As each visitor comes, our “large group” areas get crowded quickly. The kids and their friends spread out in our small living room with toys to play as we adults talk over and around them. In the midst of the ensuing chaos, I smile, thankful for having space to host. I cringe a bit too though, realizing continued reorganization might make everyone a bit more comfortable.
And with this in mind, I have decided it is time to pick up our Creative Curriculum ® for the Home series again with a focus on Group Time Spaces:
Beyond establishing interest areas, the Creative Curriculum® (CC) asks practitioners to identify spaces for group time, for displays and for storage, adapting these areas to children’s special needs. It also asks that all areas be as comfortable and attractive as possible.
Wherever the group time space ends up in our home, we hope to follow these guidelines that the CC suggests that it have:
- sufficient floor space to accommodate everyone – check, once we are in the basement!
- comfortable floor seating – check – foam squares and floor pillows for us.
- space for charts, such as a job charts, daily schedules or charts for graphing – We plan to actually spread these out in our home in order to keep them less visible to guests while still accessible for us. Granted, our daily rhythm fridge chart is pretty visible to all!
- an easel or chart stand to document group discussions or display big books – While we have an easel, I have no intention of placing it permanently in our living room, nor kitchen at this point. (Maybe later in the basement family room...) Indeed, notebooks do just fine for recording in our home environment and big book displays are unnecessary as we use few of these.
- cupboards for storing materials such as CD’s, scarves and instruments and electrical outlets for CD players, etc. – Check. As mentioned in an earlier post, we rededicated part our living room storage to musical enjoyment.
And, so, our Group Time Space has its own shape and that shape will continue to evolve -- hopefully stretching a bit so things don't feel so crowded when we are welcoming others into it! How about yours? Where do you host family and friends in your home? How do you make the space work? Do you have favorite tips and discoveries for seating, schedules and charts, etc.? Do share! And, as always, keep checking back. I will continue posting the CC for the Home thoughts and summaries as time and inspiration allow.
In This Series:
Step One: Declaring Areas for Interest in the Creative Curriculum® Home
And, so, our Group Time Space has its own shape and that shape will continue to evolve -- hopefully stretching a bit so things don't feel so crowded when we are welcoming others into it! How about yours? Where do you host family and friends in your home? How do you make the space work? Do you have favorite tips and discoveries for seating, schedules and charts, etc.? Do share! And, as always, keep checking back. I will continue posting the CC for the Home thoughts and summaries as time and inspiration allow.
In This Series:
Step One: Declaring Areas for Interest in the Creative Curriculum® Home
I have emailed you all your files! There are two emails from a gmail address, please check your spam file if not in your inbox.
ReplyDeleteThank you again for taking the time to host a giveaway for me, and mentioning my site on your blog.
It is very much appreciated.