The complete interview to read:
What problems arise if rooms are too rigidly furnished?
If rooms are furnished too rigidly, children lack freedom of movement. Too much furniture, narrow paths, and always the same seating prevent children from moving naturally, experimenting, and developing.
Children with a strong need for movement feel this particularly acutely. If everyone sits on the same chairs and the room allows for little change, active learning becomes unnecessarily difficult.
Typical consequences are:
- less freedom of movement
- more restlessness
- less concentration
- limited self-regulation
- too little space for spontaneous forms of learning
Children don't just need a seat. They need rooms that allow for different postures, short bursts of movement, and active learning.
What furniture and materials support active learning?
Active learning often begins with simple, flexible furniture. Kindergarten benches are particularly helpful because they are versatile.
Benches can:
- be used in a circle
- serve as small work tables
- be pushed together to form group tables
- invite balancing
- allow for forms of movement such as climbing, jumping or crawling through
Different seating options also bring movement into everyday life. These include, for example:
- exercise balls
- chairs on wheels
- balance boards
- floor tables
- windowsill workspaces
- stacking stones
- balance beams
- small trampolines
It's important to think boldly and creatively. Not every child has to sit in the same way. The more possibilities a room offers, the better children can regulate their urge to move.
Are kindergarten benches just a trend or are they useful in the long term?
Kindergarten benches are more than a short-term trend. They fit very well into an active kindergarten day because they are flexible, robust, and versatile.
In a seating circle, benches allow for various postures. Children can sit, lean, move, or work on the floor. At the same time, benches can be quickly rearranged and used for group work, movement games, or open spaces.
Especially in kindergarten, where movement, play, and learning are closely linked, benches offer significantly more possibilities than rigid individual chairs.
Why is active learning still not implemented enough in practice?
Many teachers know that movement is important. Nevertheless, active learning is often not consistently implemented in everyday life.
The reasons vary:
- limited budget
- too little space
- rigid furniture
- missing products in the range
- little further training
- decisions are often not made by teachers
If 20 identical chairs are automatically ordered when purchasing new furniture, hardly any new movement possibilities arise. Therefore, more awareness is needed among all persons who decide on furniture and room design.
Active learning should not be seen as an add-on. It is an important part of a child-friendly learning environment.
How can active learning be promoted in small steps?
It doesn't always take a complete re-furnishing. Often, small changes are enough to allow children more movement.
Simple ideas are:
- stretch a rubber band between chair legs
- purchase a balance board
- use stacking stones as seating and movement material
- replace individual chairs with benches
- test flexible seating options
- reduce furniture to create space
- consciously plan short periods of movement
The important thing is to simply start. Schools can test with a few materials how children react to them. If the offerings are well utilized, further acquisitions can be specifically budgeted.
What feedback is there from schools regarding active learning?
A common feedback is that teachers have too little space for movement. Rooms appear small, groups are large, and hallways or changing rooms often cannot be used freely for safety reasons.
At the same time, it shows: More space often arises if rooms are consistently furnished according to the "less is more" principle. If furniture is reduced, free areas are created for movement, play, and active learning.
One example makes this clear: In a classroom of about 70 square meters, very little space often remains per child when furniture, cabinets, washbasins, shelves, materials, and children are taken into account. This is hardly enough for genuine well-being and movement.
Therefore, courage is needed to think about spaces differently:
- do not plan a permanent fixed workspace for every child
- Use window sills and floor spaces
- move flexible furniture to the side
- use benches instead of many individual chairs
- Consciously integrate movement into the daily routine
Active learning is not only achieved through more space. It is also achieved through different choices.
Conclusion: Active learning requires courage, flexibility, and open spaces
Children don't just learn by sitting. They learn through movement, experimenting, balancing, changing posture, and physical activity.
For active learning to be possible in kindergartens and classrooms, spaces that are not too rigidly furnished are needed. Flexible furniture, different seating options, and open spaces make a big difference.
Even small steps can help. Reducing furniture, using benches, or adding movement materials creates more opportunities for concentration, self-regulation, and joy in learning.
