycare center is more than just a building – it is a living space for children! Discover how colors, light, furniture and materials influence the development of little ones. Get inspiration and practical tips for child-friendly interior design.
In order to understand the pedagogical design of rooms in daycare centers, Wilk believes it is first necessary to take a historical look at the development of early childhood education as a whole. Over the centuries, many perspectives on children have changed. Political and social changes have also had a formative influence on early childhood. The images of children as seen by educators have changed. New educational concepts have emerged and early childhood education has become more complex and academic from year to year.
In this context, it can be seen that the respective educational concepts have individual requirements in terms of room design. This is important to know because it is already clear that a homogeneous room design that can be used for all daycare centers does not exist! Furthermore, it should not be forgotten that the pedagogical concept only represents a basic framework for the day-care center. It is only through the pedagogical conception of the respective institutions that a concept ultimately acquires practical relevance. These historical aspects should therefore always be kept in mind when designing rooms. (cf. Wilk, pp. 17-54)
Stephanie Gebert has a similar view of the historical aspects. However, she takes a more in-depth look at the domestic children’s room, also in comparison to Wilk. In her view, not taking this spatiality into account leads to a greatly reduced view of the developmental line of early childhood. (cf. Rekus and Gebert 2021, pp. 21-30)
In my view, this is particularly understandable and correct with regard to the past. In the past, there was hardly any childcare for children under three years of age. Therefore, in earlier years, education and development took place over a longer period of time at home, which increased the influence of private spaces and the children’s room at home on children’s development.
The pedagogical design of the room
The design of the room has therefore always played an important role in early childhood development, both historically and today. But what exactly do the terms space and educational spatial design mean, since we talk about spaces all the time in our daily lives? For us, a room is often a self-contained container that can be measured from wall to wall and thus explained both mathematically and physically. (cf. Stieve and Schüllenbach-Bülow 2016, pp. 21–22)
In addition, there are the functions that we ascribe to the room. We cook and store food in the kitchen. Family and social life takes place in the living room. This also applies to rooms in daycare centers. However, we must also bear in mind that the different concepts have different effects on the architecture and thus influence the interior design. Similarly, there are internal (daycare rooms) and external spaces (front courtyard, garden), which are subject to spatial planning and interior design.
Room design
The basic design of rooms in daycare centers is based on the corresponding educational concept. Interior design within the rooms is also important. Depending on the room and its function, we have to take different requirements into account. There are basically three fundamental design principles:
- Creating orientation
- Offering suggestions
- Enabling well-being
These are explained in more detail using a practical example:
To enable a sense of well-being, for example, suitable floor coverings can be used in different rooms. For example, carpeting could be laid in the group room or sleeping area. Carpeting would be counterproductive in the activity room and in the entrance area of a daycare center. Here, cooler and harder materials such as linoleum or rubber are more suitable. The floor can also provide orientation as a guide. In inclusive facilities, a high-contrast guidance system is usually found in the middle of the floor.
The color scheme of the flooring also has an influence on well-being. This interacts with the walls and the furnishings. The walls separate one another and provide orientation. They also give children a sense of height and distance. The walls can also be designed in different colors depending on the room.
This raises the question of what colors actually are and how they work. After all, color is nothing more than an object that reflects light at a certain wavelength. Some objects absorb more or certain wavelengths, and as a result, only certain waves are reflected. These create different colors, which are perceived differently by each person. This is because color impressions are always individual experiences. A deeper understanding of the color choice is shown in figure 6 in the appendix.
The ceiling and the floor covering have a major influence on the acoustics of the room, and the word “noise” is particularly important here. This has an impact on the learning, health and well-being of children and professionals. The average noise level in a daycare center is 60-70 decibels. These can basically be divided into endogenous (children, professionals, fans) and exogenous (street, dogs, airplanes) factors. With appropriate acoustic measures, noise pollution can be minimized and conversations made more understandable. Similarly, the ceiling is also a carrier of lighting materials.
