When picking wall paint colours for a child care centre, go beyond aesthetics. Studies have shown that specific colours influence learners’ performance, behaviours and emotions. Colour has the power to impact young students’ degree of stimulation & level of concentration. It could help keep a class of preschoolers engaged, including those kids who often seem distracted and disinterested.
So, what are the best colours for classroom walls? The first thing to consider is the age group of the students. With their mental & emotional development, older kids may respond differently to certain colours and shades than pre-school children.
Age matters
Research says that most children don’t like black, grey, brown and white in their learning environments. Instead, here are the following colour preferences for different ages:
- Five to eight-year-olds prefer vibrant colours like red, yellow and orange.
- Nine to ten-year-olds respond better to red, red-orange and green-blue.
- 11 to 12-year-olds prefer yellow and green.
- 13 to 14-year-olds work better with cool colours like blue and ultramarine.
So when designing optimal learning environments in your childcare centre, remember that preschoolers & younger primary school learners work well when surrounded by bright & warm colours. Stick to red, orange and yellow wall paints.
Where & why exactly to use specific wall paint colours
Where and why to use specific colours – another factor to consider when selecting wall paint colours for your childcare centre. The nature of the task or activity is relevant. For instance, when painting the art section of a classroom, you may need specific colours that stimulate creativity. And if you can’t mix and match most of those colours for the walls, you can use them as accents on some furniture pieces.
Here are more tips on where and why to use different wall paint colours in your child care centre:
- Red: Red is an energetic colour that works well with the extroverted nature of most young kids. It also promotes alertness & movement and captures & draws attention to particular areas. You can use red in main activity areas to keep your pre-schoolers engaged during games & other activities.
- Yellow: Yellows appeal to most kids in preschool. Yellow also inspires creativity & spontaneity, making it an ideal choice for the art studios and other areas of your child centre where the students engage in creative & literacy activities.
- Orange: Orange has a similar impact as red, though it’s less stimulating. It helps cheer the spirit and lessen hostility & irritability, making it a good option as a wall paint colour in common areas or anywhere kids have social interactions.
- Green: Light green is a suitable choice for reading areas, where concentration and quietness are necessary. It also nurtures relaxation & inspires creative thinking. If your centre has a library that also caters to primary school-age children from time to time, you can’t go wrong by utilising green in this area.
- Neutrals: While most kids don’t work well in too-white learning environments, neutral colours like white, beige and timber can provide a foundation that allows you to add brighter accent colours. If you want the reds & oranges to pop on your walls, maximise neutrals in other parts of your childcare centre.
Other tips for painting your childcare centre
To reap both the functional & aesthetic powers of colour, here are more tips for painting your childcare centre:
-
- Use no more than six colours in an area. While multiple colours reduce monotony, you shouldn’t use over six colours in a single area. Too many colours can strain the cognitive abilities of young children, so balance is key.
- Paint the wall behind the teacher a different colour from the other walls. It’s an effective way to draw attention to the front of the room during class. It also helps provide an effective contrast to the chalkboard & other teaching materials.
- Pick subtle hues or lighter shades for the side & back walls. Doing so allows students to concentrate better & pay attention to the teacher in front. You can also refer to colour psychology to create ideal colour combinations.
Hire commercial painting services
Want to ensure your child care centre has the best wall paint colours? Hire Mathiou Services. We provide top-notch commercial painting services for different learning facilities throughout Australia. Our team has painted several child care centres over the years, so we know which wall paint colours match harmoniously. Let us work closely with you to create optimal learning environments for your students. Contact us today.