One of the aspects of starting a home child care or preschool that can be the most intimidating is transforming your home into a nurturing and enriching learning environment. From home child care setup and design to materials tokeeping it all within a budget, it can be a challenge to successfully convert your home into a learning space.We often hear concerns like…“I live in a small apartment and can’t visualize how it could be a classroom”“I don’t understand how I could make my living room function as both a living space for my family and a classroom”and“I want to do most of my program outside but I’m not sure how”So in this post, we’ll address all of these concerns. You’ll also get to peek inside three Wonderschool partners’ homes for setup inspiration.
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You can turn your home into a preschool or child careno matter the shape or size. Whether you live in an apartment or single family home, there are options for your space.
You’ll want to start by separating your space into different interest areas. For example, we recommend starting witha block construction corner, dramatic/symbolic play corner, manipulative corner, and child sanctuary/literacy library.You can use rugs and shelving or storage units to separate the spaces.
Storage is key to saving space and staying organized in your in-home child care.Many teachers choose to invest in movable furniture, like shelving with baskets.Baskets give children easy access to toys and materials. They also make cleanup easy. Baskets can be placed in hidden areas like under a side table, but are still accessible when you need them.Karen, the Owner and Head Teacher ofCreative Journeys Wonderschoolin Tustin, California spent her entire career working in large center-based preschools before deciding to start her own Reggio-inspired in-home program.Karen lives in a two-bedroom apartment. Her space is smaller than any space she has ever had for a classroom before but she has done an incredible job of creating an enriching environment in her home.She converted her living room into a learning environment using storage units with removable baskets:Before:
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Ottomans with built-in storageare also a great item of furniture for an in-home child care program. You can store materials inside and use the ottoman for kicking back on the sofa during off-hours.Lastly, you can keep the space uncluttered bystoring extra toys and art materials in a separate closetand switching materials out every week or two. This tactic also keeps classroom projects exciting for the kids, as they will be inspired by new materials every week or so.
While some in-home preschool teachers have an extra unused space in their home to completely dedicate to their program, many use a space that doubles as their own living area.So how can you incorporate both into one space?
It’s important to be sure you havea comfortable adult-sized chair for yourself. Even if you need to replace a large couch with something smaller to conserve space, make sure you bring in something for you so you aren’t sitting in a low chair all day.Linda, the Owner and Head Teacher ofLittle Scholars Preschoolin Pleasanton, California, is an experienced educator but was unsure about starting her own program because she lives in an apartment.When she converted her living room into a classroom, she switched out a large sectional sofa for a smaller couch she and her family can still use during off-hours.Her family is also able to use the activity table as a coffee table when school isn’t in session:Before
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You don’t have to sacrifice your personal style just because you’re using the space as a child care. You don’t have to use bright colors when you start an in-home preschool; you can keep your living space muted in color with natural textures that match the rest of your home.If you decorate with neutral colors,the color in the room will come from the children and their movement instead of from the room itself.Karen fromCreative Journeys Wonderschoolkept her living space neutral in decor. She used natural textures like wood throughout the space.Before:
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Lastly, when thinking about the room set up for your in-home preschool or child care, remember you can keep certain areas of your home off-limits. This will allow you to have some privacy and space for yourself and your family.If you don’t have doors you can close, try hanging a curtain or using a baby gate to mark off-limits areas from the main play spaces.You can use a different entrance from the front door as your family child care entryway. This allows for privacy for your family or other visitors who come by during non-school hours.Have a look at the Creative Journey’s entryway:Before:
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If you want to run most of your program outdoors, you can either take the kids to a nearby park or use your own back or front yard.
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