• Tweet

• Tweet

A reader had a dilemma because there was a boy in her care who plays with dolls and prefers to play with the girls. She wondered if she should make him play with the boys and cars or just let him be. We asked our OwnADaycare fans on Facebook what they would do, or if they considered this to be an issue at all.  Answers varied. Leave us a comment and let us know how you feel.

Let the child play with whatever toys he would like. At this age it’s all about exploration, imagination, and having fun and he probably gravitates towards the “girl’s toys” more because he doesn’t have a chance to at home.

• I say let him be. I never choose the daycare toys for the kids. Part of my plan is to teach them the independence they need to make their own choices. I simply offer them lots of choices.
• I would just let him be. He might not have any toys like that at home so it is something different for him to play with. Allot of little boys that have no girl toys at home tend to play with that sort of thing at daycare! Nothing wrong with a little boy wanting to play with “girls” toys!
• Sounds like he’s going to make a great dad. So what if he plays with dolls, are men not allowed to play with babies?
• We have no girl or boy toys, there are just toys here. No worries, let him play. We never seem to worry when girl’s play with cars do we? Why are we so worried about our boys?
• If the parents have a problem with it maybe they need to reevaluate themselves or find other childcare. You can’t start distinguishing “boy” and “girl” things. They need to decide on their own what THEY like to play with,
• Maybe it would be a good idea to encourage him to explore other areas, not to get him to choose more “boy appropriate” activities but for variety. I personally don’t think toys in a daycare setting should be identified as gender specific but it is good for every child to have a variety of interests. Obviously if he has no interest I wouldn’t push it but I would definitely encourage him to explore ALL areas just for variety.
• If the parents don’t have a problem with it I don’t see why it would be an issue.
• All my boys here play with dolls occasionally. And the girls play with the cars and trains. If you exclude the dolls you will have one unhappy boy to deal with.
• I have mostly boys and they dress up in the princess clothes, push strollers and wear heels and my girls play with blocks and trucks.
• Let him be, he is only 5 years old. Don’t make it a big deal. Kids will gravitate towards what they feel comfortable with. My 5 almost 6 year old son when he was 13 months old loved to try on girl shoes because he had a female friend he played with who was 6 months older. Now he is into boy shoes and knows the difference to some degree. They go through phases. He will outgrow it. It’s a cute stage though.
• Let HIM BE!!!! He could be a future teacher, caregiver, Mr. Mom, fashion designer, etc.
• I have issues with toys being labeled at boy toys or girl toys. I encourage all of my kids to play with a variety of toys. If a boy or girl was only playing with dolls and not incorporating other toys into the play, then I’d encourage more play with other things, like blocks and puzzles and math materials and art. But I’m guessing he does play with some other things from time to time. I think every boy that I’ve ever had has played with dolls and worn beautiful gowns. I even have a picture of my son having a fit because another boy was wearing his favorite dress. They also like fingernail polish and bows in their hair.
• I’d say close the dolls for day. If that child then becomes hysterical open it back up, but bring in another toy for him to play with. Or maybe bring in some paper and pencils so he can draw the dolls. You never want to stop a kid from playing with what he chooses to play with because  you feel it’s not appropriate, but u also don’t want him to stick to one activity in your daycare. Kids need variety in their little lives just like we do.
• Personally, if it were my kid I would not make a deal about it, but I would encourage equal play with the other toys. I get what some have said about how toys should not be gender specific, but I also know that reality says that they typically are, not always, but usually they are. My personal beliefs aside, children are very innocent and he may move on to something different on his own. I myself played with my brothers cars and he played Barbies with me, and neither one of us became homosexual. But I can understand the fear of the provider or parent in a world where sexual orientation and just sex in general is pointed out all over our culture. I know my conservative views are not always popular with the culture, but since the question was posed, this was my answer.

Related posts:

• Should You Potty Train Girls and Boys Together? Tweet Tweet One concern among child care providers is potty...
• Daycare and Preschool Math Activities with Cars Tweet Tweet Children in daycare are naturally fascinated by toys...
• Outdoor Equipment for Family Daycare Centers Tweet Tweet Deciding upon play equipment for daycare can be...

• Tweet

• Tweet

Whether it’s lunch for children in your daycare, preschool, or for a field trip, make sure toddlers get proper nutrition by making a well-balanced lunch.  In addition, packing a lunch for your own child is economical and ensures that your child is eating nutritious foods in age-appropriate portions.