The furnishings in the rooms must also take into account the special features of the respective pedagogical concepts applied. In Montessori daycare centers, the materials have fixed locations and should always be accessible to the children independently. In forest daycare centers, the focus of the room is on the natural environment. But even there, there are often rooms like construction trailers or huts. These are furnished in a nature-oriented way. The topic of interior design and furnishings is most evident in Reggio pedagogy. Because here the rooms “work” as a third educator.
Science has also increasingly dealt with room design in daycare centers. There are three types of spatial arrangement:
- Open structure = room completely visible, play areas not demarcated
- Visually restricted structure = furniture is used to divide areas.
- Visually open structure = like 2., but complete overview through smaller furniture
In this context, research has shown that children are more active in rooms with an open structure and that movement-intensive activities increase. Children in visually open rooms, on the other hand, can use room dividers for orientation and thus move around and find their way around the daycare center more independently. A visually open structure should be strived for, because it supports children in their choice of activity and autonomy.
This structuring can be achieved, for example, by the following measures:
- Use room dividers only at a low height
- Install large cabinets at the outer edges
- Use upholstered elements as a soft way to define spaces
- Use color to visually create boundaries in play and activity areas
- Floor markings are effective with children and can be used to define spaces.
Between two and five children should be able to work in a play or activity area. For this, between 5-10 square meters are recommended. There is a rule of thumb here: children should be able to turn around with outstretched arms while standing and stretch while lying down. (cf. Bauer et al. 2016, pp. 33–62)
Daycare quality and space
In education, space serves as a supporting element for an educational concept and the concept that builds on it. However, this important insight is only partially taken into account in current planning. This is because the educational management is usually only involved shortly before the start of operations and the educational staff are only hired when the operation begins. As a result, even the later facility management is not involved in the construction process and so the educational concept develops with already fixed structures, i.e. rooms. (cf. Wilk, pp. 95–97)
In my opinion, this leads to several problems. Once the spatial conditions have been determined, changes can only be implemented to a limited extent at a later date and the influence of the staff is limited. This can lead to negative effects on the educational routine, for example due to dissatisfaction or an unsuitable concept.
Furthermore, rooms also have an influence on the quality of the daycare center. This is because rooms affect the quality categories of orientation quality (e.g. room as a third educator/concept) and structural quality (material equipment of the rooms). Likewise, the rooms influence the process quality. The more individually the room is adapted to the respective requirements, the better the educational staff can communicate and interact with children, parents, etc.
Another important influence of rooms on daycare quality is the effect between children and rooms. After all, these represent learning objects and learning environments for the children in the facility, which they can explore in. This interaction (room<->child) affects both the (self-)education of each child and the quality of interactions between children and between children and educational staff. (cf. Wilk, pp. 100–101)
Rationale for the selected area
The sleeping area plays a particularly important role in the daycare center for younger children. This is because resting and sleeping is a basic need in the daycare center, especially for younger children. Factors such as a secure bond and trust in the caregiver play an important role here. Likewise, the educational specialists should be able to proactively engage in contact-intensive interactions with the children. For some children, resting is often the main focus. In these cases, the educators must then offer additional relaxation measures that are suitable for the children. (cf. Kramer 2015, pp. 8–12)
Based on the daily routine, the children gather in their respective groups from 11:30 a.m. to sleep in the bedroom after lunch together. However, it is not only the crèche children who come to sleep here. Due to the concept of the Nikolauspflege and the inclusion that takes place, older children also come to sleep in the bedroom. The bedroom is also used and supervised across groups.
For the children themselves, the transition from lunch to bedtime plays a major role. Again, I would like to point out the special challenges posed by the inclusion of both physically and mentally handicapped children. In my view, these circumstances mean that great demands must be placed on the sleeping area in my practice, and these are currently not being met.
For this reason, the sleeping area was chosen as the space for the interior design to be carried out and was analyzed and theoretically redesigned accordingly.
Initial situation of the selected area
Now that I have described the importance of the sleeping area for the children, I would like to analyze the initial situation of the fictitious sleeping area, which was quickly conjured up for this project:
In this regard, it can be said that the sleeping area was not originally planned and furnished as such. It was previously planned and equipped as a group room for a daycare group. After this daycare group moved to a different room for space reasons, this room was given a new function as a sleeping area, with all its advantages and disadvantages.
