Creative activities for the children in your child care center should foster creative development. Creative activities should promote expression, encourage spontaneity in material usage, and introduce children to textured materials.

A leaf mural is a creative activity that supports creative development and teaches children in child day care centers about seasons. Begin by introducing the children to the concepts of autumn/fall. Read age appropriate board books and picture books that feature the season fall. Take the children on a nature walk. Discuss the signs and symbols of autumn. Let the children collect fall items like leaves, acorns and pine cones. Discuss the colors, textures, smells.  Bring them back to the class and sort all of the items. You may save these items for other fall crafts. (more…)

Activities for young children in child care centers should include physical gross motor activities. Through gross motor activities, preschool age children learn to master balance, spatial orientation, laterality, and the coordination of major muscles.

Children in your daycare center can learn gross motor skills by practicing and by participating in activities which involves hopping, jumping, and climbing. Activities that involve tossing, catching and kicking objects are also great examples of activities that promote the development of gross physical motor skills.

Activity Materials List (more…)

Once you have some experience and education under your belt, your next question may be “where can I find job at a daycare center in my area”? There are a variety of ways to find a lucrative childcare job.

There are two ways to go about finding daycare jobs online. One is to post an advertisement on an online classified ad website like Craigslist.com.  You may also post your resume on general employment websites such as Careerbuilder.com, Monster.com or HotJobs.com. Posting your resume on the internet is a great way to let a variety of employers know that you are ready and available for work.

Another way to find childcare jobs online is to search in childcare job directories or join on online service that specializes in connecting qualified childcare providers with families, daycare centers, and preschools.

Childcare Job Websites (more…)

Early learning goals for preschool age children involve creative development objectives. According to Mary Mayesky*, “People who work with young children need to understand creativity and have the skills to help and encourage children to express their creative natures. They should realize the importance of creativity for both children and teachers. They should be able to identify creativity in children and be able to help them develop a willingness to express this creativity”.

Preschool teachers and daycare providers have the opportunity to promote creative development by providing art activities that explore an array of media and materials. Creative art activities should also encourage imagination.

This Halloween Cookie Cutter Art lesson plan includes the materials list, preparation instructions and procedures for this activity. Also included are age appropriate learning objectives and an example of the simple supporting verbal cues required to encourage participation and support learning in a child day care center. (more…)

A child care contract assures that there are no misunderstandings between you and your clients. It also protects you and your business from potential litigation. The contract states requirements and policies that both you and your clients must follow. A daycare contract form should include at least the following:

Hours of Operation: List the days and hours your child care center will be open for business.  Also detail any holidays you will be closed or any other days that the child day care center will be closed, if applicable.

Fees and Payments:  State the fees per week or month. Be explicit about whether or not sick days, holidays and vacation days are paid days. Some things to consider and disclose: When are weekly and month fees due? What are the consequences if fees are unpaid? (Termination? Suspension? ) How much will you charge for returned checks? How many returned checks will you allow before the client must pay in cash? (more…)

Thanksgiving is celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November to commemorate a feast in 1621 that the Pilgrims shared with Native Americans. Thanksgiving is also celebrated in Canada on the second Monday in October in order to give thanks for a bountiful harvest.

Celebrate Thanksgiving in your daycare center by reading age appropriate stories that focus on the symbols of Thanksgiving and by implementing Thanksgiving themed activities.

Consider the following reading lists and resources for free Thanksgiving worksheets, coloring pages, and handwriting practice sheets for your child care center:

Reading List

Thanksgiving Board and Picture Books Baby-Age 3

Happy Thanksgiving, Emily by Claire Mauserel and Susan Calitri [Puffin, 2004]

Turkeys Never Gobble by Joan Holub and Jennifer Beck Harris [HarperFestival, 2002]

Happy Thanksgiving (Wee Board Book) by Wendy Cheyette Lewison [Grosset & Dunlap, 1993]

My First Thanksgiving Tomie dePaola [Grosset & Dunlap, 2008] (more…)

While most art supplies for children are tested for safety, many products still include toxins like lead, silica, dioxins, and arsenic that are potential health hazards. Today many companies produce green (or environmentally friendly) art supplies for children.

For example, their crayons may be made from soy instead of petroleum and colored pencils may be made from made from recycled wood instead of destroying new living, growing trees. If you decide to make the investment in environmentally friendly or green art supplies for use in your childcare center, consider purchasing them from the following companies:

Stubby Pencil Studio:  Stubby Pencil Studio offers non-toxic, recycled, fair trade, educational, sustainable or environmentally responsible products. Here you can purchase aprons and tools, crayons, chalk, colored pencils, office supplies, molding clay, graphite pencils, paints and paint brushes, and sketch books. Stubby Pencil Studio also offers environmentally friendly craft kits. Order online or by phone. (more…)

Fall is in full swing! The leaves are changing colors and falling and the air is nice and brisk.  As many child daycare centers begin to implement fall themed activities, consider this pumpkin sorting activity. Pumpkin sorting is a fun autumn-themed activity that supports cognitive development.

Cognitive Development in Preschoolers

Cognitive development focuses on developing functions of the brain such as thinking, learning, awareness, judgment, and processing information. According to developmental psychologist Jean Piaget, children go through several stages of cognitive development and learning activities for toddlers and children should correspond to the appropriate developmental stage.

Pumpkin sorting is a cognitive activity for preschoolers that helps them learn and practice the skills of classification, relationships, and counting. This lesson plan includes preparation instructions, procedures, and materials list for this activity. The lesson plan also includes age-appropriate learning objectives and examples of the simple supporting verbal cues necessary to encourage participation and support learning in child care centers.

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Through storytelling and activities, celebrate and teach young children in your daycare center about  the season autumn (or fall).  This resource list will provide you with a fall themed reading list and free autumn themed  printable worksheets and activities for young children in child daycare centers.

Reading List

Autumn Board Books and Picture Books (Baby – Age 3)

Dappled Apples by Jan Carr and Dorothy Donohue [Holiday House, 2001]

Leaf Baby: Baby Seasons Board Books by Mary Bridgid Barrett and Eve Chwast [Red Wagon Books, 1998]

Autumn by Gerda Muller [Floris Books, 1994]

Fall: Seasons Board Books by Chris L. Demarest [Red Wagon Books, 1996]

5 Little Pumpkins by Michael Scott [Hyperion Books, 2003]

One Fall Day by Molly Bang [Greenwillow books, 1994]

Pumpkin Baby by Jane Yollen and Susan Mitchell [Key Porter Books, 2009] (more…)

Thanksgiving is celebrated in the United States on the 4^th Thursday of November to commemorate a feast in 1621 that the Pilgrims shared with Native Americans. Thanksgiving is also celebrated in Canada on the second Monday in October in order to give thanks for a bountiful harvest.

Daycare providers can create a Thanksgiving lesson plan filled with fun, educational activities.  First provide children with a brief summary of the meaning of Thanksgiving.  It is appropriate to discuss the story of Thanksgiving and the spirit of thankfulness, along with the symbols associated with Thanksgiving with the children in your licensed home daycare.  The traditional Thanksgiving symbols include turkeys, pilgrims, Indian corn, autumn leaves, and cornucopia. Your Thanksgiving lesson plan should include activities in a variety of areas of development.

Thanksgiving Craft for Preschoolers (more…)