1. Infant & Toddler Group Care
Environments
The play environment is one of the learning contexts for curriculum. Curriculum plans include the selection of play materials that add interest and complexity to distinct areas where infant and toddlers freely play and explore.

2. Learning Objectives Participants will be able to:
Evaluate I/T care environments in terms of health and safety issues.
Discuss why adult comfort and convenience are important considerations for responsive caregiving.
Explain why child choice and child-size furnishings and equipment are necessary.
Provide examples of how an I/T care environment can provide flexibility and encourage movement.
Discuss how the play environment is curriculum.
Review the learning objectives with the participants. You can also ask if anyone has any questions/issues about infant/toddler environments that they would like to have discussed during this session.

3. Activity: What kind of environment would you prefer?
Imagine for a moment that you are “older” and now unable to live independently. Your family is considering a number of retirement homes, and need your input on what kind of environment you prefer.
Take a few minutes to answer the question for yourself, and then discuss your responses in a small group.
Ask the participants to imagine for a moment that they are “older” and are now unable to live independently. Your family has asked you what you want them to consider when visiting assisted living facilities. After reflecting on the question for a couple of minutes share your thoughts with one or two table partners.
The questions are from the handout “What Kind of Environment Would You Prefer?” from the following link:
The questions are:
Which of your possessions or furnishings would you like to have in this environment, or will you be comfortable with the industrial beds and chairs some homes provide?
Would you want any elements of nature to be included in your environment? If so, describe what you would like to see.
What type of sounds do you want to be surrounded by? What types of sounds do you prefer not to hear?
How do you want this environment to smell?
Will you need any privacy, or do you enjoy being in the company of others all the time?

4. Reflect… Think about places in your infant/toddler program that:
You like best
Why? What makes them effective, positive, inviting, enjoyable?
You like least
Why? What makes them uninviting, not very enjoyable or pleasant, difficult?
Keep your thoughts in mind as you watch the DVD “Space to Grow”.
Now ask the participants to think about the infant/toddler program they work in—what do they like best and why?; what do they like least and why?
After the participants have reflected on their program ask them to keep their infant/toddler program in mind while watching the DVD, Space to Grow.

5. Space to Grow: Creating Child Care Environments for Infants and Toddlers (Second Edition)
Explain that the PITC DVD Space to Grow addresses 8 key issues. We are going to watch the video in segments by exploring 2 issues at a time and stopping to discuss the recommendations and what the recommendation could be implemented in your infant/toddler program.

6. Space to Grow: Safety and Health
Concept 1: Safety Concept 2: Health
We will start with the concepts of Safety and Health. DVD clips from Start to 9:30. Health and safety is a primary concern for parents, staff and licensing agencies.

7. Dyad Discussion: Safety and Health
Was there anything you saw that you would like to adapt for your program?
Safety and Health are critical issues in an infant/toddler program. Was there anything you saw that you would like to adapt for your program?
“Space to Grow: Creating a Child Care Environment for Infants and Toddlers”

8. Space to Grow: Comfort and Convenience
Concept 3: Comfort Concept 4: Convenience
We are now going to look at the important issues of comfort and convenience which are very important to how adults and children will feel through out the day. These two concepts are critical for both adults and children. Adults become fatigued and may actually develop health problems if comfort and convenience are not addressed.

9. Comfort for Adults and Children
What do you see in this scene that provides comfort for children and adults?
Have participants comment on the “adult and child comfort” in their environment. Note that risers allow adults to sit or lean on them for comfort while seated at the child’s level. The carpet adds comfort for both the children and adults by making the floor warmer and softer than tile or wood floors.

10. Dyad Discussion: Comfort and Convenience
What do you have in your I/T environment that provides comfort for adults? Children?
What was an example related to comfort and convenience that you could adapt to your classroom or family child care home?
Have the participants chose a partner for discussing their I/T environmental features that provide comfort for the adults and the children.
What furnishings or equipment did they see in the DVD that they would like to have in their classrooms?
“Space to Grow: Creating a Child Care Environment for Infants and Toddlers”

11. What is convenient about this Infant eating area?
Convenience saves the care teacher time and energy during routines. Does the adult appear to be comfortable sitting on the stool at the table?

12. Comfort in Family Child Care & Centers
Family child care homes have more adult comfort while centers may have more child comfort. The first photo is in a family child care home. The second is in a center. In the second scene, the platform is off the floor and is carpeted for adult comfort. The children have a cozy mattress and pillows for reading a book or resting.
Family Child Care
Center

13. Does your environment have soft, cozy spaces?
These photos show soft areas as well as places the infants can be separate from other infants and toddlers.

14. Space to Grow: Child-Sized Furniture and Flexibility
Concept 5: Child-Sized Furniture Concept 6: Flexibility
Make notes of features you see in the DVD Clips that support child-sized furnishings and flexibility in the way furnishings and equipment can be rearranged. PITC recommends arranging learning centers around the edges of the room and keeping the center of the room open and easy to change. This segment runs from 9:37 to 18:07 so be sure to take notes about things that interest you.

