Creative Curriculum - Arranging The Environment

The block area, the house corner, the sand and water area - each of these distinct areas of the classroom is set up to give children opportunities to play with social materials assembled there. By comparison, music and movement may be enjoyed just about anywhere in the classroom, outdoors, or even on field a trip.

From the time children arrive, when they may be greeted with a song or chant, many teachers find music an effective way of easing children through transitions and routines: coming to sit down for snack, calming down for rest or naptime, cleaning up the room, or putting on clothes to go outside. Music and movement are naturals for times when the whole group is gathered. And children individually and in small groups -on their own or with a teacher- can enjoy music or movement activities.

Music spontaneously enters into many activity areas as children create their own songs or chants to go with their actions pounding clay or pushing a truck. While movement and music aren't tied to one location, there are some points to consider in planning a physical environment that will set the stage for a rich array of music and movement experiences for children.