Nicole Weinstein asks three how they manage their storage solutions.
Storage is a huge issue for nurseries, but when it comes to settings that have to pack away their resources each day there is an even greater need to choose clever, practical storage solutions that are easy to move around.
Crates, baskets, trolleys and trugs allow resources to be stored and then displayed for children to access independently. Resources that fold down, pack away, or stack inside each other, have wheels or hook on easily to rails and fences are also ideal.
Little Rascals Playschool St Chads Bilston, Wolverhampton
Little Rascals, a chain of three settings in the West Midlands, opened its first pack-away nursery in April this year.
Manager Debbie Clarke says, 'The biggest challenge for us was to create a space that is homely and welcoming for two-year-olds. We overcame this with a lot of thought in the planning stages. We use bespoke pieces of furniture that double up as zoning areas and we use cushions and carpets to create cosy areas for young children to relax in.'
The setting welcomes 16 twoto three-year-olds for two days a week and is at maximum capacity of 45 children for three days a week. 'We are based in a church hall, which is split into two separate spaces with a soundproof folding wall,' says Ms Clarke. 'Half the hall is ours permanently, but for three days a week we can use the entire hall, although furniture and resources still have to be packed into half the room on a daily basis.
'Each day, staff arrive at 8am to set up the room. We have a pack-away wooden climbing structure, which takes 15 minutes to set up. We open up three Folding Creche Units and take out the boxes that contain the resources. These units can open out and be used for children to self-select resources or they can be closed together and turned into desks in child-appropriate height. The storage boxes have been designed to be used as children's seats.
'We also open up the Folding Creative Art Centre, which has all our creative resources stored in clear plastic boxes. We use the Folding Role Play and Bookcase Unit as a divider. The children love to use it for puppet shows and it's such a useful resource for the books. All the furniture is on castors with brakes so at the end of day it can be closed up and rolled to an appropriate spot.
'Despite having to share our space and pack away part of the nursery each day, we were determined to offer children an engaging and welcoming environment. Storage was a huge issue so we enlisted the help of designers at www.thenewfactory.co.uk, who came up with some really clever solutions.'
- Visit https://www.facebook.com/pages/ Little-Rascals-Playschool-St-Chads-Bilston/222004517993822
Little Rascals recommends
- The Easy Build Climbing Castle (£2,845 including VAT and delivery) has no fixings, just a secure hook system. From www.fafuplay.com/fafunian-convertible-castle and www.thenewfactory.co.uk.
- Folding Creche Unit with Box Stools (£673), Folding Creative Art Centre (£1,009) and Folding Role Play & Bookcase (£526.00), which can be used as a home corner, for puppet shows and to store puppets, pillows and books. Available from www.thenewfactory.co.uk.
Little Crickets Nursery Farnham, Surrey
This pack-away nursery, which is part of the Nurturing Childcare chain of two nurseries, is based in a cricket club pavilion. Each day, the nursery is set up for the day's intake of 36 children, and at the end of the day every trace of the nursery is removed and all the resources are put into storage.
Manager Sian Bath says, 'The biggest challenge was to ensure that the setting didn't look too impersonal. We've created bays and separate areas for role play and construction using Community Playthings' range of modular furniture and play equipment, which is versatile. We were fortunate because we were able to plan our space and storage from the start. The cricket club converted a garage into a cupboard for us to store resources. All the main items are on wheels.
'We thought the bar would pose an issue, but we came up with a solution that's cost-effective and versatile. We've linked together lots of display boards and we have them at an angle on the bar. We have staff photos, notices and pictures of the children and their birthdays. These are lightweight and can fold up to go in the cupboard.
'There are two changing rooms - one which we use for arts and craft and the other for construction. The floors are wipe-clean so are ideal for messy play activities. To block off the showers, we put out the Community Playthings Storage Units and Noticeboards, which contain a drawer for each child. We use lots of sheer curtain fabrics -mainly Ikea - on the walls to cover things like notice boards.
