Managing a loud, busy, energetic Preschool classroom

There are some preschool/daycare groups of kids that are relatively peaceful.

They seem to quickly catch on to rotating around centers, share with little trouble, and sit nicely in their spot to listen to a story.

Then there’s the other group…

They love to explore boundary limits and there isn’t a second to spare.

They’re always up and yelling, jumping, accidentally (or purposely) body slamming into something or someone.

It’s loud.

It’s busy.

And you’re burning out.

So how do you manage such an energetic classroom?

First things first, are they set up for success?

We know the environment has a huge impact on behavior so we want to use it strategically.

Even with a calmer classroom, being intentional about classroom arrangement, materials, and the overall aesthetic of the room is a key part of behavior management.

When you’re reviewing the classroom environment, be mindful that you’re not looking at it from an adult perspective, but rather an estimate of how a child could be experiencing the room.

Take a look at the classroom furniture arrangement:

• Is it arranged to break up the space so there aren’t too many large spaces that encourage sprinting back and forth, wandering, overcrowding, etc?

Take a look at the materials:

• Are there enough materials for children to play with and do they have access to it?

• Are the materials interesting, in good condition, and are there a variety of options?

• Are they organized in a way that’s inviting (open containers or on display)?

• Is it possible that there are too many materials making it look either overwhelming or uninviting? (Think about when you have so many clothes in your closet that it feels like you have nothing to wear. Children can feel the same way about too many toys available, or if the toys are disorganized.)

If they’re consistently tossing, destroying, or misusing the materials, this could be a signal that it’s time to either reduce and/or reorganize the materials, or do a toy rotation.

Take a look at the classroom decor:

• Is the decor overstimulating, too busy, and/or excessive?

If the environment looks good, then next let’s look at the classroom routine and transitions.

For busy groups, consistency and predictability can go a looooong way.

Start by evaluating if you have a solid routine.

Since a day in the life of a daycare class can be ever changing, instead of heavily focusing on schedule, we encourage focusing on routine.

A schedule is based on time, but a routine is based on the order of events.

So every day, the same activities happen in the same order as much as possible, regardless of the time.

This gives teachers the flexibility to do things like allow more outdoor play if the class is showing a need to let out some energy. Even if the class goes inside later than usual, they’d still know the routine is to go wash their hands and sit down for snack after outside play.

Or if your class has kids who wake up from nap earlier than others, they still know the routine is to fold up their sheets and go potty.

A solid routine can help reduce arguments about what a child should be doing at the time, as well as reduce the amount of time you spend scrambling for ideas on how to corral a busy group all day because you’re not playing it by ear.

Transitions are also an important part of a routine.

Shortening wait times and how long children are idle reduces opportunities for busy kids to find less than appropriate ways to cure their boredom.

Though it might only feel like a short amount of time from an adult perspective, asking a child with a limited attention span to wait quietly for 10 minutes is asking a lot.

A consistent routine can help shorten transition times but having a transition method is icing on the cake.

An example of a transition method: when it’s time to move from outdoor play to inside, every day you give a verbal 5-minute warning.

When it’s time to line up a friend rings the bell and everyone grabs their water bottle and lines up next to the gate. When everyone is lined up, they walk inside together.

Again, this is something you do consistently. Every time it’s time to transition from outdoors to indoors, the bell gets rung and kids line up at the gate.

alright, so we’ve set them up for success as much as possible, what about the actual busyness?!

Here are a few tips:

1. Let them play. If they’re engaged with block play but then 15 minutes later a teacher insists they move to art, this is going to invite misbehavior. Is there a reason they need to do the ladybug project?

   Probably not. If they’re engaged in something, leave them be. This goes the same for when they’re not interested. Example: for circle time if they’re disengaged, instead of forcing them to sit through it, cut it short for that day and move to the next activity.

2. Allow for some risky play on the playground. Often a described energetic classroom also has a lot of children engaging in a lot of sensory seeking behavior, especially for proprioceptive and vestibular sensory input.

   Things like rigorous climbing, running, spinning, and jumping outside can help meet that need so they’re not doing it indoors.

3. Add weight and large items. Again, going back to sensory seeking, they’re looking for that physical input. Activities like lifting large blocks, sitting with weighted pillows, or pushing a heavy cart can help reduce behavior like pushing or playing too rough with friends.

4. Create a sensory station. If you have a solid routine and environment set up, then introducing a sensory station can be beneficial.

   It doesn’t have to be a large space, but an area with hand prints on the wall so they can push against it, a beanbag for kids to melt into, or resistance bands for kids to pull can be a great area to redirect energetic kids.

   In younger classrooms, furniture like a pikler triangle, climbing structure, or balance beams can help redirect busy energy.

5. Re-look at expectations. While you may have been able to do a water table with a previous class, the temptation for splashing might be too much for your current group and that’s okay. Instead of forcing them to “get it right”, try switching it to something they can succeed at.

   As you get a hang of managing their energy and they get a better grasp of classroom expectations, you can reintroduce those activities they struggled with at first.

6. “Getting the wiggles out” might backfire. You might have attempted the tried and true methods to help get the wiggles out like a dance party or group beanbag tossing, only to find that it seemed to make your energizer bunnies more amped up.

   That’s because sometimes, though the activity was meant to be calming, it can be overstimulating. If that seems to be the case, instead of large group activities to get wiggles out, try small group and/or slow-paced activities like sitting on the floor and deep breathing with wind spinners or dimming the lights and stretching.

And last but not least, be kind to yourself.

A busy, energetic classroom doesn’t mean a “bad” classroom, or that you’re a bad teacher.

It just means they have different needs.

Keep self-regulating, stay strong, and keep your coffee stronger.