On Friday I was in Kimstad, close to Norrköping to present to preschool educators about “The Autonomous Child” - I presented in a preschool.
It got me thinking, as it was a relatively new built preschool it had been constructed with a common thread of design throughout the space.
That thread was a dark moss green colour. It was comforting.
It has got me thinking more and more about the need to reflect deeply about how we design our spaces for children - not only from a pedagogical and play point of view but also from an empathic and trauma informed point of view.
This requires us to think about the space as a place of healing. A space for hope. A space for feeling brave. As I keep writing in my books and blogposts - it is not enough to create safe spaces, we also need to create brave spaces. Part of creating brave spaces is our human attitudes and interactions, another part is the environment - both inside and outside.
Choice is important when it comes to healing and empowerment. So flexible spaces is important. Play is also an important part of that - because children will choose play as their main way of making sense of the world (regardless of trauma or no).
The layout should be open and spacious without the feeling of being trapped, with the flexibility of areas to retreat to when feeling overwhelmed - curtains, creep-ins, enveloping armchairs, blankets, beanbags can all offer this.
Lighting should be soft, should not be of the kind that emits buzzing noises or flickers - and optimally can be adapted with for example a dimmer switch and/or multiple light sources that can be switched on or off in a variety of ways.
The preschool in Kimstad had light that came on just before you entered the room, it switched on gently, like a welcome to the room. I like that it happened before entering the room because it meant the room was not dark before entering it - this also provides a sense of safety - especially when the dark can sometimes feel so frightening.
Colours are also important - the moss green colour throughout the school found in the carpets, sofas, curtains and sound-reduction designs etc made the space feel calm. Such a wonderful change from so many preschools that seem to focus on bright colours - some I have seen using bright yellow or red throughout the space - and it’s just overstimulating. Research says to avoid the warm hues of red, yellow and orange and instead opt for the cooler colours of blue, green and purple.
The fact the the preschool used the green as elements in the room rather than base colours on the wall, meant the walls were light and helped amplify the brightness of the outdoor light. But avoid stark white walls, choose off-white so that it feels more welcoming.
Outdoor light is important - vital. I have worked in spaces that had no or very limited windows, and I do not mentally thrive well in these spaces. At the same time windows are scary, especially at night, with an irrational fear of someone looking in - my entire older childhood I kept my curtains shut so that I did not have to enter the room with a window that exposed me to the dark outside. My husband laughs at me, because we live on the fifth floor, and I know it’s irrational, but my response is, even the more scary if a face should look back in at me. The thing is when it comes to trauma (or autistic imagination) the fear is real and overwhelming to the point of not being able to do anything. I have, as an adult, crawled on the floor, because I saw what looked like a menacing face staring at me from the apartment across from me so that I could leave the room and be in another. It turned out to be a reflection of a lamp in the apartment above me in the window across from me. Yeah, I know, It feels embarassing to admit, but the fear is not logical in anyway.
So, designing windows that allow connection with the outside - especially with nature, that can have a healing affect, which at the same time provides privacy and a sense of safety is an important consideration.
Art can add a visual distraction, alleviate stress and make a space feel welcoming and safe. But too much can make it feel cluttered and overwhelming. In preschools finding space for the children’s work in a non-cluttered way is important - we don’t have to have pedagogical stuff filling every space on the wall, and we don’t have to hang up everything the children does… creating digital books of the children’s work can be a great way for the children to access their work and talk about it… or even analog books - take photos of their work and create an analog book and then a cozy space for the children to look through their work or their projects or themselves or their families or playgrounds visited or, or or - less on the walls without less access to their memories that feel good.
Also it’s important to talk to the children about photos used either on the walls or in these books - because they can be glimmers (awaken positive memories and feelings) but the can also be trigger (awaken negative and traumatic memories). I have a photo of my son which I adore, he is sat on a pebble beach looking out at the waves - he hates it. So I don’t use it in my work, despite me wanting to on multiple occasions. When he sees the photo he is transported back to the time shortly before the photo was taken when he was vey upset (which he was not when the photo was taken). He was upset and angry because he could not paddle in the sea, because it was too dangerous for a four year old due to the size of the waves and the likelihood of being swept out. He had to take it in turns with his sister to be held by their dad and feel the waves, while I stayed on the beach to ensure the safety of the other two. As an autistic/ADHD child this waiting was beyond his ability to self regulate at that moment in time. So the photos triggers a memory of anger, frustration, sadness and upset-ness, and if he is anything like me, I re-feel emotions, not just remember them - I actually physically experience those emotions again (this was established during dialogues with my husband as to why he could be so calm when talking about things that had angered or upset us previously - it comes in handy have a husband that researches in both psychology and neuroscience, and my unquenchable curiosity about everything - I thought everyone experienced the world like me, so I was shocked to find out that most people do not physically re-experience their memory emotions!!) This is why it is so important that we are respectful of the images that we use, so that we are not adding triggers to our spaces.
Then of course there is biophilic design - the love of nature. As mentioned this can be through using windows to connect to nature outside, but also the use of nature art, and photography ,and plants. Research shows that settings that include vegetation, gardens, and green space reduce stress, pain, increase the rate of healing, promote peace, tranquility, enhanced self-esteem, and a sense of connection to the environment. So think about mini indoor gardens, or what is planted outdoors within sight of the indoors. The outdoor space should have plenty of access to nature, bushes to hide in, flower beds to admire, and vegetable gardens to tend to.
Research also shows that even just views of nature (whether it be directly, through a window or looking at art), as well as indoor plants, are all associated with an increase in positive mood and comfort. And don’t forget that plants perform an important biophilic function by not only connecting us to the natural world, but may improve air quality as well - there are plenty of sites (and books) about growing fresh air - so you really can choose plants that can improve air quality.
Sadly I am one of those people that have fingers of doom instead of green fingers, so artificial plants have been the best way for me to keep a natural feel without killing off the plants. Sometimes taking care of plants is therapeutic, sometimes even that feels overwhelming. This brings us back to choice.
I have been writing a lot about play-aesthetic recently - and this will be the topic of tomorrow’s writing.
Above shows various images from the preschool in Kimstad - the curtains offer a flexible way to create both openness and then also smaller areas when needed. The heaviness of the fabric means the also absorb sound. You can also see that none of the spaces are cluttered, yet choice is there. Various fabrics have nature designs. There is a variety of lighting that also means the the house like creation has a different kind of cozy feel within the room - a room within the room has been created. You can also see moveable walls/fences on the fifth image - these offer flexibility in a space, they can be pushed aside to make the room big, moved in a line to half the room, or into a a square and create a smaller space within the room. These also absorb sound. I have worked in spaces where we made our own (courtesy of the skills of one of the teachers and her husband) using wooden frames and fabric. The mats felt nice under bare feet - and I think this too is an important sensory experience - how does the floor feel. The floor here is grey, which is a typical preschool colour in Sweden - and I dislike it intensely - it negatively impacts my mood, makes the space feel more enclosed and slightly oppressive - while the same material can be made in a fake wood like material - which brightens the space - I have also seen sand coloured floor which I have found more empowering than the grey (of any shade) - and while I find various articles saying that grey is calming there is also evidence that depressed people choose grey to reflect their mood.
These are taken from the window. As a new preschool this means the outdoor green is still growing - but I love how the green has been designed to grow in. Think living playscape - and how the bushes also create privacy - you can’t see into the windows on the other side. Always remember that planting green spaces takes time for them to mature, and that it is an investment and not just a right at this moment fix.
As always, if you have a question or comment… please use the comment button.
This is the second in my every day in September writing.