Making lunch for preschool-aged children is snap when following these simple guidelines. Lunch should include:

1 item from the milk group:

• Low-fat or fat free milk
• Part-skim mozzarella string cheese or other part-skim cheeses
• Low-fat or 2% cheeses and Low-fat or fat-free yogurt.

Tip: Select yogurt that is lower in sugar, yet does not rely on artificial sweeteners.  When looking at labels, remember that 12 grams of sugar = 1 TBSP.

1 or 2 items from the fruit group

• Fresh fruit salad
• Melon wedges
• Orange
• Banana
• Apple
• Grapes (cut in halves to minimize choking hazard)
• Unsweetened applesauce
• Berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc.)
• Kiwi
• Pears, peaches, nectarines, apricots or plums

1 or 2 vegetables:

• Celery sticks, baby carrots or carrot sticks (cut lengthwise down the middle to minimize choking hazard)
• Cherry or grape tomatoes (cut in halves)
• Cucumber, zucchini or squash sticks
• Grilled or baked eggplant slices
• Coleslaw with low-fat mayo or vinaigrette
• Cooked beans (chickpeas, soybeans, black beans, pinto, low-fat refried, etc.)
• Cooked butternut or other winter squash
• Bell pepper slices
• Avocado slices
• Broccoli or cauliflower
• Lightly blanched green beans or asparagus
• Sugar snap peas
• Spinach or tossed salad

Tip: Fruit roll ups and fruit snacks are not considered a fruit.  Use fruits and vegetable to add color to your child’s lunch.  Include foods with two or more colors from the rainbow along with the neutral colors from grains, meats and dairy products

1 Grain/Bread:

Choose whole grains and breads made from whole grains.  Look for a whole grain to be the first ingredient on the food label.  Avoid grains containing high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils.

• Whole grain bread, whole grain pita bread, whole grain roll
• Whole wheat English muffin or bagel
• Whole grain tortilla
• Potato (sweet or white- baked, mashed or boiled)
• Whole grain pasta
• Brown rice
• Whole grain crackers
• Whole wheat couscous
• Homemade corn muffin
• Read-to-eat whole grain cereal

1 Meat or Meat Alternative

• Chopped egg
• Pumpkin, sunflower or sesame seeds
• Sunflower Butter
• Cottage Cheese
• Meats (chicken, roast beef, turkey, etc.)
• Skinless chicken breast slices
• Cooked beans or low-fat refried beans
• Tofu or tempeh
• Hummus
• Tuna or egg salad

Although nuts are considered a meat alternative, many preschools are a nut free environment due to allergies.  Please do not send nuts or nut butters in the lunch if the child’s preschool makes this request.

You may be wondering, “where is the dessert?” Please do not include sweets (candy, cookies, chips, cakes, etc.) in the toddler’s child’s lunch.  At home, small amounts of unhealthy fats and sweets can be a part of a healthy diet.  Sweets should only be included occasionally in a child’s diet, and always in small amounts.

By following these simple guidelines, you can ensure your child (or a child in your care) is getting a wholesome lunch even when you aren’t in their presence.

Related posts:

• Daycare Menus and Meal Planning Part 1 Tweet Tweet You can easily plan nutritious meals for the...
• Best Foods for Toddlers in Daycare Tweet Tweet Planning meals and snacks for toddlers in daycare...
• Sample Daycare Snack Menu: Snack Suggestions for Daycare Centers Tweet Tweet Planning snacks for toddlers can be daunting. Kids...

• Tweet

• Tweet

With the holidays approaching, daycare owners are trying to figure out what, if anything, to give their daycare kids and parents. We asked the OwnADaycare on Facebook members, “What are some gift ideas for Christmas for your daycare parents”? Our members who are also daycare owners responded to provide their best daycare gift suggestions:

