What is it that makes enclosed spaces so appealing to many children, and how can early years settings support them in this? Annette Rawstrone reports
Children are often attracted to enclosed spaces, both indoors and outside
Children are often attracted to enclosed spaces, both indoors and outside

Look around your setting and you will notice that certain children consciously seek out small spaces – hiding in a den, curling up with a friend in the corner of a sofa, tucking themselves behind trees or squashing into a cupboard. But why are these areas so appealing?

‘We all recall the secret places we would hide in as a child, and that comforting feeling of being cocooned,’ says Sarah Watkins, associate lecturer at the University of Worcester and Forest School leader. ‘The world can be a confusing place for young children, with many things to process, and secret hiding places offer comfort as well as a break from adult surveillance.’ There is also a sense of excitement gained from being in an area where an adult can’t easily gain access, or from being somewhere dark.

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