Resources for Preschool Learning Environments

Preschoolers are active learners! They use the materials and learning opportunities in their environment to explore, solve problems, and learn about the world around them. It’s key to create learning environments that are responsive to children’s differing abilities, interests, and developmental levels. Doing so ensures that children are engaging in the learning experiences offered to them. Also, spaces that are welcoming and sensitive to children’s cultural and linguistic characteristics foster an effective learning environment. Explore the resources on this page to learn key aspects of preschool learning environments.

Teacher helping a young boy pick out toy pieces from a bucket.

Standards in Action: Promoting Learning Through Approaches to Rest, Meals, Routines, and Physical Activity

In this vignette, learn about the Head Start Program Performance Standards on promoting learning through approaches to rest, meals, routines, and physical activity. It features a fictional grantee and highlights how program leaders work with others to meet the standards. Use this vignette to reflect on and identify the most appropriate ways to put the standards into practice in your own program.

Nature-Based Learning and Development

Nature play is important for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, families, staff, and communities. Learn how children who regularly play in nature are growing up healthy, smart, and happy.

Several children forming a train behind their teacher in an outdoor playground.

Outdoor Play Benefits

Children are spending less and less time playing outdoors. Research has shown that children who play outdoors regularly are happier, healthier, and stronger. Learn about some of the health benefits and get ideas for fun outdoor activities!

Child going down a slide in an outdoor playground.

Play Space Assessment for Preschool

Learn about the Head Start Body Start Play Space Assessment. It is designed to assist Head Start and other early childhood educators in assessing the quality of outdoor play spaces for children ages 3 to 5. Use this tool to help identify the strengths and needs of an existing play space. Also, use this tool to set priorities, plan enhancements and improvements, and create and design a new play space.

Children wearing helmets taking turns to ride a bicycle while teacher gives guidance.

Tips for Keeping Children Safe: A Developmental Guide

Explore this tool to find safety tips for early childhood staff working with young children in classroom environments. In each section, find development and safety tips organized by daily routines. Some tips apply to all children. Others address the developmental needs of children in a specific age group. If children in your classroom fit more than one developmental level, review the safety tips for each.

Boy wearing helmet being shown how to balance a bicycle.

Keep Children Safe Using Active Supervision

Children learn best when they are in safe, well-supervised environments. Head Start staff can reduce the possibility of a child getting hurt when they closely observe children and respond when needed. Use these resources to help programs think systematically about child supervision. Find ways to create safe, positive learning environments for all children. Using active supervision means that programs develop a systems approach for child supervision, provide staff development and resources to ensure program-wide implementation, and use redundant strategies to ensure no child is left unattended.

15-minute In-service Suites

Use these 15-minute in-service suites as a professional development resource for staff in busy, active early childhood centers and programs. They are organized around one topic or big idea and address effective teaching and assessment practices.

Learning Environments

Learning Environments