• A gift certificate for a free evening of childcare valid through February until 10 pm and a calendar with pictures of their child at daycare throughout the year.
• I gave my parents some home baked goodies and a small gift for the children, as money was tight. This year I am planning on having a party with the parents in the evening or on a weekend, with a very special visitor and just have lots of food and fun! Do you think I need to give gifts to the parents as well, or just the kiddos? I know one of my parents gave me a nice gift of money last year and I was surprised and pleased.
• I always find some kind of craft project to do with my kids for their parents. Last year we made Christmas wreaths using the kid’s hands. Traced the kids hands on that craft foam stuff in green then I cut out little red circles out of red craft foam for berries then I let the kids help me put them together. I have also made picture frames with my kids and taken a picture of each child to put in their frame.
• My gift to my parents is a free Parent Night Out until 11:00 p.m. on the 3rd Friday of December. I use that time to have our Birthday Party for Jesus. The parents and the children love it every year. I also make some type of craft for the parents from their child.
• A great idea this year for anyone is take a group pic of the kids and make Christmas cards for parents. I give a dinner gift card and a gift for child for Christmas. Every other month I give a small something like box of candy or coffee card.
• My favorite thing to do is to make a DVD of the children and it’s video of Circle Time, Radom free play moments, favorite songs they do, art , etc. the kids love it just as much as the parents and they watch it often.
• We do calendars here. I take small puzzle pieces and spray paint them green, and let kids glue them to a cardboard wreath and add glitter red dots for berries, glue a ribbon for hanging, slide a pic in it to finish it off. I found really cute Santa frames and candles after Christmas last year… $1.00 each so I bought the parents one of each and I will find a cute picture from the last year to put in the frame.
• Every year we give our parents a gift of a calendar that we make with every friends birthday from daycare on it. We use pictures we have taken throughout the year and make a collage for each month. I also get each child a small gift as well and the children make parents a gift as well as a project. At times we have even given a DVD of videos and pictures to each family through the years as well. Coasters made out of square bathroom tiles, homemade picture frames, pencil holder made out of model magic or clay, homemade ornaments.
• I typically do a craft with the kids for a gift for parents. I have baked for parents before. For many years we did a ‘slumber party’ for the kids on a Friday before Christmas and had the kids stay until 8. Made it a Christmas party kind of. Made gingerbread houses, took them caroling through our neighborhood, then came back and put on pj’s and watched a movie and had popcorn. Bottom of Form

Related posts:

• Christmas Gift and Party Ideas for Daycare Providers Tweet Tweet As Christmas approaches, many daycare providers need help...
• Homemade Gift Ideas for Your Daycare Kids Tweet Tweet With the holidays approaching, daycare owners are trying...
• Low Cost Art Supplies and Craft Materials for your Daycare or Preschool Tweet Tweet Kids in daycare love crafting but craft materials...

• Tweet

• Tweet

With the holidays approaching, daycare owners are trying to figure out what, if anything, to give their daycare kids and parents. We asked the OwnADaycare on Facebook members, “what are some homemade gift ideas for Christmas for the children in your daycare”? Our members who are also daycare owners responded to provide their best homemade daycare gift suggestions:

• You could have someone take a picture of you and each child and put them in a frame with a poem. You could take their name and come up with something you adore about them for every letter.I’ve also seen people make an initial craft out of broken crayons, you could do that for each child and frame them in a shadow frame.
• We make t-shirts and or bags with their hand prints (angels, reindeers or Santas) I change each year. Make sure to put your business name on them so they are “advertisement” also.
• Last year I made hand print on a dish cloth with the year and the child’s name with this poem:
  I miss you when we’re not together
  I’m growing up so fast
  See how big I’ve gotten
  Since you saw me last?
  As I grow, I’ll change a lot,
  The years will fly right by.
  You’ll wonder how I grew so quick
  When and where and why?
  So look upon this handprint (these handprints)
  That’s hanging on your wall.
  And memories will come back of me,
  When I was very small.

• I made homemade play dough one year and wrote out the recipe to share with parents. I split the play dough into little baggies wiith ribbon and made a little box with a placement, rolling pin and host of play dough cutters and such. Another year I made little felt boards. I cut out shapes, and the characters to Hungry Caterpillar and Brown Bear to go with it.
• Last year I bought flour sack dish towels a WM for CHEAP and we put hand prints on them in t shirt paint and then I went back and put their names on in a coordinating color. They were AWESOME!
• We give pre-measured dry ingredients for playdough in a ziplock or jar with playdough recipe attached, they will only need to add water and oil!
• Try snowman soup which was a packet of hot chocolate and a candy cane then make a video or slide show of the kids playing & burn to DVDs.
• Snowman soup, reindeer food to sprinkle on Christmas eve, CD of favorite music…write each child’s name beside their request put a group picture on the cover, recipe book — get parents to send couple of favorite family recipes put them together in a cookbook
• I’m gluing/mod podging a picture of each kid on the 6 sides of a block so they have all their friends and dyeing a play silk to wrap it in.
• We’re taking old coffee tins and covering them in red or white to make a Santa or snowman, then use 1/2 Styrofoam ball glue on top as head and decorate! Then the kids make cookies to fill the tin and that’s there presents to their parents Great for any age group.
• Tag blankets for the babies or toddlers, you can make yourself. I am making oat bags for the parents (steal oats and sweat shirt material).
• For Older kids, depending on how crafty you are, you can make a board game and magnets with the kid’s pictures on them to put on their fridge.

