It's widely known that students benefit from schools swapping out desks with more comfortable seating arrangements. Adaptive, mobile, foam soft seating is the ultimate tool for creating a flexible, inclusive, active-learning environment. MooreCo's three new lines of lightweight, durable, All Foam Soft Seating encourages choice and fosters autonomy, allowing students and teachers to create personal spaces or collaborative breakout spaces. Students become agents in their learning and begin to place value on their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Let MooreCo help you meet the needs of your students with flexible seating!

Why is flexible seating beneficial to students?

At MooreCo, we believe that thoughtfully designed products can help students make monumental leaps in six essential areas of their development. Our Thrive Philosophy is based on expert research into the physical, intellectual, psychological, social-emotional, spiritual, and moral needs of students and how our products help met those needs.

All Foam Soft Seating is the newest addition to our inclusive, versatile, adaptable line of products. Presented in three collections, All Foam Soft Seating is not just about comfort and playfulness, it’s about creating an environment that meets each student where they are developmentally and helps them discover their ideal position for learning. Why should students have comfy chairs? We've outlined the benefits of soft seating  and how it meets specific developmental needs for students to help them thrive. 

Meet Students' Intellectual Needs

Movement ignites areas of the brain that improves cognitive function. Portable seating in inventive shapes supports different learning styles and creates a stimulating environment full of imagination, curiosity, and abstract thinking.

Meet Students' Physical Needs

Adaptable, mobile seating accommodates the different physical needs of a diverse group of students. Students can find a position that feels comfortable and benefit from adding movement to their day.

Meet Students' Psychological Needs

An adaptable learning environment gives students a sense of control and autonomy over their space, nurtures their well-being, and cultivates a sense of safety and belonging. Freedom to create a learning environment that fits their personal comfort reduces stress and enhances focus.

Meet Students' Social-Emotional Needs

Flexible learning environments encourage cooperation and collaboration and create an inviting space to explore and connect. Mobile furnishings provide opportunities to strengthen communication skills and team building.

Meet Students' Spiritual Needs

A nurturing, tranquil space where students are physically and mentally supported fosters personal growth and a deeper sense of purpose. Students who have opportunities for internal reflection and emotional exploration are more resilient and better equipped for facing challenges.

Meet Students' Moral Needs

Environments that encourage collaborative seating and interaction fosters sharing, inclusivity, and mutual respect amongst peers. By encouraging playful, productive engagement, students learn about one another and develop empathy, cooperation, and community.

What Does Research Say About Flexible Seating?

Countless studies have been conducted to pinpoint what helps student process, retain, and apply information they learn in school. We know that fixed seating doesn't work for the majority of students and even if students can stay focused in fixed seating, it's usually for only a short time.

Edutopia interviewed schools who implemented student-chosen, flexible seating and reports:

• Improved grades
• Happier, more engaged students
• More students participating in invigorating conversations

Students as young as 5 or 6 were able to identify and explain why they chose their seat. One kindergartener discovered she was a belly reader. When her class transitioned to reading activities, she moved to the floor where she was more comfortable. Krishan, a seventh grader, explains, "Since [our teacher] lets us choose, we ultimately choose what's best for us. We work better together and individually."

Reading specialist at The Reading Roundup asks parents and teachers, "Where do you read when you're relaxing at home with a new book?" Most likely you're not sitting at the kitchen table in a ridged chair. Why do we expect students to sit formally at a table and chair during independent reading or working time? Her dedicated reading nook, full of different comfortable seating options, is so popular students stop by asking for more reading time!

Teachers are so convinced that flexible seating gives their students the optimum learning environment, they hand make seat pads, floor pads, and other soft seating options. Let MooreCo help you give your teachers the durable, sturdy, safe soft seating options they want in fun, engaging shapes with our three new all foam collections. 

5 Benefits of Mobile, Foam Soft Seating in Educational Environments

Promote Movement Throughout the Day

Traditional rigid seating can limit students' ability to move freely, potentially leading to restlessness and discomfort. Foam soft seating encourages movement and flexibility, allowing students to shift positions and engage in active learning. Movement helps maintain attention and energy levels, releases endorphins, reduces stress, increases happiness and positivity, stimulates the brain, and enhances focus and cognitive function.

Enhance Motor Skill Development

Contributing to overall physical development and coordination, sharpened motor skills is linked to cognitive functions such as spatial awareness and logical reasoning. The ease with which these lightweight seats can be moved encourages children to lift, push, and arrange them, engaging and strengthening their larger muscle groups. Interlocking shapes requires precision and dexterity, enhancing fine motor skills.

Encourage Different Sitting Positions

Foam seating supports a variety of sitting positions, accommodating individual comfort and learning preferences. This adaptability can help reduce the physical strain associated with long periods of sitting and support a more inclusive learning environment where different sensory needs are met.

• Kneeling encourages stability and engages core muscles.
• Sitting in a cross-legged position promotes spinal alignment and flexibility.
• Laying on the stomach stabilizes the body, engages arms, and sharpens fine motor skills. This position also relaxes the body and calms anxiety.
  
