Hygge

Hygge at Worth Valley Primary School

The term ‘hygge’ means warmth, calmness, a feeling of cosiness and a sense of togetherness that we as a school try to encapsulate all the way from Pre-school up to Year 6. A lot of research on this concept has been carried out by Mrs Richardson and, in particular, has looked at how we can apply the concept of hygge to our lessons and classrooms to help develop a sense of calm and wellbeing and, ultimately, a sense of togetherness for the pupils in our care. Life can be busy and stressful at times for our families, and developing a sense of hygge in our classrooms can only be of great benefit to our learners.

‘In a world that seems to be getting faster, busier and more frantic perhaps there is an even greater need for schools and settings to increase their levels of calmness while fostering comfort and togetherness.’

Kimberly Smith, 2022. Bringing Hygge into the Early Years.

Reducing the glare of having all of the lights on and instead using calming, twinkly lights on boards and in glass jars can help develop the calm, warm hygge feeling. Having calm, relaxing music playing, with images of autumn leaves falling on the whiteboard or a fire flickering when appropriate, has been shown to develop this calmness. Using natural materials as much as possible and having natural boards in classrooms can help develop this feeling too, as can having cosy corners with lovely cushions for reading and chatting. Carrying out activities such as baking and then sharing the baking together, planting seeds and watching them grow into plants over time, reading a story together and sharing hot chocolate can help develop this warm, cosy feeling, which leads to a sense of calm and happiness in school. Being in nature, walking around the local area and school grounds, noticing the changes in season, cloud watching and observing weather conditions have been shown to develop this sense of wellbeing, which can only be of benefit to the mental health of the children and staff in our school.

As a team at Worth Valley Primary School, we are mindful of the ways in which we can develop this feeling on a regular basis for the children, staff members and families in our school to maintain and develop this hygge feeling of calm togetherness.