Chapter 1 · the environment of childcare
People are part of the room too
The last of the four environment guidelines closes the loop: the environment isn’t just furniture. It’s who’s in it.
Environment (d)
An environment children reach into, themselves
To help children grow their capacity to connect with others, prepare an environment where children themselves can reach out to the children and adults around them.
But here’s the key
People are furniture too
Method (a) talked about a child reaching into shelves and materials. This one says the same thing about people — you, other staff, other children. Are you positioned, physically and emotionally, so a child can reach toward you on their own? Or are you only reachable when you initiate?
In real life
Sitting at their height, not standing over them
I spend a chunk of every session sitting on the floor, at eye level, doing nothing in particular. It’s an open invitation without a single word attached. A child who wouldn’t walk up to a standing adult across the room will wander over to a seated one nearby. My posture is part of the room’s design.
A common misunderstanding
“I’m friendly, so I’m approachable.”
“I smile and greet everyone — that’s enough to be someone children can reach out to.”
“Where I stand, sit, and how busy I look changes whether a child actually feels free to approach me.”
Why this matters to you
You design the shelves. You also design yourself — where you place your body, how full your hands look, whether your face reads as open. Children read that layout as carefully as they read the room.
Your turn
Right now, am I positioned as someone a child could walk up to?
Sit down at their height once today, and just wait.
About Bond Japan
NPO Bond Japan
Bond Japan connects international schools so they can learn from one another and deepen a shared understanding of early childhood education and care.