'We use Community Playthings tables and chairs. The legs unscrew and attach to the underneath of the table and they stack well. We also have an old version of the Community Playthings climbing frame, which packs away, and we use the Community Playthings Welcome Cubbies to store coats.
We use lots of corner shelving and wicker baskets or clear plastic boxes to store resources. For water play and sand play we use Tuff Spots from TTS, which come with legs and are easy to pick up and store. The staff have remarked that all the moving around of resources not only helps to ensure items are cleaned and sorted regularly, but is good for staff bonding.'
- See www.nurturingchildcare.co.uk/little-crickets-nursery/1847184
Little Crickets recommends
- Welcome Cubbies (from £335) Introductory Set of Hollow Blocks (£380) and Hollow Block Cart (£290), Roomscape panels to section off play areas and create meandering pathways, Tray and Tote Shelves (from £230) for storing small resources, Display Shelving (from £510). All from www.communityplaythings.co.uk
- Outdoor Room Dividers (from £224.95) and Messy Play Tray (from £15.99), both from www.tts-group.co.uk.
- Really Useful Storage Towers - a wide selection of stacking boxes, www.reallyusefulproducts.co.uk/uk/html/storage-towers.php
Runwell Village Pre-school Wickford, Essex
This well-established pre-school, which is housed in a village hall, opened as a pack-away in 1968. Dedicated staff moved resources to and from an outdoor shed each day until they received a Government grant in 2011 to build an indoor walk-in storage cupboard.
'We battled with damp resources, moving things to and fro in the heavy rain and snow, and even an influx of mice. Now we are able to move our furniture and resources quickly and safely,' says pre-school supervisor Lynn Bridger.
'Three members of staff arrive at 8am and we open at 9am, to provide sessional care. We have tried over the years to get everything on wheels. Our tables are stored on a trolley: we have a mark-making trolley, a play-dough trolley, a discovery trolley, a Community Playthings block trolley, and a role-play dressing-up trolley. All other items are boxed, to be lifted in and out each day.
'We cover the adult-sized chairs with child-friendly fabric to zone off areas. We also have cardboard display boards, which are light enough to carry in and out but sturdy enough to display pictures and creations. In the cloakroom, we have a large trolley for coats, bags and lunch boxes. This also stores our large carpet on at the end of the day.
'We also have a double-sided whiteboard on wheels, which children use to self-register in the mornings and when they have their snack.'
Runwell recommends
- Raskog Kitchen Trolley (£50) from www.ikea.co.uk
- Multipurpose Cloakroom Trolley (£363) and Mini Salad Bar (£248), both from www.norsemandirect.com
- Mobile Writing Boards (from £100) from www.spacerighteurope.com/early-years/junior-mobile-writing-boards.html.
BEST BUYS
Here is a list of versatile, open-ended and easy to pack away resources.
- Tuffspot Stand Packaway (from £44) is a metal frame that holds a Tuff Spot and folds like scissors. Scissor Stand and Tray Medium (£44.99) also folds up and the tray can be used indoors or out for sand and water play. Both from Cosy Direct on 01332 370152.
- The Little Artist Mobile Kit (£89.90) and the Theatre Mobile Kit (£170.60) from www.wesco-eshop.co.uk have been designed for limited space. They can also be used as partitions.
- Grab and Go Kit (£84.95) from www.tts-group is easy to store and transport in a storage chest. Mini versions available for smaller settings (from £29.95).
- Mobile Bread Tray Store (5) (£88) is a set of bread crates on wheels. The Box Trolley (£28.49) can be used to transport resources. Both from Cosy.
- Space Saver Kitchen (£269.95) from www.tts-group.co.uk. Simply roll the nesting unit from underneath the sink and fridge unit. You then have all the appliances you need.
- For storage solutions, the S Hooks (x30)(£11.49) are ideal for hanging artwork, tools or instruments. Tub Trugs (from £4.49) come in three sizes, are easy to pick up and are great for self-selection. Both from Cosy.
- Natural Display/Den Panels (£38.99) from Cosy are useful for displays or dividers.