N is for Neutral - Don’t Lose Sight

Part 3

Why have I written 3 articles on the same subject? Because I am really passionate about the positive benefits of the neutral classroom but I’ve started to notice a concerning trend and I feel like we could be missing the point here…

Colour

Neutral or natural classrooms aren’t just about all things natural. You still need colour. Yes, Kraft and hessian can be the base. Cream, off-white, or light grey walls the background. But the classroom still needs colour - calm colour. A few pops of colour here and there livens up the space without over-stimulating the room. Think carefully about the colours you use though. Blues and greens calm the mind and make us feel relaxed. They are also linked to resourcefulness and inventiveness; essential skills we support the children to develop. Steer clear of reds, oranges, and bright yellows. These colours can create feelings of anxiety, and evoke a sense of urgency.

Plastic

It’s not about removing all your plastic storage, replacing it with wicker, nor removing all the plastic toys and replacing them with loose parts and wooden toys. Recently, I heard about a school who was changing over completely to neutral. I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard their plan was to throw out all plastic toys and resources. I still have plastic toys, plastic storage, and laminated resources. Although I don’t store all of these toys in my room, the children still need access to them.

Enabling Spaces

Our classrooms still need to be spaces which enable the children to be independent learners. Wicker baskets are lovely, but if they are just replacing the plastic boxes, to me the only difference is the colour. The important thing is the children know what’s in the basket; labelling the resources with the word and photo supports them to choose the resources they want independently. Alternatively, they can be stored in, dare I say it, clear plastic! Storage like these plastic fish bowls mean the children can easily see what is inside.

Clutter

This is such an important factor; I can’t stress it enough. Clear the clutter and both the children and you will feel 100 times better. A neutral classroom can still feel difficult to learn in if there is stuff everywhere - even if it’s in keeping with the classroom theme. Keep your set-ups simple and not over resourced. Having too many items at a learning station can have the same effect as too many colours; over-stimulation. There is no need to have every single water resource available for the children every day. Rotate the resources as it keeps the children interested and engaged.

Furniture and Classroom decor

Think carefully about what you want your classroom to feel like. Calm? Cosy? Inviting? Enabling? Once you’ve done that, think about the furniture you have in your classroom. Replacing your home corner chairs with log stumps because they are natural, won’t make for a cosy, inviting space. Log stumps would make more sense in a camp fire role play or in the outdoor classroom. And do you really need all your displays to have ivy borders?

What’s my point? Go for a neutral and natural classroom if that’s what you like. But think it through really carefully. Without it being enabling and clutter free, it’s counter productive. #toomanybaskets