One major advantage of using this room as a bedroom is its easy accessibility. It is located on the same level for two daycare groups and faces the garden instead of the street. This results in a lower noise level in the bedroom and better air quality.
Unfortunately, the room is poorly suited as a bedroom due to its previous function and equipment as a group room. There is a kitchenette with built-in appliances in the room. On the one hand, this distracts the children. On the other hand, the kitchenette brings a great deal of unrest into the bedroom and is useless. Furthermore, all the walls are painted white. On the one hand, the color white is understandable because colors pose a particular challenge for visually impaired children due to the decreasing contrasts. On the other hand, as mentioned at the beginning of the design, the color has a major influence on the interior design and thus ultimately on the well-being of the children. Likewise, the needs of non-visually impaired children must also be taken into account and ultimately, when it comes to rest and sleep, all children have similar needs, namely peace, security and safety.
Another problem are the large windows. Although these can be darkened with blinds, these large openings have a negative effect on a sleeping area. The ceiling is also white and has large round lights that are much too big and thus create an uncomfortable atmosphere. Unfortunately, these cannot be adjusted to an unlimited extent, so it is either too light or too dark. Furthermore, the flooring must also be declared unsuitable. The pattern and colors are restless and therefore more likely to activate the children than help them to calm down and fall asleep. Blue foam beds are available for the children to sleep on. The children like these very much. They are very soft and provide a sense of security due to the spatial boundaries. Unfortunately, there are no other options for the children to rest. A piano has no place in a bedroom and is also a distraction for children. The washbasin is also a disruptive factor in the bedroom and thus has a major negative influence on its function as a bedroom.
The initial situation of the room is therefore challenging. The bedroom as it is currently used does not meet the basic needs of the children and thus works against the goals of a bedroom.
Suggestions for improvement in the selected area
After the theoretical introduction and the analysis of the sleeping area, meaningful conclusions can now be drawn for improving the functional room. The colors for the walls should be painted in an aubergine brown tone, which radiates security and calm. Nevertheless, the use of a darker blue tone would also be conceivable. This color sends the children trust and comfort. However, since the children’s beds are already in dark blue, a similar wall color is out of the question in my opinion.
The many large round ceiling lights do not radiate calm and should be replaced by several star lamps on the wall or by cloud lamps on the ceiling. These are also available with a color-matching border, which would be ideal for a bedroom.
A combination of ceiling lamps and a wall lamp as accent lighting would also be conceivable. This measure makes the room look calmer and the light becomes more diffuse. Another positive feature would be the change in Kelvin. This would be reduced from the current approx. 4500 Kelvin to 2500-3000 Kelvin. This also promotes the release of melatonin in children, which in turn has a positive effect on sleep.
The kitchenette should be removed completely. It has no place in a bedroom. The same goes for materials such as the piano, the washing facilities and unused children’s beds. These freed-up spaces could be used with variable resting options such as cozy corners, seating landscapes and the like.
Children are different and so younger children may want to sleep in beds, while older children may want to cuddle up in a seating area or find beds too cold. A basket with a mattress and casing can be used. In short, the sleeping area as a functional room offers children the opportunity to exert influence (participation). The sleeping area requires only a few pieces of furniture. A cupboard for pillows would be useful. This could be integrated in the space between the sleeping area and the group area. This keeps the sleeping area clear and quiet. A small shelf in the middle of the left-hand wall would be useful for keeping important documents and utensils. Furniture made of calm types of wood, such as beechwood without milling, is suitable for this.
The floor, with its cold properties, should be covered by a carpet in a greyish beige color with an activating pattern. This is because children should be able to move around barefoot in the bedroom. On the one hand, this promotes comfortable lying and cuddling in bed. On the other hand, the children’s feet feel tenderness and warmth. This is because a carpeted floor conveys warmth compared to a floor without a carpet. The color also has a grounding, calming effect and goes very well with the wall color, thus avoiding overstraining the sense of sight and thus activating the children.