  

Support Autonomy and Sense of Control

Providing students with choices in their seating arrangements can empower students to feel more responsible for their own learning, leading to increased engagement and motivation. Foam seating's ease of movement and variety of configurations encourage students to experiment and find what works best for them, fostering a more personalized and effective learning experience.

Nurture Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, + Abstract Thinking

Playful, creative shapes stimulate imagination and abstract thinking. Students will explore spatial relationships and patterns, enhancing their ability to think critically. Dynamic, flexible classroom arrangements encourage students to engage in a variety of activities and collaborative projects. Students can easily form groups, facilitate discussions and teamwork, and develop problem-solving skills in a cooperative environment.

3 Foam Soft Seating Options for Enhancing Student Collaboration

Create a welcoming, comfortable atmosphere, encourage community and cooperation, improve the emotional well-being of students, and increase focus, productivity, and positivity with MooreCo’s three new lines of foam seating. 

Constellation

Shoot for the stars with whimsical celestial shapes that significantly enhance children's cognitive development and abstract thinking. These fanciful designs stimulate imagination and curiosity, encouraging children to engage in creative play and storytelling. By integrating playful, educational elements into their environment, Constellation offers a fun and effective way to nurture a child's intellectual growth while making learning fun.

As they interact with these shapes, students begin to ponder the concepts of space, astronomy, and the broader universe, sparking an early interest in science and nature. Shapes found in nature help children develop spatial awareness and recognize patterns, which are essential skills in problem-solving and critical thinking.

Respite

Lightweight foam lounges designed for young bodies offer a versatile and comfortable seating option in classrooms. The design allows for easy mobility, enabling students to create their optimal learning spaces. Ergonomically designed to reduce strain and promote physical well-being, the curved designs provide lumbar support while elevating the legs to reduce pressure on the lower back. Proper posture has been proven to improve focus and concentration in fidgeting minds and bodies.

Respite provides physical support for restless bodies and freedom for anxious minds to find relief. Practicing self-regulation techniques gives children and adolescents the tools they need to face challenges, respond to stress and pressure, and prepare for life outside of the classroom. Designate rest areas for a physical and mental boost, offer alternative seating for an inclusive, flexible environment, facilitate calming mindfulness exercises, and encourage community by sharing thoughts and ideas in a welcoming environment.

Tinker

Get sparks flying and gears turning with inventive seating in interlocking shapes and provide a unique and engaging way to enhance children's problem-solving and critical thinking skills. STEM-based interactive shapes encourage kids to explore concepts of mechanics and geometry as they play, fostering an early understanding of how different parts can fit and work together. The visually stimulating, tactile nature of Tinker prompts children to experiment with fitting pieces together, improving their spatial reasoning and logical thinking.

Tinker inspires creativity, as children imagine and build various configurations as a team, promoting collaboration and cooperation. By incorporating these playful yet educational elements into their environment, children develop essential cognitive skills in a fun, collaborative, and imaginative manner.

Innovative Ways to Use All Foam Soft Seating in Classrooms, Libraries, and Common Areas

Create inviting, functional spaces with our three collections of All Foam Soft Seating. 3” high floor cushions can be used as seats, back rests, or even work surfaces. 18” high ottomans can create tiered seating and offer different classroom perspectives and vantage points.

Fun, celestial shapes of the sun, moon, stars, and clouds from the Constellation collection add visual stimulus in unsuspecting ways. Tie shapes to curricular objectives, inspire creative collaboration, elevate story time with imaginative props, associate shapes with calming mindfulness exercises, and organize small breakout groups according to shape. 

Gently sloping shapes and sturdy block forms from the Respite collection offer physical support and mental breaks. Designate rest areas for a physical and mental boost, offer alternative seating for inclusivity, associate shapes with calming mindfulness exercises, and organize small breakout groups. 11” high block forms can be used as seats, back rests, or even work surfaces. Lounge seats offer different classroom perspectives and vantage points.

Structural shapes inspired by mathematics and science from the Tinker collection include gears, puzzle pieces, and interlocking geometric shapes. Tie shapes to curricular STEM objectives, inspire hands-on collaboration and experimentation, elevate story time with imaginative props, associate shapes with science and engineering lessons, and organize small breakout groups according to shape. 

How is Foam Soft Seating Made?

MooreCo's All Foam Soft Seating is made with top-quality, high-density foam and durable, easy-to-clean fabrics. Our products are SCS Indoor Advantage Gold Certified and come assembled with breakaway safety zippers and GREENGUARD certified, flame resistant upholstery.

Foam floor pads and ottomans are made of top-quality, high-density anti-microbial foam. Select  ottomans with wooden bases from the Tinker collection are made of top-quality, high-density foam upholstered to a E1/EPA TSCA Title VI/CARB phase 2 compliant plywood bottom with solvent-free Simalfa water-based adhesive and finished with glides or aluminum legs.

Maintenance Tips for Keeping All Foam Soft Seating Clean and Durable

MooreCo's All Foam Soft Seating is made of densely woven, high-quality, durable fabrics. Simply wipe with water-based foam or cleaner for easy maintenance. For more information regarding Momentum fabrics, visit their website.