1. BRIGHT SPACE MODELS
Bright Spaces are designed to encourage children to play and families to thrive!
The design you choose depends on the needs of the clients being served by your agency partner. But whatever design you choose the children, their moms and dads will be delighted.

2. Classroom Bright Spaces
Primary user: Child with trained volunteer or shelter staff
Purpose: For shelter staff or volunteers to play with children, with or without parents (full supervision)
Helpful Tips:
Art supplies – have plenty so children don’t have to share – play-doh, squishy
Label bins
Dress-up clothes, hats, shoes
The Classroom Bright Space is designed as a warm, inviting classroom for the age groups designated by the agency. This type of Bright Space is best for an agency that has trained children’s program staff or a strong volunteer program. It assumes a staffed program of activities with agency staff or volunteer supervision. The hours available to children will be based on the availability of staffing. Optimum use (minimum 20 or more hours a week) requires a well developed and sustainable system of staffing. The structure is typically age-appropriate learning centers, tables and chairs, soft spaces, and ample storage.
Children and parents can play together or with volunteers/staff
Access to existing children’s resources
Raise agency staff awareness of children’s needs

3. Family Room Bright Spaces
Helpful Tips
Easy to use, self-serve, comfortable for parents
Make learning visible - posters, placards
Label bins
Limited art supplies
This model is the most common, because it is designed to allow agency families to have a relaxing place to play together during the times they are “home” – in other words, after the parents have come back to the agency after work or classes and are spending family time with their children. It’s designed for the weekends and evenings, those times that can become stressful if you have no place to play, work off energy, or cuddle together.
The Family Room Bright Space is designed as a warm engaging, multi-purpose recreational space for adults and children to spend time together: a place for family interactions, play, conversation, reading, games, activities, and just hanging out. The space requires the adult presence of parents, staff, or volunteers. The furnishings and equipment reflect the need for both adult and child scale and limited supervision over materials. The structure is typically transformable age-appropriate learning centers that may be rotated, soft areas with adult seating, table games for older children, and storage. Toys need to be sturdy and easily accessible to parents of all educational backgrounds.
Children and parents can play together or with volunteers/staff
Access to existing children’s resources
Raise agency staff awareness of children’s needs
Primary user: Parent and child (after hours and weekends)
Purpose: For parents and children to play together and have down-time (moderate supervision)

4. Independent Bright Spaces
Primary user: Child with adult nearby (waiting rooms, etc.)
Purpose: For children to play while parents are interviewing or filling out paperwork (low supervision)
Helpful Tips:
Must be extremely durable
Large items, few small parts
Lots of storage
Think about safety
Easy to clean – wood, vinyl, chalk instead of crayons
The Independent Children’s Bright Space is designed as an engaging place for children to play with less close supervision. The space may or may not be designed for families and might be designed for a wide or limited age range. Nearby, periodic adult supervision is assumed. This type of Bright Space might resemble well designed spaces for children in public places that assume less regular adult supervision and equipment and furnishings designed for heavy, low-supervision use – children’s museums, commercial play centers, airports, waiting areas. Typically the area includes sturdy fixed equipment (mirrors, wire bead mazes, etc), large equipment such as learning tables, foam play risers or pits, dress up materials, equipment and toys with few if any small parts, and ample storage.
Children and parents can play together or with volunteers/staff
Access to existing children’s resources
Raise agency staff awareness of children’s needs

5. Teen Bright Spaces Primary user: Teens and ‘tweens
Purpose: For older children to have a place to hang out (low supervision)
Helpful Tips:
Get them involved – input & work
Privacy – feel private but easy to monitor - safety
Art – sketchbooks, colored pencils
Music – headphones, CDs
Accountability - sign in and out
The Teen Space is designed as a place to “hang out” in a room that is safe and engaging, providing teens with the feeling of having their own space while still ensuring adequate supervision. It is best to involve the teens of the agency in the planning of this space, so that it truly becomes their space.

6. Outdoor Bright Spaces Helpful Tips: Not a playground “Loose parts”
Art easels
Water play – sprinklers
Gardening areas
Shade
Make comfortable for parents
The Outdoor Space is good for a location where the shelter has access to an outdoor space but it is less than ideal for children – not shady enough, hard surfaces, drainage problems, etc. Requires creative thinking and can be expensive. For reasons of liability, cost, and expertise, this should not be a playground with large equipment. Instead, it is a place to draw children and parents out of doors by making the environment easy to be in.
Children and parents can play together or with volunteers/staff
Access to existing children’s resources
Raise agency staff awareness of children’s needs
Primary user: Multi-age, families
Purpose: To give shelters a place for
children to play outside (parent supervision)