Hygge Your Classroom Series - Part Three

Hygge Your Classroom: Part 3

By Shabnam @miss.d.prepteacher

Welcome to the third and final part of the Hygge Your Classroom series. Who’s ready to get cosy? Hopefully Part One and Part Two of this series have inspired you to re-think your classroom space and consider how to incorporate elements of hygge into your learning environment. Having taught across the stages from EYFS to Key Stage 2, I can honestly say there is a huge benefit to this practice for all age groups. The feeling of a home away from home has such a calm and comforting influence, which really does help to nurture and support learning journeys at any age…little, big or GIANT! As educators, we all want our children to feel calm and comfortable in all aspects of their learning, but crucially, there must always be a strong feeling of trust. Through trust you establish an honest and open forum for learning, where pupils naturally feel more inspired to discuss, share, and reach for support when they need it. As previously discussed lighting and personalisation are two of the key elements for creating hygge in the classroom, but the third feature that I would like to share in this final part of the series, is the impact of sensory choices. 

Neutralise the Pallet

Now, back in the day BOLD colour was key. A group of ‘experts’ wearing smarty pants shared research about the impact of bright colours on pupil concentration and focus. Schools rushed to buy brightly coloured table tops and (well why not go the whole hog?!) MATCHING chairs, trays, blinds, baskets, pegs, you name it…. we’re talking a whole lot of colour here people! With this of course came the added ‘benefits’ of ‘clear grouping’. OH. MY… Thankfully, things have moved on. But, unfortunately many practitioners are dealing with the hangover of this (I’ll let you fill in this blank) approach. My nemesis is blue...what’s yours? 

So the question is, how can we create the magic of hygge when we have such bold flashes of vibrance around the classroom? I would love to say that I’ve found a solution to the bright coloured furniture. I’ve seen some lovely examples of table coverings on insta, but for me, this isn’t the most practical or hygienic solution. My advice would be to neutralise what you can to the point where the volume of those vibrant colours becomes minimal. Hessian display boards, neutral toned borders, white picture frames, neutral toned pencil pots and basket, all add a real breath of fresh air to any environment. Neutralise as much as you can. This clears the pathway for children to make their own choices about their environment and how it makes them feel. A blank canvas for them to establish their own mood, thoughts and feelings on a daily basis. And bonus? It will have exactly the same impact on you each morning. 

Soften the Edges

Word of warning. Once you have neutralised the pallet of your classroom and have it all set for your new class next term, things will seem very stark and you may be feeling the temptation to fill the spaces. Try to resist! The children will soon bring it to life in their own little ways. But, in order to inspire them to do this, you will need to soften the edges of the stark neutral to make the space feel inviting. One of the best ways to do this is through lighting (rewind to Part One to find out more!). Next stop is natural accessories. This has become wildly popular in this last academic year, which is lovely to see! Ivy, wooden logs, palm leaves, tree branches...any feature which helps to bring the outside in will really help to ground your environment and make it feel familiar to your little ones. I like to move with the seasons with this one, bringing in different resources each term to suit the mood. Autumn leaves, pine cones, stems of wheat and the like are all beautiful additions to the classroom when harvest comes around. I always like to welcome spring time with a potted flowering plant on each table in the classroom for the children to tend to. And in the winter? A real Christmas tree is a must! Natural touches like this really help to compliment and soften the neutral, without overpowering the hygge vibe of the learning space.

Create Comfort

Last but not least to our sensory checklist is comfort. The heartbeat of Hygge. Comfort will naturally evolve through incorporating the tips discussed throughout this series, but to get that real sense of cocoon-like comfort, texture is key. It is important once more to consider the neutral tones of these, but variation of texture works really well to create warmth and depth to a space. Think about your choice of fabrics. Anything that makes you say ‘ooooo’ is a good choice! Scatter cushions, rugs, even a basket of throws to provide options for the children to suit mood, are lovely additions to any classroom space. Why not have your favourite throw on the back of your desk chair? A lovely comfort for any teary emergency (for pupils and tired teachers!) Texture can also be added through use of baskets. Natural baskets always look homely, but I’ve seen lots of lovely examples of fabric baskets recently that look just as hygge. Why not combine styles and vary those textures? Mixing things up in itself is such a lovely representation of life….not everything needs to match or be in straight lines! Imperfection in itself is a huge comfort and really helps to relax interior spaces.

Over to you…

So there we are...the Hygge your Classroom series is complete. Thank you so much for tuning in! I really hope it has inspired you to get those hygge vibes flowing in your classroom, and given you plenty of food for thought about how to build that home away from home.  I would LOVE to hear from you if you try any of the tips and tricks I’ve shared throughout this series, and please do get in touch if you’d like any further help. I’m always happy to talk hygge! 

Happy Hygge-ing teachers! Note from the Editor: I have absolutely adored this series! A huge thank you to Shabnam for sharing her tips and tricks with us, I for one cannot wait to get back into my classroom and get going! It can be difficult if you are in a room you did not pick with offensive block colour everywhere you look and more hanging fabric and dangly things than space so I love her advice to neutralise. I think the impact of neutral spaces and the hygge approach is only just scratching the surface in the teaching world and I can see lots more research pointing to this being the way forwards! Thanks again Shabnam! Miss B