Children thrive in spaces designed for living and learning

For more than two decades Designs for Living and Learning has been a favorite resource among educators, caregivers, consultants, and college instructors, filled with practical ideas to design captivating environments that nurture children, families, and staff while supporting children’s learning. If you wonder how to hold on to your dreams for creating beautiful, engaging early childhood environments even while facing an array of challenges, this book offers a way to think about your choices and a multitude of examples from educators in a variety of settings.

This updated edition adds inspiring new photos and stories from the authors with contributions from a wide range of imaginative, determined educators in programs moving forward with their dreams as they negotiate uncertainty, stress, a regulatory move toward diminishing possibilities.

These pages are filled with stirring words and visual examples of creativity and the wonder of childhood. At the same time the authors take up the hard questions of how to think about our work in the context of climate imperatives, fear, divisiveness, loss and displacement in our communities. As you digest this book, you’ll find yourself nourished and your imagination itching to move into action.

REVIEWS

"How exciting to read a third edition of this beloved book! While continuing to encourage educators to think beyond the traditional in terms of environments, Carter and Curtis provoke us to nourish our imaginations and call upon us to think deeply and take creative actions. Acknowledging that we live in difficult times, the authors ask “what might young children need from us as educators?” and ask educators to “be courageous, pay attention, and mobilize collective will and imagination.” This is not only a book about how to create inspiring environments for children, but how to stretch ourselves and our thinking about environments that will ultimately shape our next generation." —Susan Stacey, author of Emergent Curriculum in Early Childhood Settings, The Unscripted Classroom, Pedagogical Documentation in Early Childhood, and Inquiry Based Early Learning Environments.

"Wherever your setting, Designs for Living and Learning is a compelling invitation to linger, to pay attention—really pay attention—to the wonder and realities of childhood and the spaces we, and children, make for it. This third edition holds Margie and Deb’s values clearly while responding to our ever-changing world. Thoughtfully organized with research and resources, luscious photos, actionable steps, and a multitude of voices from the field, Designs for Living and Learning gives us all a strong foundation to advocate for spaces and ways of being with children that deeply matter. " —Kelly Matthews, MA, Director of Family Child Care Strategy & Advancement, Wisconsin Early Childhood Association