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Introduction

“When designing a new early childhood centre or modifying or retrofitting an existing one, it is important not to use the regulations as the basis of your design, but instead to think in terms of the experiences, activities and learning that will take place there.” ¹

The expansion of early learning and child care (ELCC) in Canada is at a pivotal moment. Under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) Agreements, launched in 2021, the federal and provincial territorial governments have committed to making child care more accessible for children and families. As affordability increases, demand for new spaces and centres has surged.

While expansion is a key priority of the CWELCC provincial territorial action plans, little attention has been given to the quality of physical spaces and centres being created. The design and infrastructure of child care facilities directly impact the well-being of children and staff. However, current regulations often reflect outdated standards that prioritize minimum compliance rather than high-quality learning environments.

This Spotlight report is produced as part of a larger project funded in part by the Government of Canada’s ELCC Data and Research Program, called ‘Growth by Design: Expanding Early Learning and Child Care in Canada’ (2023-2026). The objectives of the project are to:

• Identify the barriers and facilitators that impact the capacity of public and not-for-profit providers to expand licensed ELCC
• Engage the not-for-profit ELCC community, ELCC allies and public stakeholders in innovative thinking and capacity building to expand access to affordable, accessible and high quality ELCC
• Identify, describe and assess innovative practices and public policies that have supported the expansion of not-for-profit and public ELCC
• Increase awareness and enable knowledge transfer about effective mechanisms and innovative practices to support the expansion of quality, affordable, accessible not-for-profit and public ELCC

This Spotlight paper serves as a resource for policy makers, municipal governments, child care providers, contractors, and architects. Drawing from a more detailed paper, this short version offers an accessible source that:

• Summarizes why well-designed physical spaces matter for children and staff
• Identifies key design considerations for child care centres
• Highlights risks of relying solely on outdated regulations
• Provides actionable recommendations for ensuring that child care expansion prioritizes high-quality infrastructure

Why space matters for children and staff

The physical environment significantly influences child development, staff well-being, and program effectiveness. A review of studies examining the impact of physical space on children’s development and relationships, refers to physical space as the “third educator”, with findings showing “the physical environment affects children’s behaviour, cognition and emotion, contributing to their development and conditions their experience in educational services”², alongside curriculum and relationships. Well-designed environments support cognitive, social, and emotional development by enabling exploration, movement, and discovery.

Key reasons why physical space matters

For children:

• Physical environment affects cognitive, social, and emotional development.
• Open, flexible spaces reduce anxiety and aggression.
• Comfortable surroundings enhance learning and engagement.
• Adequate space supports physical activity and reduces behavioral challenges.

Additionally, the children’s learning environment is the staff work environment. For staff, various aspects of the physical space and design impact their experiences and wellbeing and, ultimately, job satisfaction and turnover.³

The amount and type of space facilitates the staff ability to implement their program, how they are able to interact with children and other adults in the space. 

For staff:

• Well-designed layouts reduce stress and burnout.
• Ample space enables effective program delivery and supervision.
• Natural light, noise control, and ergonomic furniture enhance staff satisfaction 
• Adequate staff rooms and work space away from the children’s play areas supports staff well-being and sense of professionalism.

The limitations of current regulations

Image: Copper House in Bolton Ontario (Left); Photo credit (Right): Peter Ashmore.

Key Issues with Existing Regulations:

• Minimalistic approach: Regulations often meet the bare minimum rather than fostering high-quality environments.
• Outdated standards: Many regulations were developed decades ago and do not reflect current research on child development and pedagogy.
• Lack of outdoor space standards: While outdoor play is crucial for development, few regulations mandate quality outdoor environments.
• Little consideration for layout and flow: Regulations rarely address how space should be structured to promote learning and engagement.

Canadian design standards: Insights and gaps

Some provinces and municipalities have introduced child care design guidelines, but these are not mandatory. For example:

• British Columbia’s Design Guidelines recommend 14 square metres of outdoor space per child, while provincial regulations require only 6 square metres, equal to about half a parking stall (as depicted in the image to the right).
• Ontario’s Planning and Design Guidelines suggest welcoming entryways and hallway spaces, yet these are not part of official requirements.
• Manitoba recommends direct access from indoor to outdoor spaces, but regulations allow outdoor areas up to 350 metres away.

