Preschoolers and teachers need to have the proper selection of materials and supplies available to facilitate and maximize the education of students. To keep kids actively exploring through play and continuously learning, here are ten classroom must-haves for every preschool.
10 Preschool Classroom Must-Haves
1. Rest Mats and Floor Cushions
Whether it is naptime, story time, or playtime, preschoolers love to be comfortable on the floor. Providing rest mats, floor cushions and parking spots will keep children relaxed during times of rest, play, and learning.
2. Blocks and Puzzles
Blocks and puzzles help engage and challenge the minds of youngsters. Discovering, building and exploring with blocks and puzzles offers hands-on education. With these tools and toys, little learners can begin to understand concepts that include balance, gravity, sorting, and organization.
3. Dramatic Play Area
Providing a space for children to bring their imagination to life with the help of costumes, props, and even puppets are on the preschool classroom must-have list. Dramatic play helps toddlers to explore real life scenarios, as well as, perform pretend play ideas.
4. Reading Nook
With books, magazines, and other resource materials for children to explore on their own or in groups, incorporating a reading nook is essential for students. Giving toddlers the opportunity to discover letters, words, picture books, and storybooks makes learning fun.
5. Tables and Chairs
Engaging in school curriculum or creative activities, tables and chairs are a necessity for any classroom. Incorporating strong and comfortable seating with sturdy tabletops both assist in the education of little learners by providing them with proper classroom furniture to learn their best.
6. Art Supplies
Arts and crafts are a big hit with early learners. Keeping a variety of art supplies including items such as crayons, paint, construction paper, glue and scissors gives children the tools to create and design an assortment of preschool crafts to display throughout the classroom or take home to their families.
7. Music Center
Setting up an area where toddlers can explore music is a must-have. Listening to different styles of music, exploring a variety of instruments, and dancing and moving to the beats give children a way to learn through exploration. Add a little flair with some rhythm scarves, dancing ribbons, and hula-hoops.
8. Manipulatives
Counters, lacers, and tracers all provide hands-on learning for preschoolers. Manipulatives give children fine motor practice while teaching early educational skills.
9. Storage
With all the items necessary for a preschool classroom, storage is essential. Taking advantage of pieces such as bookshelves, pocket charts, and clear storage containers to help keep things neat and organized will only benefit everyone in the class including teachers and students. Having supplies easily accessible to toddlers helps to strengthen and build personal individual qualities such as independence and responsibility.
10. Outdoor Play Items
Preschool learning isn’t only completed in the classroom, but outside as well. It is important to get toddlers outdoors in nature to run, play, and explore. Providing items such as wagons, trikes, rockers, slides and more gives little learners a way to get those bodies moving and build both their muscles and minds.