Unfortunately, the large windows cannot be changed without major construction work. However, since this is a theoretical consideration with the aim of creating the best possible sleeping area for the children, these will also be changed. In a group room, large windows are usually an advantage. The children have plenty of daylight and they can perceive and observe their surroundings. However, they are unsuitable for a bedroom. The large windows create a great deal of unrest for sleeping. They do not convey a sense of security and safety, and so there is no real sense of rest and sleep. Therefore, the large window front should be replaced by two arched windows or round windows.
These should be covered by a dark curtain. With this measure, the effect of the room is no longer counteracted by the large window front.
As an additional measure, the white radiators could be replaced by anthracite-gray radiators.
Bedroom design in the “near” future
Naturally, the question arises as to how children’s bedrooms could be designed in the near future. It seems essential to me to harmoniously combine traditional methods and modern insights. A bedroom should not only serve as a place to sleep. Rather, it should be designed so that some children can quietly withdraw and rest without disturbing those who are already sleeping. It would be desirable to create areas where several children can relax together. A daycare center should always consider the need for quiet even in older children, who may wish to retreat to a quiet corner with their best friend.
Now let’s take a look at a visionary sleeping area of the future:
At the far end of the room are the sleeping berths for those children who need to rest. A turn-off to the right at the back leads to a room designed as a quiet oasis where children can withdraw and relax. Both rooms are easily accessible via the left entrance area. From this vantage point, the educator has a clear view of both rooms and can thus ensure safe supervision.
This visionary oasis of calm could be designed as follows:
Child participation
Now that suggestions for improvement have been collected and recorded, it is time to implement these measures. The children should, no, must be taken along and be a part of the “construction workers”. The redesign of the sleeping area could be carried out as a cross-group daycare project. The children could help with the clearing out. During the renovation work, an alternative sleeping area must be created, and the children can also exert their influence there.
After the structural alterations, such as the changes to the window front and the removal of the kitchenette and sink by specialist companies, the children can now be integrated into the further measures. They can help out with the cleaning and laying of carpets. The children can support the application of paint to the walls and the installation of curtains. Should the sleeping area be in the right or left corner? A children’s conference, for example, could clarify this question. This way, the children can learn that they can also represent and implement their own interests.
This also raises the question of whether the bedtime routine should not be fundamentally analyzed and revised together with the children. Perhaps the children would prefer to all go to the bedroom at once, instead of children coming in one at a time. After all, the frequent opening and closing of the door can additionally disturb the children’s rest and sleep.
The entire project should be documented photographically and pictorially together with the children. Here you could perhaps also integrate the specialized companies and so the children get to know other professional groups. Here the children can possibly also participate and help with mixing or spreading cement. Electricians could explain something about electricity and window makers about glass and educators could take up these topics again in projects. In short, the daycare sleeping area project offers children a wide range of opportunities for participation. The daycare center just has to seize these opportunities and ultimately accept and also implement them.
Reflection on the task
At the beginning, I found this task very challenging and difficult. I had never had anything to do with the spatial planning of daycare centers, so I was initially exposed to a wide range of influences and ideas. We have discussed and analyzed many areas of interior design and spatial planning in class. During the visit to the practice facility, I was then able to link this theoretical knowledge with practice and discover new perspectives.
I decided on the daycare’s sleeping area because some children are reluctant to go to sleep and it seemed completely unsuitable as a sleeping area. The room is used every day and it does not meet the basic needs of the children. Therefore, it was important to me to deal with this room and to find possible solutions. The theoretical basics on the subject of spatial planning in daycare centers confirmed my assumptions. Therefore, it makes sense to think about the further development of the sleeping room as a functional space.
Planning and theoretically implementing a new spatial concept was a great challenge and I enjoyed it very much. More and more ideas and design possibilities emerged and in the end I was surprised myself at the wide range of options for positively or negatively changing a space for children.
This project made me realize how little attention is paid to the topics of spatial planning, spatial concepts and spatial design in day-to-day daycare center life today. In my opinion, the involvement of children is also lacking here.
The project has made me more aware of these topics and in the future I will pay more attention to seeing the daycare center as an active living space for children and to designing it together with the children.
