HEWI MAG / Knowledge

Planning tips for the nursery checkroom

This also applies to kindergarten and daycare centers: A tidy and friendly entrance hall has a welcoming effect and makes it easier for children, parents and potential new colleagues to feel at home in the educational facility. When planning the entrance area, care should be taken to ensure that the chosen furnishings are functional, practical and atmospheric. This article lists tips for implementing these ideas.

The children’s daycare entrance is an important element in the entrance area—it is a person’s first impression of the educational institution. The checkroom area, in addition to serving as a place for children to arrive and store jackets and bags, also serves as a meeting place for parents. It is a conversation space and a place of exchange with the educators. In order to cover the many tasks of the entrance area, attention should be paid to practical, child-friendly furniture with plenty of storage space incorporated during the planning phase. We show you planning tips for the cloakroom area.

1 storage space in the nursery checkroom

Whether perceived consciously or unconsciously, a tidy entrance area in kindergarten and daycare centers suggests an equally orderly structure and way of working. Jackets, shoes, rubber boots, gloves, mud pants, a change of clothes and personal items such as stuffed animals find a permanent place here and do not get lost—provided there is sufficient storage space.

Storage space in the nursery checkroom must be accessible to the children and not locked up in a complicated way. Depending on the weather and the activity, children need different clothes. As a planner or architect, provide multiple storage compartments for clear organization.

The M20 furniture from HEWI opens up the space for designing individual children's cloakroom areas. Individual cubes form the central design element and can be expanded at any time. Combine and arrange different modules as required by the room concept. The mounting height is also freely selectable and can therefore be adjusted to the individual age groups in the children’s daycare facilities. Thus, several elements can also be arranged on top of each other to create structured storage space. Symmetrical and asymmetrical series modules are also available. Install additional modules with rotating triple hooks and create storage space for jackets and backpacks. The 16 possible HEWI colors provide colorful accents. With the help of individually placeable single and double hooks, additional storage space can be placed in the nursery cloakroom area as desired.

Storage boxes keeps accessories such as gloves, hats and scarves together in one place.

2 Bench

For changing shoes, we recommend seating in the daycare checkroom. Bench seats by HEWI in various seat heights offer seating comfort for everyone and make it easier for children and parents to get dressed. The integrated shoe rack with abrasion-resistant powder coating allows provides neat and orderly shoe storage. Combined with a dirt-trapping mat on the floor, the shoes and rubber boots can dry in case of rain during the day at the daycare center.

To increase safety and prevent injuries, the edges have a 5 mm radius and are waxed. In addition, the benches are marked with the GS seal and are thus TÜV-tested.

3 Personalization of the daycare center checkroom through symbols

In the checkroom area of a daycare center, it makes sense to have permanently assigned places. So rubber boots or match pants are always located in the same spot until they are needed. In addition to elaborate name tags that have to be changed again and again, suitable pictograms are excellent for showing children where their things should be stored. Because daycare children are often not yet able to read. Once assigned, these pictograms allow children to easily recognize their own hook. HEWI coat rails in various designs have surfaces that can be pasted with the symbols. In addition to stickers that the children design themselves, there are also animal, plant, toy and vehicle motifs.

4 Good illumination

A well-lit dressing room area makes it easier for children to dress themselves independently. This makes it easier to see zippers when threading them and to open shoe laces. Lighting colors that are warm and light creates a positive spatial effect and looks inviting and friendly. A mix of natural and artificial light sources also provides better orientation in the room.

5 Space for information exchange

The entrance area and the checkroom also serve as a place for exchanging information in the kindergarten where parents and guardians can talk about general topics or learn information about the daycare center from the teachers. Many educators also use the area to display informational brochures or announce field trips. For example, it would be a good idea to plan a table with seating where parents can exchange information and, for example, sign up to participate in various events.

6 Noise reduction in the daycare center

Especially at peak times, e.g., when the children arrive in the morning or leave the kindergarten in the afternoon, the entrance area is very busy. Children’s loud interactions, the conversations of the educators and the shouts of the parents—all this raises the noise level in the room. To remedy this, it is important to incorporate acoustic wall panels and sound absorbers during the planning stage.

7 Door handle when designing the nursery checkroom

For a consistent design, also pay attention to the door handles and handrails. HEWI lever handles are easy for children's hands to grip due to their large radii and they minimize the risk of injury. The colorful selection fits perfectly into any entrance area and supports the inviting effect. Because they stand out against the background in high contrast, they are also easy for children to recognize, thus increasing safety.

Functional and inviting cloakroom area

Everyone benefits from a functional and inviting dressing room area. The children are able to independently stow their jackets and backpacks because they can independently reach the appropriate hooks. Parents and guardians know things are in a safe place and also have room for their conversations and information in the entrance area. Educators benefit from the structure and practical furniture.

You can find out what funding opportunities are available for daycare centers and schools in our MAG article..

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