That young children need space seems an unsurprising statement. So unsurprising that it scarcely needs further examination, to say nothing of further thought. But what is really meant by "space" when considered in the context of young children in school and their developing needs? Various studies have mostly described the actual physical spaces available and organised for children and frequently refer to their relevance in understanding power structures within schools. However, not many seem to have emphasised the actual nature of the different kinds of "spaces" that children need, inhabit and experience in their school lives. In this paper, the author argues that if more is understood about the different characteristics and potential of these spaces, not only would more appropriate schooling be provided, it might also help to interpret children's responses and behaviours in a much more insightful way. Adults have forgotten, and therefore fail to recognise, what it is to learn how to negotiate the nature of the differing spaces that make up the frequently puzzling and sometimes threatening, social and physical world of school for young children.