15. Dyad Discussion: Child-Sized Furnishings and Flexibility
What percentage of your furnishings are sized for infants and toddlers?
What is your plan to add child-sized furnishings and equipment for your program?
In addition to the questions on the slide ask participants what examples of child size and flexibility they saw in the DVD clip that they liked and thought they might be able to use in their program?
“Space to Grow: Creating a Child Care Environment for Infants and Toddlers”

16. Space to Grow: Encourage Movement and Child Choice
Concept 7: Encourage Movement Concept 8: Child Choice
Movement and child choice are critical issues for infant/toddler development and learning. Let’s see what the DVD suggests as ways to address each of these important environmental features.

17. Dyad Discussion: Child-Sized Furnishings and Flexibility
Does your indoor and outdoor environment encourage movement? How could it be improved?
In what ways does your environment allow for child choice? How could child choice be enhanced?
Ask a few of the dyads to share what they discussed.
“Space to Grow: Creating a Child Care Environment for Infants and Toddlers”

18. 6-18 month room: various levels throughout classroom
Note that the curtains and fabric on the walls help to create a more home-like environment.
This mobile infant classroom was part of a large campus center. The classrooms were large and had floor to ceiling windows. The challenge for staff was to make the environment more home-like.
Notice the circular pit in the upper right hand side of the room and how the upside down rocker becomes a climbing area. Notice the pad under the climber. The infant and toddler can see things from various perspectives in a multi-level environment.

19. Creating Home-Like Environments
Following are a few photos of an infant/toddler center’s efforts to create a more home-like environment in their large center.
As we look at the photos, please feel free to comment or ask questions about the photos.

20. Notice the table cloth in the dramatic play area and the “baby” blankets on the table near the cradle. Did you notice the climbing structure on the wall with the mirror behind it so the children can see themselves climbing?

21. This room allows for child choice of materials and displays art and books at child eye-level.

22. Here is an inviting book area with comfortable seating to the children and the adults. The photo of the teacher and children reading a book invites the children to the reading area.

23. The curtains, green ivy, and fabric hanging from the ceiling, along with plants in the room, create a more home-like and calming environment.
Also notice the calm colors in the classroom. What else do you see that you like?

24. Family photos are displayed at the child’s eye level.
These family photos are at child eye level. The children enjoying seeing their family members during the day.

25. Clutter-free shelves with similar toys grouped together
Clutter-free shelves with similar toys grouped together. Children understand where items are located, making a child’s selection of choices easier, and clean-up time more manageable.
This block area has low dividers that help contain the block building activities. What are the strengths of this classroom? What are the challenges?

26. The shelves for this infant room are very low and accessible to the children.
Do you have any suggestions for better use this space for improving the learning environment and curriculum? What might you add to this area or how might you change it?

27. Family-style eating environment promotes children’s learning of socialization skills and self-help skills, by allowing for passing foods to friends and serving themselves. Language is promoted by identifying color and foods.
Notice the child-sized table and chairs. Do you think the adults are comfortable?

28. More home-like environmental features.
The curtain adds softness and home-like feeling. The rocking chair invites a teacher and child to read a book together.

29. Another home-like environment.
The plants and the table cloth and the under shelf lighting create a home-like feeling.

30. Toys displayed in baskets and doilies create a home-like atmosphere.
The baskets and the low shelves support child choice of play materials.

31. Activity: Taking Infants’ Perspectives
In closing, let’s watch a fun video clip in which two teachers perform a “white glove test” on their infant/toddler room. Before the next session, consider performing a “white glove test” on your infant/toddler environment.
Play I/t Program Guidelines DVD Disc 1 Video Clip White Glove Test to 3:30.

32. Taking Infants’ Perspectives: The White Glove Test
Play DVD clip from Infant Toddler Learning and Development Program Guidelines – video clips – the White Glove Test.

33. Reviewing the Learning Objectives:
Participants will be able to:
Evaluate I/T care environments in terms of health and safety issues.
Discuss why adult comfort and convenience are important considerations for responsive caregiving.
Explain why child choice and child-size furnishings and equipment are necessary.
Provide examples of how an I/T care environment can provide flexibility and encourage movement.
Discuss how the play environment is curriculum.
Planning and maintaining the environment is a critical role for the infant/toddler care teacher. We have viewed and discussed the 8 issues addressed in the PITC video Space to Grow as well as the environments role in infant/toddler curriculum planning. Managing the environment can make infant caregiving much more enjoyable for both the children and the teachers.
Virtual tours of the 5 PITC Demonstration Programs are available on the website. You can also arrange an onsite- guided tour at any of the programs by contacting the PITC PQ Regional Coordinator for the Region in which the particular PITC Demonstration Program is located.
Does anyone have any remaining questions or comments about infant/toddler environments? If not, we will see you next time.