4 | VS Vereinigte Spezialmöbelfabriken Encouraging movement: Furniture that meets children’s needs Learning with all the senses. Furniture plays a vital role in everyday school activity. Among other things, it determines how physiologically uplifting learning is for pupils and how well social interaction is supported. Does the furniture provide enough scope to satisfy the healthy need to move? Like eating, drinking and sleeping, movement is a basic prerequi- site for our physical and mental well-being. We all move sponta- neously in our everyday lives and it is impossible to overstate the importance of doing so for our overall health and performance. For example, it contributes to the regular activation of our mus- cle and movement sensors that help keep our senses in balance. However, despite these benefits, we often fail to make adequate provisions for spontaneous movement in today’s learning world. As paradoxical as it may seem, even sitting must permit a certain amount of movement. This natural urge to move at all times al- lows the body and mind to remain agile. Scientific studies make it clear that conventional furnishing ar- rangements with fixed tables and chairs cannot optimally en- courage physical and mental development. Sitting still for long periods leads to a standstill – mentally as well as physically. Most importantly, children in particular need to move a great deal more than adults to ensure the harmonious development of their bodies and minds.
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