Solutions / Education
Daycare rooms
Calmer rooms for young children and the people who care for them.
What usually goes wrong
- Noise builds up quickly with many small children.
- Staff voices tire.
- Nap rooms are not quiet enough.
The main noise sources are children's voices, toys and music. Sound bounces off hard walls, floors and ceilings, so it lingers and builds up. Absorbing panels soak up those reflections.
Where the panels go
- Upper walls above child height.
- Ceiling tiles over play areas.
- Wipeable panels near eating areas.
Mistakes to avoid
- Mounting soft fabric at child height.
- Using adhesive mounting.
Fire rating and codes
Day care occupancy: Class A finishes and secure mechanical mounting; avoid anything children can pull off.
Blocking sound between rooms
Panels make a room sound better, but they don’t stop sound passing through a wall. For that you need a wall assembly rated around STC 50, for nap rooms next to play rooms. Read about STC ratings and soundproofing.
Recommended
Panels that suit daycare rooms
Learning center
14 guides for daycare rooms
Acoustic panels for daycare rooms: the complete guideWhat makes daycare rooms noisy, which panels fix it, and how to plan treatment from start to finish.How many acoustic panels does a daycare and early learning need?A worked Sabine calculation for a typical daycare room, with panel counts for small, typical and large rooms.Where to put acoustic panels in a daycare and early learningWhere panels do the most good in daycare rooms, in priority order.Wall acoustics for daycare roomsHow walls behave acoustically in daycare rooms and how to treat them with panels.Ceiling acoustics for daycare roomsClouds, baffles and ceiling tiles for daycare rooms, and how much of the ceiling to cover.Choosing panel thickness for a daycare and early learning1, 2 or 4 inches: which thickness suits daycare rooms and why.Reverberation time targets for daycare roomsThe reverberation time to aim for in daycare rooms, and why it matters.What acoustic treatment costs for a daycare and early learningBudget estimates for treating a typical daycare room, and where the money goes.Fabrics, colors and shapes for daycare roomsFabric types, colors and shapes that work in daycare rooms.Fire ratings and code requirements for panels in daycare roomsFire ratings, occupancy rules and mounting requirements for panels in daycare rooms.Installing acoustic panels in a daycare and early learningTools, hardware and step-by-step installation for panels in daycare rooms.Common acoustic mistakes in daycare roomsThe errors we see most often in daycare rooms, and how to avoid them.Soundproofing and STC ratings for daycare roomsWhen daycare rooms need soundproofing, which STC rating to aim for, and how to get there.Daycare and early learning acoustics checklist and FAQA one-page checklist and answers to common questions about daycare room acoustics.