Related posts:

• Christmas Gift and Party Ideas for Daycare Providers Tweet Tweet As Christmas approaches, many daycare providers need help...
• Arts and Craft Ideas for Very Young Children in Multi-age Daycare Tweet Tweet Many daycare providers care for groups of multi-age...

• Tweet

• Tweet

Kids in daycare love crafting but craft materials for craft projects can add up over time. Instead of spending your entire paycheck on craft supplies for your daycare business, here are the best ideas from the OwnADaycare Facebook fans to help you find budget friendly craft materials.

Over the summer when school supplies are on sale I stock up. Then I walk every clearance rack in the area looking for things to be creative with. I must say home daycare with 3-6 kids is so much cheaper than trying to do this in a center with 24 kids. HINT! At Staples if you can sign up for the teacher card, whenever they had an item with a really cheap price ,penny to quarter, and the limit was low ask because the limit was raised for teachers, I got like 25 glue bottles for a quarter last summer. I would go every week that the sale started and stock up! When you see it for a good price buy it, then make crafts to fit what you have, instead of buying for a specific craft.

Remember it’s the process not what the end product is. Process art activities ideas are on Internet google and you’ll be surprised what kids learn and how much you save by not doing so many crafts and more art

I use items from home. Baby food containers, cans, coffee cans pop bottles water bottles milk jugs. I watch Hobby Lobby sales on construction paper and Dollar Tree for fun foam and buy “seasonal crafts” after the season 75% off for the next year.

You could always ask the parents to donate. When I worked at a preschool we had a ‘wish list’. We used sticky notes that had written on them the things we wanted/needed for the classroom.  The parents took take the sticky note as a reminder for them to bring it and were usually more than willing to help out since they knew it was beneficial to their kids. That way the parents only have to buy one or two things once in a while instead of you ALWAYS buying everything.

Lots of recycles and look in clearance bins at craft stores (opened packages and stuff), goodwill, yard sales. I recycle a lot of my colored paper, use cereal boxes for tag board (I cut the front and back to use for heavy glue projects). It takes a while to accumulate stuff. Years ago my husband worked driving truck for a paper company and I got so much paper they were throwing out. I am just coming to the end of that stash. The price of even paper is not cheap. That’s when I started cutting up the boxes. I was already recycling them.

Related posts:

• Daycare Art Supplies Storage and Organization Ideas Tweet Tweet Owning and running a daycare can be hectic....
• Arts and Craft Ideas for Very Young Children in Multi-age Daycare Tweet Tweet Many daycare providers care for groups of multi-age...
• Fourth of July Lesson Plan Patriotic Windsock Craft Tweet Tweet Children’s creativity blossoms through rich experience in the...

• Tweet

• Tweet

As Christmas approaches, many daycare providers need help and ideas for selecting Christmas gifts for their daycare kids and parents. They are also in need of Christmas party ideas. We asked the OwnADaycare Facebook Fans who are daycare owners for their best Christmas gift and Christmas party ideas and Christmas activities.

