Looking for realistic early learning ideas and environment inspiration from educators and leaders like you that could easily be used in your own early years service?
Yes? Then you will want to bookmark this post!
Over the last year I have been compiling some of the BEST ideas and setup inspiration from the wonderful educators in my Empowered Educator Facebook Community.
As we take a look back at 2021, these creative early learning ideas are perfect to help you plan for the year ahead.
Want to be featured in our next community spotlight? Join my Facebook group and share your ideas and you might find your work or early learning service featured!
How to Setup Early Learning Spaces
Scroll down with me now and take a behind the scenes look into real educators early learning spaces...
No matter what your environment looks like it really is important to try and allocate some space for a welcoming sign in area as this provides a consistent opportunity to display your important announcements, create an immediate feeling of belonging for children and families and provide space and security for children to store their belongings.
With so many essential items that must be displayed now for early childhood services, it can be tricky finding room for them all (and making them look nice). You can find some interesting ideas to display them all HERE
So much art, so little space! Find some creative artwork display ideas HERE.
If only visiting Kmart and Ikea solved all of our storage needs! If you struggle with storage ideas then try some of these…
Outdoor Activities, Invitations and Play Ideas
Are you feeling a little bored with your outdoor play, learning environment or program? The collection of outdoor activities, invitations and play ideas shared by educators throughout this next section will reignite your motivation and perhaps inspire you to try something a little different.
Outdoor Sensory Paths for Children
Outdoor sensory paths for children are not only fun to explore (and make!), they also provide opportunities for children to build sensory connections in the brain, challenge their balance and spatial awareness skills and experience many different tactile sensations in the one area. See some wonderful sensory play path ideas HERE.
Ideas For Eco-Friendly Fun In Early Learning Environments
Educators are exceptional at coming up with play ideas and opportunities for simple eco friendly fun, modelling how to reuse or upcycle instead of buying new and supporting children to respect the world around them by becoming active, engaged learners! We love these ideas.
Science & STEAM Activity Ideas
If you want to add more science & STEAM activities to your day, try some of these.
Dramatic Play ideas (and some more play space ideas)
Peeking into dramatic play ideas for children shared by real educators is always fun, so let's take a look together… see them all HERE.
Special Days & Celebrations
Throughout the year our members went to a lot of effort for different special days this year. You can see a snapshot of their ideas below:
IF you didn't’ know there was a World Bee Day you do now! FYI it falls on May 20 2022.
See some fun bee setups and activities HERE.
You can see some of the ways our Empowered Ed members focused on National Reconciliation Week HERE.
I hope you’ve found lots of ideas from this post that you could modify or tweak for your own children and early learning environments.
We would love to see YOUR ideas featured in our community spotlight throughout the year so pop over and join our Facebook group to share your work.
A Little About Me
Jodie Clarke is an early childhood professional supporting educators who want and need to stay passionate about the work they do! She has 30 years hands-on experience in the early childhood and human services sectors across many different roles.
Jodie is mum to 3 in Australia and has already helped thousands of educators with their work through her popular blog posts, activity ideas, online training and e-books.
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