Image source: in Herrington et al, 2007

While it can be challenging for operators and others creating new spaces to navigate the differences between the provincial or local guidelines  and the regulations, there are few incentives to meet the guidelines, rather than the minimum regulations. It can be difficult to get public capital funding for the larger spaces recommended in the guidelines, or to convince developers that what is in legislation may not be adequate. 

Why now? The urgency of quality expansion

Canada is at a critical juncture in child care expansion, with the CWELCC agreements supporting increased funding by federal and provincial and territorial governments. However, without prioritizing infrastructure quality, there is a risk of constructing inadequate facilities that fail to meet children’s developmental needs or support staff adequately. Outdated designs can restrict pedagogy, limit accessibility, and reduce overall program effectiveness. 

With federal infrastructure funding and provincial territorial capital grants now available, this is the moment to advocate for stronger design standards.

Key considerations for child care centre design

Community location and site planning

The first stage before designing the indoor and outdoor space is to decide on the location of the centre in the community and navigate site considerations with relevant stakeholders. As many child care facilities are in old buildings that need to be retro-fitted, the community locations and environmental factors can be easily overlooked⁶.

Both the location in the community and environmental factors matter for parents, children and staff’ experiences. It is important to consider the proximity to public transportation, and to other services and public facilities that can offer a benefit to: a childcare centre, such as libraries, museums, parks, etc. The community can also benefit from a child care centre.⁷ The location and design of buildings matter for the environment and, ultimately, the health and wellbeing of children and the broader community. Locating child care centres near community hubs, such as school grounds, community centres or workplaces is one way to reduce transportation emissions. 

The orientation of the buildings also matter. In most of North America positive orientation means orienting the building, its play yards and its indoor activity spaces toward the south to capture as much light and sun as possible.⁸

In summary, when deciding on community location and site design it’s important to

• Select sites that are close to public transit and community services
• Prioritize walkability and accessibility for families
• Ensure environmental safety, including air quality and low noise pollution

Image: UBC Child Care Centre, Sitka

Indoor children’s space design

There are many elements of indoor space and design that matter for child care facilities. One most often mentioned in regulations is square footage. Square footage is important because adequate space supports positive physical and social interactions. Studies show that children in high density centres have been found to be more susceptible to behavioural problems, including hostile-aggressive, anxious-fearful, and hyperactive-distractible behaviours.⁹

The room layout is also important, and according to Anita Olds¹⁰, indoor space for children should be designed to support four basic needs. It should:

• Encourage movement, so that infants and toddlers can move freely and safely
• Support comfort with soft materials and colours
• Foster competence, allowing children to have a variety of things to do by having easily accessible activities
• Encourage sense of control, by creating private spaces such as cubbies, window seats, elevated lofts or nooks

Physical boundaries between spaces  are important for children. They affect children’s ability to feel safe and to see caregivers and others at play. They guide flow and provide security for children’s focused play. Boundaries encourage other children to join an activity, aid children in transitions from independent to whole group tasks, and promote feelings of safety and security.

Boundaries and defined activity areas can be used to create private spaces, which are important for children’s development of self and personal identity. Private spaces can be created with window sills, in cubbies, or in reading corners. 

The entryway is also important to support transitions as children are dropped off and picked up. It’s important there is enough space that most of the group can get changed into outdoor and indoor clothing at the same time. 

Beyond space and layout, lighting and noise play a crucial role in both staff  satisfaction and child well-being.¹¹  Natural light is essential and it’s recommend that every room children occupy have windows and natural light. Excessive noise has been found to negatively impact children’s experiences, and hinders educators’ ability to focus. High noise levels can also increase staff’ irritability, disrupt sleep, and negatively impact work performance and mental well-being.

Materials and equipment play a crucial role in shaping the  physical environment of a child care centre. Community Playthings outlines a number of elements that contribute to an effective room design, fostering a positive early learning environment. 