• I do a card for the parents with a disc of their childrens’ picture from throughout the year. Some years I frame a nice picture of their child. I don’t give the parents a store bought gift from me, but i do wrap up a child’s craft to give from the child to their parents. I buy for the children, usually books or puzzles. I am ordering floor puzzles from my children’s school’s book order for my toddlers.
• Last year I gave them a new pair of jammies and a new book and a new small stuffed animal.
• I am making each child a hat, then getting a small gift. Also, I am planning a Christmas craft party with the families to make something. I saw painting canvas’ at the craft for store 7 for $20 and thought that would be a cool present for the parents.
• Last year at the after Thanksgiving Day sales, I bought all my daycare kids 2 and over board games and a stuffed reindeer. The little ones are getting the Fisher price bus that I found on sale at Kohls this summer. I bought the daycare parents a cure frame and candle also at the day after sales.
• I used to make personalized calendars for each family with pictures of that child from throughout the year. But I ran out of time for that the past couple years. For the kids I get them each a gift usually less than $20.
• Last year Costco had some of the cutest hand puppets in sets of four that I separated and gave one to each of my toddler/ young school aged kids. I hope they have them again as I have different children this year and those kids really loved the gifts last year. For parents we do a homemade plate of candy and cookies the kids help make and also ornaments made by the kids.
• I give the kids a book and a small inexpensive toy. I have the kiddos make an ornament for their parents.
• Something I have done in the past is make coupons for the kids with things they could do for parent. Maybe read a book together. Play at make believe together, hugs, pick up toys, lay down and snuggle, watch a movie together, child will make a peanut butter and jelly for lunch for parents and self, put dirty clothes in laundry and sort them, read a book with parent. Then the kids make them into a book and give them to the parent after they try to sign their names. Plus the kids can make pictures that go with whatever holiday. This is very inexpensive.
• I think I am going to do something a little different this year! Paint wood plaques from craft store black, print some cute black/white prints out and modge podge or glue them onto plaque and hot glue decorative ribbon/bow on top for wall hanging! It is adorable and costs about $7 each.
• A slide show! It’s a great keepsake! Parents get to see their children at play at my daycare and the kids love seeing themselves and their friends “on TV”. I put their favorite songs in the background. I still hear from parents, whose children are long gone from my daycare, that they still love watching their slideshows. Plus, very inexpensive (cost of a dvd and a pretty box), parents can take the pictures off of the dvd for their own use, and I show it to prospective parents during the interview so they can get a feel for my daycare. I have a little Christmas “viewing” party so everyone can watch it together the first time.
• I have the kids draw names so they can get their friends a gift. We do a craft for the parents and I get all the kids a little gift.
• I am going to get the kids each a puzzle from Snapfish or Shutterfly with their name on it. I do like the gift exchange idea though too. I also do a party for the kids after daycare hours so that the parents can go out/shopping and have a few hours to themselves. Last year we did a cookie baking party and made gingerbread cookies, ate pizza and they each got an apron and bakers hat.
• We have a “family” Christmas party for the children and their family one evening. We have “family” style dinner (parents bring side dishes, I supply the main course). The children sing a couple of songs, exchange name gifts, get gifts from me and give parents the gifts they made.
• I give the parents a shopping day on a Saturday in Dec and the children and I bake cookies.
• Some years I buy each kid a small gift and some years I buy a large item that stays at daycare for all the kids to enjoy. For example, one year I bought V-tech V-smile with games and one year I bought the teddy bear that interacts with the kids by singing songs and ready stories.
• Last year the kids made their parents a 12 month calendar out of construction paper. For each month we did a different set of hand prints along with a poem that went along with the hand prints. The kids had a blast making them and all the parents loved them! As for the kids, I bought them all a stocking and had them decorate it with glitter and stickers and we hung them up on the wall. I filled their stockings with books, toys and candy. I also had them a Christmas party and surprised them with a special guest.
• Parent Appreciation Night! This is where all the kids spend a night, we do our “Christmas Party” and gift exchange. We draw names and each child buys a gift $10 limit. The parents use that time to shop, date, rest, etc. That is my gift to them.
• Last year I took a clear plastic ball ornament that you can remove the stem that hangs. Inside I filled glittery fake snow and cut out that child’s wishes (whether it be toys they want for Christmas or otherwise). I placed them in with the fake snow. On the ball I wrote, the child’s name and “Wish List”. Then we decorated the stem with ribbon and a faint painted handprint on the other side. LOVE IT! What an awesome keepsake! Each year they could look back at what little Johnny’s wishes were at 4 years old (for example).
• I love to take pictures all year long. I didn’t get a chance to do this last year but hoping to this year. I upload all the pictures to Walgreens. Then I was going to make picture books for the families of their children throughout the year. I gave one mom all the pictures I had taken of her son and his friends. There were over 100 pictures. She loved it.

Related posts:

• Arts and Craft Ideas for Very Young Children in Multi-age Daycare Tweet Tweet Many daycare providers care for groups of multi-age...
• Guest Blogger Jessica Eginoire on Fostering Exceptional Relationships in Daycare Tweet Tweet As a child care provider, our first job...
• Guest Blogger Louise Roberts on the Power of Words in Daycare Part 2 Tweet Tweet Continued from The Power of Words in Daycare...

