Mood Matters

In her Beginnings Workshop article, “The Spirit of Place,” (Exchange, September, 1997) Anita Rui Olds discussed the importance of considering the mood of children . . .

“Being forced to maintain the same level of alertness and concentration all day undoubtedly places internal stress on children's bodies, even if this is not perceptible to the adult eye.  A variety of moods -- providing options for different levels of engagement -- helps people to feel comfortable and remain alert in the same environment over long periods of time.  Many centers suffer from either blandness or overstimulation with insufficient variety of mood within each group room.

“The mood for each function should match the level of activity and physical energy children expend in performing it.  Tranquil activities occur best in warm, soft, textured spaces.  Expansive activities require spaces that are cooler, harder, and more vibrant in tone. The ultimate goal is a room with several activity areas, each of which has a unique spirit of place.  Then, as children go from place to place within the room's four walls, they can experience spaces that are soft and hard, dark and light, cold and warm, colorful and bland, large and small, noisy and quiet.”

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