Another key element for indoor design is ensuring that furniture and structures are scaled appropriately for children. Child-sized furniture increases comfort, productivity, and learning, because “children’s size limits their ability to interpret large spaces, interact with larger numbers of strangers, or understand complex areas and large building elements”.¹² 

In summary, it’s important indoor children’s play spaces provide:

• Adequate square footage per child (minimum 4m² per child preferred)
• Flexible room layouts that allow for quiet, active, and exploratory zones
• Soundproofing and natural lighting to create a calm environment.
• Flooring and furniture of good quality, welcoming of children, and of long-lasting, non-porous  material that are easy to clean
• Ergonomic furniture and adequate storage for children and staff.

Image source: Community Playthings

Outdoor Space Design

Designing and constructing outdoor play spaces involves numerous considerations beyond the basic regulatory requirements.¹³ There are, though, many other considerations for creating an outdoor play environment that supports children’s growth and development and staff wellbeing. 

Minimum outdoor space requirements vary across regulations and guidelines. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) recommends a minimum of 7m² per child for all those outside at one time, yet states that 9-18 m² is preferable. In contrast, provincial and territorial regulations mandate between 2 and 7 m² per child.¹⁴

The amount of available outdoor space is important as research indicates that in less crowded playgrounds, preschool children “seem to be engaged in more physical activities, more complex play interactions, less school-oriented activities and more aggressive behaviours”.¹⁵   Thus, while less crowded playgrounds overall show positive impacts on behaviour, some studies show mixed results in terms of the impact on aggressive behaviours. This suggests that square footage is not the only important factor for outdoor space; the landscape and equipment are also important, as outlined below.  

Studies show that outdoor spaces are more effective when they are directly adjacent to indoor spaces.¹⁶ Olds emphasized  that, “ideally each group room will connect to an outdoor play yard, at grade, which includes a 10-15-foot deep covered porch next to the building”.¹⁷ 

The Role of Landscaping and Natural Elements

Research suggests that landscaping is key to a successful outdoor play environment, where “an intriguing mix can inspire children to engage in all sorts of creative explorations and make-believe”.¹⁸ This might include paths and natural elements that children can explore on their own.  For example, children prefer natural or mixed (natural and manufactured) settings, including a variety of materials and elements.¹⁹ 

Moreover, the inclusion of living   landscapes, and natural elements, have the potential to encourage cognitive, social and emotional development.²⁰ Studies found that adding natural materials to existing outdoor environments led to increase in play with natural materials, independent play and prosocial behaviours, and a decrease in antisocial behaviours and physical activity.²¹

In summary, when designing outdoor spaces it’s important to

• Ensure on-site outdoor areas are directly accessible from classrooms
• Incorporate natural elements and loose parts play areas.
• Avoid large, flat spaces; instead, create varied landscapes.
• Use soft surfaces such as sand, wood chips, and grass.

Image: UBC Westbrook

Support and auxiliary spaces

While the design of indoor and outdoor child-centred spaces is essential for children and educators, it is also important to consider auxiliary spaces for staff, parents and other visitors. Well-designed auxiliary areas contribute to the overall functionality, comfort, and efficiency of a child care centre.

Office administration should be visible from the entry, communicating an atmosphere that is welcoming and friendly. Additionally one or more adult accessible washrooms should be located near the entry and administration area to accommodate staff and visitors.

Staff rooms should offer both practical and restorative spaces. Olds suggests that staff rooms should provide areas for rest and solitude, for working and storing personal belongings (such as desks and closets). With increasing expectations about educator qualifications, practice and reflection there is a need for space for pedagogical documentation and programming for meeting, planning and creating with colleagues. The staff room should also facilitate private discussions with parents when needed.

A laundry area should be located near the area of greatest use, usually the infant and toddler area, but separate from the kitchen and child care areas. It should include a deep sink for soaking, open shelves for supplies, and folding space for baskets and dirty and clean items.

Kitchens are an important place for a staff member to cook healthy meals, and also can be a space for children to feel more comfortable, to learn dietary and cooking skills. Although children are typically not allowed in the kitchen area, a well-designed kitchen may include a viewing window or a small room off the kitchen where children can help prepare meals.