• Tweet

• Tweet

Many daycare providers care for groups of multi-age children.  It can be challenging to provide arts and craft activities (creative arts activities) for multi-age groups. We asked our OwnADaycare Facebook fans who are daycare owners if they provide arts and crafts activities for young children between 16 months and 20 months of age to take home weekly. Answers varied:

• I do exclusive infant care and find that to be a difficult task!! You kind of find yourself doing the project anyway. I may do some holiday things, but it’s kind of the nice thing for the next step of child care once they a 2 years and move onward!! We do offer crayons and simple manipulation activities though.
• We do!! It is so fun and the parent’s LOVE it! We just made fall flowers with their foot and hand prints.
• I start crafts/lesson plans at 16 months. The younger children do the same thing as the older ones do, but it’s modified to meet their development. We do a letter and number of the week, shape and colors of the month, Bible story of the month, all combined into a monthly theme.
• Why do they need to do crafts? They should be learning how to share, play, do dramatic play and learn not to hit. Don’t get so hung up on table time. Coloring and manipulations are more than enough.
• Mine get to do what the older ones do, I just cut everything and put glue on, they get to put wherever they stick it. Parents live to get them.
• We don’t do crafts every week, usually when it’s the change of the seasons and holiday times is when I do crafts with my kids ages 2 and up do the craft but most def. not every week, I would say I do crafts more like 2-3 times a month, but more around Christmastime we play a lot with playdoh and color.
• I have a 16 month old and a 28 month old that I watch and if I was to do crafts with them, I would be doing the project. Coloring for the older one is hard enough. And mom wants ME to start potty training him too (he has a vocabulary of maybe 20 to 25 words-he is not ready)
• This year I have a 6mo old, 13mo old, 24mo old, and a 5 year old boy. So no crafts this time around. The 5yr old and 24 month old do color and learn letters, numbers etc. The 5yr old is kindergarten ready, but his birthday fell a few days short.
• Most of the time it’s my 2-5 year olds that participate in craft time. Occasionally if the younger one (17 months) wants to sit at the table, I let her sit with me and color. Let them do what you think they can handle. All young children are different.
• I have 4 babies between 13 months and 16 months and I do art time, not craft time…it’s about the process…not an end result, with the exception of holiday/special occasion gifts. So they play with salt dough, paint with applesauce or pudding, and they use the sensory tub (with puffed wheat in it for them) so it’s all safe, sensory, creative time…but not a finished product to take home. Around 20-24 months of age, I do more coloring and craft projects.
• I involve the younger ones as much as they are able. I don’t do art projects to go home with the younger toddlers unless it is a rare occasion where we traced a hand or foot to do the project. Parents do love to have things come home. I have a 17 month old that took home a painting he did on his own and a sign language “I love you” that we did for him. Mom had them on Facebook to show everyone his art work. I am definitely not about the end product for any of the kids. We do at least a couple art projects/activities a week, sometimes more. Typically the babies are napping when we do art, but if they are around they will paint with us. It also depends more on the child than their age too.
• My younger children do the same thing as the older ones! May not turn out to what it’s supposed to be but the parents LOVE it anyways!

Related posts:

• Guest Blogger Brandi Arendsen: Art Activities for Multiple Age Groups Tweet Tweet So here I sit at my computer thinking...
• Day Camp Theme Ideas for Daycare Tweet Tweet If your daycare is doing the same daycare...
• Earth Day Preschool Reading and Resource List: Free Earth Day Worksheets Tweet Tweet Earth Day, celebrated on April 22, was created...

• Tweet

• Tweet

Deciding upon play equipment for daycare can be overwhelming as there are a wide variety of choices. We asked the  OwnADaycare Facebook what type of equipment they have in their outdoor play areas. We also asked how daycare providers pack their outdoor equipment away when there is snow:  Leave it out for children to play with in the snow or remove the items? Here are their responses:

