School bean bags really are a thing. Although they’re not traditional school furniture, bean bags for schools are popping up in classrooms around the world and are rapidly becoming a classroom staple.
In this post, we’re exploring the benefits of school bean bags for kids’ health and learning and how they can transform any learning environment.
Improving Comfort and Posture in Schools
Simply put, when it comes to improving posture and comfort, school bean bags are the way forward. It’s a common misbelief that to maintain good posture, you need to be sat upright on a firm chair. This is not always the case, and science proves it.
The success of a bean bag chair can be attributed to its ergonomic features, which allow it to mould around the child’s back. Unlike traditional chairs, school bean bags support children’s neck, shoulders, head, and back while offering comfort.
Good posture isn’t something we should just preach to our colleagues. It should be prioritised early on, especially as we embrace new technologies. Not to mention, early years bean bags are highly inclusive. Children who cannot support themselves due to physical impairments can also achieve the correct physical support from bean bag chairs due to their versatile nature.
Proper posture and comfort in the classroom contribute to a positive learning experience because an uncomfortable child is often disengaged. And we’re all about re-engaging students.
An Enhanced Learning Environment
It’s no surprise that teachers worldwide, from early years to university, have begun to look at alternatives to traditional classroom furniture. Psychologists and teachers have found that the comfort bean bags provide make the learning experience more welcoming for children.
Professor Stephen Heppell, a distinguished classroom architect, has extensively studied the creation of enhanced learning spaces for children.
“At home, just about all children read whilst comfortably seated, and this is almost never on an upright straight-backed chair.” Professor Stephen Heppell.
Classroom chairs are great for direct teaching, but comfort is a child’s priority when genuinely immersed in something like reading. Subconsciously, we all look for comfort when we’re doing something we enjoy, like sitting with our feet up watching a good film. Learning shouldn’t be any different.
Being comfortable doesn’t equate to decreased learning and laziness.
Bean bags for schools should be built to withstand children’s daily usage and the effects of the outdoors. With a well-built, comfortable and robust bean bag, teachers can set them up outside and conduct lessons without worrying about children dragging school chairs around. In fact, bean bags are the perfect solution for teaching both inside and outside of the classroom.
Zoning, Quiet Reading Spaces, and Sensory Benefits
Studies have found time and time again that a dedicated reading space in schools is one of the best ways to encourage and promote reading. Combining a quiet reading space, like a library, with bean bag chairs will revolutionise the way children read and consume educational material.
However, there are also times when teachers need to address the entire class or require focus on something like a mobile whiteboard. Bean bag chairs are easy to carry, offering more portability than traditional classroom chairs. They can be moved around to facilitate different types of learning. For instance, a teacher could use a traditional-style seating arrangement for a taught lesson but opt for small groups when completing group tasks and projects.
The historical ‘one-size-fits-all’ classroom seating plan has got to go.
Early-years children constantly use their senses to relate to the world around them, developing crucial life skills through learning experiences. Bean bag chairs require active input by the user, so children will have to use several senses while adjusting the bean bag for comfort.
Gone are the days when bean bags came in one shade and split after three uses. Bean bag chairs now come in all shapes, sizes, and colours. Smaller bean bag chairs are great for early years children. In contrast, larger bean bags can be used for older students or teachers to include everyone in the learning experience.
School bean bags modernise the learning environment, converting any dull space into an exciting learning zone.
With the rapid growth of new technologies, tablet computers are now commonplace in schools. According to a report from the Department of Education, 88% of headteachers agreed that new technology correlates to higher levels of pupil attainment. To keep up with this technology, bean bag chairs are an excellent solution that contributes to the foundations of a healthy learning experience.