Images: Meeting room at Copper House (Left); Kitchen at Copper House (Right)

Storage is a fundamental component of quality child care design, impacting both classroom organization and the well-being of educators and children. This includes adequate storage within classrooms that are accessible to children, as well as auxiliary storage spaces where educators can store materials for future play and activities. Thoughtful organization of materials ensures that educators can efficiently access resources while maintaining a space that is both functional and inviting for children.

Well-designed storage solutions can reduce physical strain on staff, streamline daily operations  and help children gain independence and learn responsibility.²² 

In summary, support and auxiliary spaces should ensure:

• Adequate space for a dedicated staff room
• The office and reception areas are visible from the entry and have a welcoming atmosphere
• Staff work space for planning and collaboration, and adult washrooms are located away from children’s play areas; ensure adequate staff storage
• Locate laundry facilities near areas of highest use, usually the infant and toddler areas
• Include in kitchen designs a viewing window or space for children to help prepare meals or snacks
• Storage space should be included in both the classroom space and auxiliary storage with materials for future play and activities

Strategies to elevate design standards beyond regulations

With this knowledge about why space matters, and what design elements should be considered when building and renovating child care centres, this spotlight report concludes with five recommendations to policy makers, municipal governments, child care providers, contractors, and architects.   

1. Strengthen local and provincial Planning

• Encourage municipal involvement in site selection
• Identify public land for new child care centres

2. Update and align provincial regulations

• Conduct regulatory reviews to update outdated space and design requirements
• Ensure alignment between provincial regulations and provincial and municipal design guidelines

3. Incentivize high-quality infrastructure through funding

• Link capital grants to adherence to evidence-based design guidelines
• Establish funding structures that reward best practices

4. Enhance stakeholder collaboration

• Require input from ECE professionals, architects, and policymakers in design planning
• Establish regional planning teams to oversee new child care developments

5. Increase public awareness of the physical environment’s impact

• Develop informational resources for policymakers, providers, and parents
• Promote design excellence through research-based advocacy

Conclusion

As Canada expands its ELCC system, physical space quality must be a priority. The current regulatory landscape does not reflect best practices, and action is needed at multiple levels of government. By adopting evidence-based design principles, updating regulations, and linking funding to quality, we can ensure child care environments support the well-being and development of children and staff.

Appendix

Provincial and territorial design guidelines

Links to useful resources

Below is a list of easily accessible online resources. A full list of resources and research that contributed to this Spotlight report is listed in the Bibliography.

1. Community Playthings
2. Quality by Design (Jane Beach and Martha Friendly)
3. The 7 Cs Outdoor Playbook (Susan Herrington and colleagues)
4. The Education Hub
   1. Indoor Spaces
   2. Outdoor Spaces
5. White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group
6. Encyclopaedia on Early Childhood Development
7. The Developmentally Appropriate Design of Child Care Facilities (Gary Moore)
8. Child care design guide (Anita Olds).

Footnotes

1. The Education Hub, 2020. ↩︎
2. Berti et al, 2019, p1010 ↩︎
3. Olds, 2001; Shell, 2015 ↩︎
4. Beach and Friendly, 2005 ↩︎
5. Olds, 2001; Berti et al, 2019 ↩︎
6. Moore, 1994; Olds, 2001 ↩︎
7. Childcare Resource and Research Unit, 1995. ↩︎
8. Moore, G.T. 1994 ↩︎
9. Olds, 2001 ↩︎
10. Olds, 2001 ↩︎
11. Berti et al., 2019, p1002 ↩︎
12. Olds, 2001, p85 ↩︎
13. Moore et al., 2019 ↩︎
14. Beach and Friendly, 2005, p14 ↩︎
15. Berti et al., 2019 ↩︎
16. Nelson, 2019 ↩︎
17. Olds, 2001, p78 ↩︎
18. Olds, 2001, p412 ↩︎
19. Berti et al., 2019, p1000 ↩︎
20. Herrington & Lesmeister, 2006; Moore & Sugiyama, 2007 ↩︎
21. Brussoni et al, 2017 ↩︎
22. Bedford, 2019 ↩︎

Bibliography

Beach, J. and Friendly, M., 2005.Quality by design: Child care centre physical environments. Working documents. Childcare Resource and Research Unit: Toronto.