• Places to dig, water tables, blocks, balls, cars to ride on. The more natural the environment, the better.
• I have balls with a little tykes basketball hoop, Frisbees, little ride-ons, and a couple of Tonka dump trucks.
• Slides, houses, see-saw, picnic tables with varying toys, musical instruments, cars, sand table, water table, easels, balls. Rotate each week your things. If they don’t see it for a couple weeks they might play with it better when they do.
• I have a sand box, lots of ride on toys, trucks, balls, and a basketball hoop. My water tables just went away since it’s starting to get too cold for it here. I used to have a climber which I intend to get back ASAP but I have to build a huge landing zone for it first per licensing requirements. I find the kids are getting really bored and therefore are starting to pull grass and pull the bark off my trees. I don’t know what else I can get to keep their interest.
• I have a separate set of indoor toys that stay outside (blocks, animals, cars, etc.) then we have a sandbox with toys/buckets/shovels/etc., a playhouse, a hill with a slide built in, a climbing area landscaped with stumps dug down into the ground and logs on their side to balance on, ride on toys, balls, hula hoops then we have some inside stuff that gets put away daily which include baby dolls with extra clothes and diaper bags, puppets, art supplies (paper, markers, crayons, etc.) and then we’ll bring out items as needed that go back inside and get washed. I also have binoculars and magnifying glasses out most of the time.
• In winter I put away the traditional inside toys (bringing them out in controlled settings like in the water table in spring when it’s muddy in the yard) but I leave out the play kitchen and playhouse. I bring some totes into the patio (we have a roof and floor but no walls so shade but no bug control) so that in spring we can have stations in the patio to be out in the fresh air but not out in the muddy yard.
• I have all my learning centers outdoors! We have a block center, science center, dramatic play with a BBQ grill kitchen combo thing, doll strollers and all plastic babies just for outside, water table sand table, rock or dirt table, and all the above mentioned outdoor toys. I have a huge chalk board that all ages love. Balance beam, gymnastics mat – I rotate some according to season and theme and I do pack up the little stuff during winter and just leave the climbers and ride-ins out.
• Swing, slide, chalk, bikes, balls, hula hoop, jump rope, bubbles, pop up tent with tunnels and kids pool in summer and sand box. I’ll take out a water bucket too with water toys when it’s nice out.
• Water/sand table, tricycles, wagons, blocks, shovels, buckets, paint rollers, chalk, bubbles, b-ball & hoop, Frisbees, footballs, slide & lots of grass to run.
• My husband built a swing set/playhouse for my daycare. It has all the bells and whistles. But, they play with the kitchen spoons and pots n pans more than anything!
• Take a cd player outside and some musical instruments let them make as much noise as they want. Also a fun idea, take buckets of water outside with some bigger paintbrushes and let them paint the playground, outside of the house or toys with water…my kids spend hours “painting”.
• I take down swings but everything is fair game. I put the “sand” stuff in a bin to use in the snow but I have a BIG yard filled with everything.
• We have 2 slides, 2 sandboxes, lots of balls, trucks, sand toys, riding toys, 2 playhouses, Frisbees & assorted other things. And I take baby toys out with us daily. The key is to make sure there are good places to use each toy and that they are the right size for the children in care. They really don’t need a lot of toys if they have a place to run (and you run with them) and somewhere to dig.
• I have a fenced in play yard that is all covered with wood chips except for the large sand box. I got a piece of indoor/outdoor carpet and a set of the plastic snap together fence to make a small toddler play area. I have a play house and slide and toys to play with in this area. The walking toddlers don’t have any interest in being in there, typically, but I keep the crawling babies in there with one of us adults on the ground playing with them. I also had a canopy over this area during the summer.
• I have a lot of great things to play with/in/on but the kids always (ALWAYS) end up digging in their “garden”. They would stay there for hours if I let them. It’s just a spot in the yard that they thought would make a good digging place. Some years the hole is quite deep and wide by the time winter comes and we fill it in so they have a new start the next Spring.

Related posts:

• Ideas for Storing Daycare Toys Tweet Tweet Keeping toys organized in a daycare can be...
• Daycare and Preschool Math Activities with Cars Tweet Tweet Children in daycare are naturally fascinated by toys...

• Tweet

• Tweet

When developing curriculum, daycare providers must include age-appropriate activities for young children that develop fine motor skills. This cotton swab painting  activity will support an fine arts unit as well as promote visual motor coordination, bilateral coordination, and hand strength.

Fine motor skills are actions that involve the small movement of hands, wrists, feet, fingers, toes, tongue, and lips. In contrast with gross motor skills which involve larger muscles of the arms, legs and feet, fine motor skills focus on small muscle movements in coordination with the eye. Some important fine motor concepts and skills that preschool age children learn to master are bilateral coordination, visual motor coordination, grasp, hand use, manipulation skills, pincer grasp, wrist rotation, pre-writing grasp, hand strength, and tactile awareness.

Children learn fine motor skills through practice. Activities which involve writing, drawing, cutting, stringing, and buttoning are great examples of activities that promote the development of fine motor skills.

This cotton swab painting activity includes the preparation instructions, procedure, and materials list for this activity. It also provides age-appropriate learning objectives and a sample of the simple supporting verbal cues necessary to encourage participation and support learning.

