How To Create An Environment For Children To Thrive

In order for children to thrive, they need the right kind of environment, which not only allows for them to learn and grow as people but also encourages them to do so, in many different aspects of their life.

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This kind of environment should begin at home, as this is where they spend most of their time and is where the type of environment will have the most impact.

Creating a rich environment perfect for learning and thriving isn’t all that hard. Once all the basics are taken care of (food, hygiene, medical care, and all the other essentials), then you can go about organizing the house space by incorporating different factors that might help optimize learning for your child.

But the environment shouldn’t just be about the physical aspects of your home and area. An environment that allows your children to thrive must also have emotional and psychological factors. From different learning and education techniques to behaviors and interactions, there is a lot to take into account!

If you’re wanting to create a great environment for your children to thrive at home, and you need some ideas or guidance on how to do such, we’ve got you covered. We’ve put together a list of some of the most basic things you can do to instantly make your home a place of safety, learning, and thriving. Let’s get right into it!

The Best Ways to Create an Environment for Children to Thrive:

Here are some of our top recommendations and pieces of advice on how to create an environment in which your children can thrive, learn, and grow as people.

Provide Emotional Support

One of the most important factors that will allow a child to thrive, is to have their emotional needs fulfilled. They need to have a strong sense of self, and of belonging, and they need to feel loved and heard. Without these things, a child will find it very hard to thrive or grow as a person.

Make sure you create a loving environment, in which you listen to your child, and offer the right support when needed. Make your home a safe and positive space. Happiness helps children thrive!

Rich Sensory Experiences

From birth, up to 5 years old, children learn primarily through their senses, by experiencing the world around them. Their seven senses are touch, taste, smell, sight, hearing, balance, and body awareness.

In order to help your child thrive and learn, you need to create an environment that is rich in many different sensory experiences, so that they can absorb as much information around them as possible.

It is very easy for a homie to quickly become the same boring space, with nothing new to flood a child’s senses. But to thrive, they need continuous experiences!

In order to provide this, you can create many different activities that focus on sensory reception and exploration. From listening games, to reading out loud, to puzzles, to gardening, or even preparing meals together!

There should also be plenty of activities involving movement, such as small obstacle courses, soft playtime with pillows and rolling about, and similar!

Create Spaces within the House for Different Activities

Instead of having everything happen within the same space in the house, it is incredibly beneficial to create separate functional spaces, in different rooms or parts of the house, for different specific activities. This makes children far more likely to engage in these activities, which will in turn allow them to thrive and learn a lot more.

A lot of parents tend to have all of the child’s activities within their bedroom, but it is best to keep things in different places and to have only simple activities within the room, as it should be kept as a place of tranquility and sleep.

If you don’t have a lot of space within your house, it can be tricky to designate different areas for different activities. But just a small differentiation between one thing or another is enough, and you can shuffle things about!

Here are some ideas for designated learning spaces:

A table for arts and crafts (this could even be the kitchen or dining table, by adding a protective tablecloth and bringing out the tools)
A quiet corner for reading or drawing
An outdoor area in the garden for messy playing (such as playing with sand, water, mud, paint, or others)
A board game or puzzle area (this could be on the floor, in a corner of the living room)
A dress-up area with costumes and props for fantasy and imagination

Have Educational Toys, Books, and more:

It’s really important to provide your child with the right tools so that they can thrive and learn at their own pace, on their own terms. One way to do this is to buy plenty of educational toys, books, and materials.

Modern toys tend to all be very similar, and also very mind-numbing, as they revolve around flashy lights, sounds, and screen-tapping games.

Make sure you have some old-school toys, which require your child to engage with their senses and to problem-solve or think in different ways. Educational games also include things such as memory cards, construction toys, board games, and items with different sensory attributes.

Books are also a pillar of learning, so make sure to have a good collection with plenty of variety. Your child should learn to enjoy reading, and there is a lot of learning and thinking they can do through stories!

Establish A Daily Structured Routine

Establishing a daily structured routine is one of the most important factors when creating an environment that will allow your child to thrive. When children know what is expected of them, and they can predict what is going to happen throughout the day, they feel more at ease and comfortable.

This, in turn, allows them to focus more on the different experiences so that they can learn and thrive from them. Having a solid structure to the day also helps children feel more in control, reducing feelings of confusion and anxiety.

The daily routine can include things such as a timetable, when to get up, when to go to bed, and roughly when to have the different meals of the day. And it can also be things such as watching something before bed, tidying at a certain time, specific daily chores, and more.

Make Use of Rich Language

Children learn their language primarily from their parents, so creating a rich language at home can allow them to learn more vocabulary, and improve their communication skills from a young age.

Don’t be scared to use big words, as it is good to teach children how to use them and what they mean, rather than sticking to “children’s language” which would just be limiting in the long run.

You can have lengthy discussions during other activities, and practice communication skills. This will also allow your child to inquire about many different topics, and learn to talk about them in a more eloquent way!

Be Present, and Engage with your Child

If you want your child to thrive at home, you need to be present and engage with them. Be available for different activities, spend time with them, and get to know them. Perform tasks with them, offer help and support, and be willing to meet them halfway.

Sometimes it can be hard, especially with work, chores, and other aspects of life. But try to disconnect from work, put down your phone, and schedule quality time at least once a day.

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Liliana

Liliana is a Licensed Montessori teacher known for her passion and dedication to education. She's been a teacher in the United States for many years, and she truly believes that education is the key to making the world a better place because today's students are tomorrow's leaders. Her experience with Toddlers, Beginners, VPK with Montessori methodology approach; Kindergarten, and first grade made her an authority and trusted resource. Liliana's family taught her important qualities like love, a positive attitude, strong motivation, and leadership. These values have guided her on her journey to becoming a professional and expert teacher. Her mission is to help children grow and contribute to a brighter future for the country.