Color, Form, and Light: Recommendations for Design of ECE Classrooms Based on Group Structure and Activity Type

The aim of this study is to present recommendations for the design of ECE classrooms based on time children spent on activities and the structure of the groups in the classrooms. The study focused on data collected for the National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE,) a large national study in the United States. The analyses revealed that the majority children typically spent up to one hour each day on each activity, including physical activity; book reading, looking, and sharing; and singing/rhyming activities. Children spent one hour or more engaged in free-play activities at the majority of the centers. Design recommendations based on the empirical literature are detailed with a focus on images of activity areas in existing early childhood education and care centers. Recommendations are also made for loft design ideas to enhance children’s experiences with different activities in the environment. Variation of these design elements encourages exploration and movement within the space. Color, form, and light combine to enhance the activity areas for children with sensory experiences and inspiration.