Bedford, M., 2019. Cold and crowded: The early childhood education environments (ECEE) study. Doctoral thesis, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Berti, S., Cigala, A., & Sharmahd, N., 2019. Early Childhood Education and Care Physical Environment and Child Development: State of the art and Reflections on Future Orientations and Methodologies. Educational Psychology Review, 31(4), 991-1021. 

Brussoni, M., Ishikawa, T., Brunelle, S., & Herrington, S., 2017. Landscapes for play: Effects of an intervention to promote nature-based risky play in early childhood centres. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 54, 139-150. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2017.11.001 

Child Care Now, 2024. How provinces and territories are funding the capital costs of expansion. Author.

Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC, 2022. Child care and the Environment: Intersections and Opportunities. Vancouver: Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC.

Childcare Resource and Research Unit, 1995. Child care by design. Video based on the work of Professor Gary T. Moore

Doherty, G., Friendly, M., & Beach, J., 2003. OECD thematic review of early childhood education and care: Canadian background report. 

The Education Hub (2019). Designing indoor spaces for living and learning. Author.

Herrington, S., Lesmeister, C., Nicholls, J., & Stefiuk, K., 2006. 7C’s: An informational guide to young children’s outdoor play spaces. Consortium for Health, Intervention, Learning and Development, 1-59. 

Herrington and Lesmeister, 2006. The design of landscapes at child-care centres: Seven Cs, Landscape Research, 31:1, 63-82.

Matthews, E. and Lippen, P., 2020. The design and evaluation of the physical environment of young children’s learning settings. Early Childhood Education Journal, 48:171-180.

Moore, G. T., 1994. The Developmentally Appropriate Design of Child Care Facilities. 

Moore, G. T., 2002. Designed environments for young children: Empirical findings and implications for planning and design. Children and young people’s environments, 53-63.

Moore, G. T., & Sugiyama, T., 2007. The Children’s Physical Environment Rating Scale (CPERS): Reliability and validity for assessing the physical environment of early childhood educational facilities. Children, Youth and Environments, 17(4), 24-53.

Moore, R. et al. 2019. Early Childhood Outdoor Play and Learning Spaces (ECOPALS): Achieving Design Quality. Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development.

Moorehouse, P., n.d. Outdoor environments: developing outdoor learning spaces. Community Playthings.

Nelson, 2019. Guidelines for Designing and Equipping Outdoor Play Yards. Community Playthings

OECD, 2004. Canada Country Note. Thematic Review of Early Childhood Education and Care. Paris: OECD Publishing. 

OECD, 2011. Starting Strong III: A Quality Toolbox for Early Childhood Education and Care, Starting Strong, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264123564-en 

Olds, A.R., 2001. Child care design guide. Blacklick, Ohio: McGraw-Hill.

Shaw, J., 2010. The building blocks of designing early childhood educational environments. Undergraduate Research Journal For The Human Sciences, 9(1). 

Shell, S., 2015. Effect of the physical environment on teacher satisfaction with indoor environmental quality in early learning schools. 

Stoecklin & White, 2012. Designing quality child care facilities. UK: Community Playthings.

van Liempd, I. H., Oudgenoeg–Paz, O., & Leseman, P. P. (2020). Do spatial characteristics influence behavior and development in early childhood education and care?. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 67, 101385.

Vancouver Coastal Health, 2016. Design Resource for Child Care Facilities. Author: Vancouver.

Wardle, F. 2010. Creating indoor environments for young children. Community Playthings, UK. https://www.communityplaythings.co.uk/learning-library/articles/creating-indoor-environments-for-young-children.  

White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group, n.d. Top 10 Mistakes Made in the Interior Design of Child Care Centers. Author.

Acknowledgements

ISBN 978-1-0678419-4-2 (web)

The opinions and interpretations in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Employment and Social Development Canada.