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I don't allow circling or running.
When any animal with a beating heart is circling they are esculating. I want the kids to stay calm, balanced, stable, relaxed. I don't want the excitement that comes with circling.
Kids who don't have a natural circle area will be less likely to run/chase each other BUT even when the natural circle areas are blocked they will create one with items. I call it "posting". They set up a post and circle it either with their bodies or with their toys on the floor. They usually just do it with two or more kids... not when they are by themselves. When we see them set up a "post" or the circling they do once they agree on a post we tell them to pick up the item and move it. We also don't allow them to use each other, their parents, or us as a post to circle around.
Posting and circling is a "root" behavior that children do BEFORE they start to get physical with the toys or each other. Stop the behavior at the root and you will be able to lessen the chances of the child acting out physically.
You will see children using their parents as posts when they arrive or depart. This is something that is common even if the arrival and departure area is very small. I just had a kid the other day who had to stay late. When her Mom was explaining to me why she was delayed her daughter decided to try to circle using her Mom as her post. She got half way around the circle and smacked her ear against my front door knob REALLY hard. She let out a cry I've never heard from her.
Four years of her being in my care and she's never had even a band aid but one minute with her Mom in the house and in the midst of breaking my rules she whacks her head into my door knob. 
When any animal with a beating heart is circling they are esculating. I want the kids to stay calm, balanced, stable, relaxed. I don't want the excitement that comes with circling.
Kids who don't have a natural circle area will be less likely to run/chase each other BUT even when the natural circle areas are blocked they will create one with items. I call it "posting". They set up a post and circle it either with their bodies or with their toys on the floor. They usually just do it with two or more kids... not when they are by themselves. When we see them set up a "post" or the circling they do once they agree on a post we tell them to pick up the item and move it. We also don't allow them to use each other, their parents, or us as a post to circle around.
Posting and circling is a "root" behavior that children do BEFORE they start to get physical with the toys or each other. Stop the behavior at the root and you will be able to lessen the chances of the child acting out physically.
You will see children using their parents as posts when they arrive or depart. This is something that is common even if the arrival and departure area is very small. I just had a kid the other day who had to stay late. When her Mom was explaining to me why she was delayed her daughter decided to try to circle using her Mom as her post. She got half way around the circle and smacked her ear against my front door knob REALLY hard. She let out a cry I've never heard from her.
Four years of her being in my care and she's never had even a band aid but one minute with her Mom in the house and in the midst of breaking my rules she whacks her head into my door knob. 
You have an answer for everything! Which I LOVE!! The answer is never short and but ALWAYS makes complete sense! I swear that you just need to have a thread all your own and we can post questions and get answers without having to weed through all the other posts.... Right after I read your response I had a DCM come in with her 3 yr old and wouldn't ya know he began circling her like a post...I couldnt stop laughing because I had never noticed this before.... Now my question is, Do you stop them from doing it? Allow them to do it? Only at pick up/drop off? Not at all? Since it is a natural behavior do you give them a space to do it in? Do they stop or outgrow it? I read where you said they have to pick up and move their item, but don't they just try to do it anyways again somewhere else? If it is natuaral, why shouldn't they be allowed to do it? (Circle, not run)
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