Xbrick in everyday elementary school life – movement as the key to learning • Xbrick®

For children, movement is much more than just letting off steam. It is the driving force, expression, and foundation for development and learning. This is particularly evident in elementary school: children learn with their bodies—by doing, experiencing, and trying things out. Educational and neuroscientific findings from recent decades make it clear that learning and movement are inextricably linked. While lessons used to be characterized by long periods of sitting and rigid structures, today the focus is on a holistic understanding of learning: children should learn actively, self-effectively, and with all their senses. Movement is not seen as an interruption, but as an integral part of the learning process.

Learning with your head, heart, and hands—what children really need

According to Jean Piaget, children of elementary school age are predominantly in the so-called concrete operational stage (between the ages of 7 and 11). At this stage of development, they begin to think logically, understand cause-and-effect relationships, and apply rules – but still closely tied to concrete, vivid experiences. This means that children understand connections best when they are allowed to act, try things out, observe, and perceive. Abstract concepts, pure theory, or long verbal explanations often fall short. Movement, material experience, and sensory impressions therefore form the bridge between thinking and understanding. Learning in elementary school requires spaces and materials that enable this physical and sensory dimension of learning. Flexible, movement-friendly furniture is a crucial tool for this—it creates space for natural activity and thus for sustainable learning.

The idea of the active school – a change in education

The roots of the active school go back to the 1980s. The concept was developed based on the realization that more exercise in everyday school life not only makes children physically healthier, but also improves their cognitive performance and emotional balance. In Germany, systematic implementation began in the early 1990s, inspired by sports educators such as Urs Illi and initiatives from the school health sector. Today, the Active School is an internationally recognized concept. It aims not only to create “more exercise,” but also to establish an exercise-friendly school culture. This includes four central pillars:

Active teaching – learning with movement elements and activating methods
Active breaks – spaces and materials that enable spontaneous play
Movement-friendly environment – flexible furniture, zoning, and room design
Movement in school organization – rituals, cooperation, child participation

The goal is to understand movement as a natural part of teaching and school life. The focus is not on one hour of physical education per week, but on the attitude that movement is part of learning.

Embodied learning – when the body thinks

Modern learning research has built on Piaget’s findings. The term “embodied learning” is now used to describe how thinking, perception, and movement are closely intertwined. The body is not only the vessel of the mind, but also an active part of learning. When children use their bodies – for example, when building, balancing, gesturing, or rearranging the room – they anchor knowledge more deeply in their memory. Movement becomes a form of thinking. Studies in cognitive and neuroscience show that physical activity supports the formation of new neural connections and stabilizes learning processes. In everyday elementary school life, this means that learning spaces must not only allow for movement, but also specifically encourage it. Lessons that combine phases of sitting, standing, walking, and collaborative design correspond to children’s natural learning rhythms.

Montessori, Reggio, SOL – learning through doing and self-organization

Movement is also firmly anchored in many progressive educational approaches. Children should be allowed to explore their environment, try things out, and understand them independently. Materials and furniture are not used for discipline, but for self-activity. The Reggio approach describes the room as the “third teacher” – a learning environment that invites action, discovery, and communication. Movable, versatile furniture supports exactly that.

The concept of self-organized learning (SOL) also ties in with this: children take responsibility for their own learning, shape their environment, and change their working methods and positions. Movement and room design become visible expressions of this self-control.

All these concepts are united by the conviction that learning is most successful when children are allowed to be active – physically, mentally, and socially.

The room as a co-player – movement-friendly learning environments

In many elementary schools, learning spaces are currently undergoing fundamental changes. Instead of rigid rows of desks, zones for movement, group work, retreat, and creative work are being created. The room becomes a co-player – flexible, changeable, and open.

Furniture that encourages movement is more than just an aesthetic detail. It forms the structural prerequisite for movement to take place naturally. Furniture that is light, stackable, and multifunctional – such as Xbrick – enables children to design their own learning environment.

A stool becomes a table, a platform, a balancing beam, or a presentation stand. The versatility of Xbrick creates spontaneous opportunities for movement: children carry, push, build, and combine. They are active, creative, and design their learning space together. At the same time, this flexibility supports teachers in their didactic work. Teaching methods such as group work, learning stations, or movement phases can be implemented quickly and intuitively without furniture becoming an obstacle.

Movement promotes learning—but also posture, health, and community

The benefits of a movement-friendly learning environment go beyond the mere transfer of knowledge.

Physical: Dynamic sitting and frequent changes of posture strengthen muscles and posture, improve blood circulation, and prevent fatigue.
Cognitive: Movement activates metabolism and oxygen supply, promotes attention, memory, and concentration.
Emotional-social: Moving together creates contact, reduces stress, and strengthens the sense of community in the classroom.

Movement-stimulating furniture such as Xbrick combines these levels. It creates structures in which children can move freely without causing unrest. Movement is not “allowed,” but rather integrated into the educational process.

Xbrick as a learning tool

Xbrick has found its place in elementary schools that embrace the concept of the active school. It supports learning processes because it enables movement, promotes self-organization, and stimulates creativity. Children can change the room in no time at all – from a seating island to a presentation area, from a group corner to an individual work zone. In doing so, they learn to take responsibility: those who change the room actively shape their own learning. This turns a piece of furniture into a learning tool – lightweight, robust, versatile and, above all, educationally meaningful.

Xbrick as a learning tool

Learn more about how Xbrick is used in practice:
Hands-on architecture education for students at Carinthia University of Applied Sciences