Cotton Swab Painting Materials

For each child you will need:

• Easel
• Art paper
• A cotton swab for each color of paint
• Tempura paint in a variety of colors
• Shallow dishes for paint
• A smock

Activity Procedures

Set up art easels with art paper for each child.  Set out tempura paint  Invite the children over to art area. Explain to them that you are use cotton swabs like paint brushes. Put a smock on each child. Let the children paint with the cotton swabs. Encourage children to make polka dots with the tip of the cotton swab dipped in paint.

Fine Motor Learning Objectives

Objective 1: To provide the opportunity for increased visual-motor coordination, bilateral coordination, hand strength, and pincher grasp by using the cotton swab as a paint brush

• Verbal Cue A: Can you grasp the cotton swab and dip it in paint?
• Verbal Cue B: Can you paint a design with the cotton swab?

Objective 2: To provide the opportunity to increase bilateral coordination, hand strength and visual-motor coordination by making dots on the paper with the cotton swab dipped in paint.

• Verbal Cue A: Let’s dip the tip of the brush in paint and then make dots on the paper.
• Verbal Cue B: I like how you are making dots with your brush.

Objective 3: The child will use new tools to create designs.

• Verbal Cue A: Can you use the cotton swab like a paint brush?
• Verbal Cue B: I like how you painting with the cotton swab.

Children in your child day care center will create a unique work of art while enhancing their fine motor skills.

Related posts:

• St. Patrick’s Day Pasta Magnet Craft for Preschoolers Tweet Tweet When developing curriculum, daycare providers must include age-appropriate...
• Easter Bunny Hop: Physical Motor Lesson Plan Tweet Tweet Motor skills are actions that control how muscles...

• Tweet

• Tweet

Owning and running a daycare can be hectic. One way to minimize chaos is to keep everyday supplies well organized, including craft supplies. For craft supplies we recommend a simple arts and craft caddy placed on a lazy Susan (turntable). This keeps all items in a central location and, as well, allows children turn the caddy to access the items needed and then simply replace them when they are done using them.

We asked our Facebook fans how they stored their daycare art supplies such as crayons, markers, and scissors. Here are some practical ideas for storing daycare supplies:

• I went to Ikea and purchased the hanging rack with the very colorful buckets that hang from it. I have markers, scissors, paper scraps, pencils, crayons and glue all accessible, all the time to the kids. Everyone who sees the rack loves it.  I think in total it may have cost me $7 for the buckets and the metal rack.

• I use clear plastic shoe boxes so we can see what’s inside. They are easily stacked. When we are caring for infants, we can stack them high on a shelf. When there are no infants in our care we stack them low on the shelf.

• I also use clear shoe box bins with snap lids. All of my children are younger than 2 so scissors, glue, etc gets stored away. The older ones have access to paper, crayons, markers, etc.

• I have bins all labeled with miscellaneous craft ideas as well as holiday craft ideas. All of them are neatly stored on a shelf in my garage, and then I bring in the bin that I need or want. Certain things we use all the time crayons, scissors, work books, I keep in an organizer in our work area.

• We have an art cart with open tubs at but my 2 1/2 year old son continuously gets into everything! Time for a new idea! You have to organize everything!

• I have a cupboard that is above the counters where I store my craft supplies so that  the children can’t reach it and everything is placed in there

• I have a craft cupboard containing paper, paints, tubs of markers, crayons and pencil crayons, and the seasonal bins. On the wall beside it I have a hanging shoe rack from the dollar store with clear pockets. This is where I store scissors, bingo dabbers, stickers, funnels, paintbrushes, ribbon, glue sticks, etc. It works very well. I just keep the off limits stuff in the top pockets and the stuff that won’t do any harm near the bottom. But it is also not right in the playroom so the kids are not ever alone with it anyway.

• Each one of my kids has his own little caddy which has scissors, tape, crayons, markers, stickers glue sticks etc. Once they lose their things and don’t keep them in the caddy, their supplies are gone. I find I need to replensih then often due to breaking them or losing them. I keep the paper and rest things up on my daycare shelf in my playroom where kids can not reach them

Related posts:

• How to Get Free Supplies and Services for Your Daycare Business Tweet Tweet It goes without saying that a new daycare...
• Homemade Daycare Art Supply Recipes Tweet Tweet Art supplies for home daycare businesses can be...
• Ideas for Storing Daycare Toys Tweet Tweet Keeping toys organized in a daycare can be...