Some preschool rooms use tables and chairs as seating for the students. If you have a small classroom, tables and chairs are a better choice than rows of desks. Position the tables in the middle of the room with chairs around them. If you need extra space, line up the tables together in groups and put chairs around the tables. Creating a place to sit on the floor is also important for reading time and other activities in the preschool classroom. Place this area in a corner to keep it out of the way.
When space is limited, storage and organization is even more important. Use a storage container rack along the edges of the classroom to store art supplies, nap mats, winter clothing, paper, writing utensils and other supplies. Using storage racks works best because you can maximize the vertical space, as well as the floor space. Bookshelves along the walls can provide you with a place to store books and other objects, such as stuffed animals and larger toys that don't fit in the bins.
Play is a critical part of the preschool classroom. Because of this, you need to supply activity areas, such as a play kitchen, a sand and water table or a pretend center for your students. Designate an entire corner of your room for these activities. Arrange them in a way that separates this area from the rest of the classroom to give the students the impression they are really in a different area. For instance, if you use a play kitchen, face its back to the classroom so students play between the kitchen and the wall of the classroom.
Open spaces provide your preschool students with plenty of room to be creative in their imaginative play, which is an important aspect of preschool. Creating open spaces can be more difficult in a small classroom. Arrange as much of the furniture against the wall as possible. Tables and chairs work better away from the wall, but many other items in a preschool classroom can fit flat against the wall, such as storage shelves and activity centers. The more furniture you fit against the wall, the more open floor space you have to allow your students to let their imaginations run wild.
Make full use of bulletin boards to display artwork and provide students with information. You can even use bulletin boards in place of easels. Instead of positioning easels in your open spaces, you can tack paper to the bulletin boards and allow the students to create their projects on the bulletin board instead. This will save you space and allow you to creatively use your classroom in new ways.