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Keeping toys organized in a daycare can be a job in itself.  We asked our  fans on the OwnADaycare Facebook page how they organize their toys to give others ideas and inspiration. While every daycare provider has his or her own style and methods for organization, one thing was clear: Consistency is key when it comes to organizing daycare toys.

Plastic Bins

I use clear plastic bins, labels, and pictures underneath. Depending upon the toy you may have to have a miscellaneous box/bin. The daycare I worked at, used shelves, pictures of items taped to the shelves and bins.

I love clear tubs and the clear stacks of drawers with picture labels. I want everything to have a home. It is so much easier. I do have a couple of tubs that are “misfit” tubs. It is so much nicer when the kids want to play. I have also found that the stackable recycle bins work well also.

I use bins and toy chests. Everything must have a place I would LOVE to be more organized. My ADD gets the best of me and everything gets mixed together. It is a constant battle to keep my daycare toys together with all the right pieces with all the right stuff. I have found out over the years that daycare kids don’t treat my toys with respect and break everything they play with. For example, they don’t build with blocks, they spread them around.

I am very organized. I have labeled bins and everything is in its place. I have been in preschool for ten years, and as long as your clean up rules are clear and enforced they will clean up better this way than your own kids!

I have a bin for blocks, a toy box for balls, and one for miscellaneous items. I have a car bin, and a kitchen bin, and all the kids seem to put them in the right places when it’s time to clean up with no labels. They like to dump the bins, but at least they have a place to go for clean-up time!

Wooden Organizers, Shelves, and Storage Bags

I had rubber bins until they kept getting dumped out over and over and it drove me crazy. I purchased wooden box shelves that hold 2 fabric bins each. I anchored them high on the wall out of reach for my babes. They are place strategically to fit wi.th my decor. I have 6 of them so 12 fabric bins. Yes every toy has a spot. I have one toybox the children can access with limited toys I rotate weekly. Block’s, puzzles, Barbie doll accessories any toys with pieces are kept in the fabric bins that only I can reach.

No plastic tubs at my house. I use baskets and labels. The less plastic in the room the better. I’m all about natural! Wood shelves, baskets, etc.

I use shelves and only a few things are in bins (like the little people and the rescue heroes). Everything else is on an open shelf. I find that the kids tend to play better this way. With everything in bins, my kiddos tend to just dump out the bins and walk away. They didn’t play as well.

Right now the kids play in my living room so I have all the “sets” in gallon-size Ziploc bags and then put in a tub with a lid. The kids may choose a set of toys and then before they are allowed to get anything else out they must pick up what they were playing with. Then at night time I just put the lid on and put the tub away. I also have a couple of tubs with all bigger cars and trucks and a place for music toys.

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Putting things in order can be fun especially if you are able to do it effectively and with minimal cost. Personally, I get thrilled when I am able to solve organizational problems in simple but inexpensive ways. The suggestions below will help you organize your home inexpensively and efficiently.

Minimize clutter on countertops. When you put all your frequently used items on top of your countertop, the area will definitely look messy. However, if you store small items in different containers like canisters and boxes, your countertop will look neater and you will find it easier to look for things you need. Its better to group similar items in one container to avoid confusion. One basic example is to put items like vitamins, salt/pepper shakers, and napkins on a serving tray. On the other hand, you can place accessories like your keys, glasses, coin purse, and similar items in a box big enough to hold them or in decorative bowls. Of course, garbage should be put in the trash, and things that are used less often should be kept in a less obvious location.

Convert Unused Shelves to Drawers. A lot of homes experience at one point or another, an accumulation of small items that are not used regularly. These include gifts, cords, gift wraps, bulbs, etc. Because of these items, drawers and tool boxes get overloaded and chaos arises whenever someone tries to look for something. If your closet has drawers that are not being used, you can convert them into storage \drawers and storage bins. You can opt to get the services of a handyman, but its much more easier to just stick in the largest box or bin in your unused shelf. Label the bin/box according to what kind of item they are or how they are used (ex. Toiletries, accessories, nail polish, etc.). Grouping similar items together will make it easier for you to locate them.

Childrens Paper Challenge – Most of the time, its hard for parents to let go of their children’s artworks. The same is true for small children who become extremely fond of their creations. One way of solving this dilemma is by designating an area in the house for the everyday drawings and craftworks of toddlers. You can use a letter tray to temporarily hold the artworks; tell your kids that their work will stay in the tray for a week and they would have to say goodbye to them after that time. You and your kids attachment to the artwork would probably decrease in a day or two. However, if your child still wants to keep his or her work, take a picture of the piece and have it printed in a studio or stored in your computer.

Kiddie Paper Memorabilia. Some of your children’s art creations and school work would actually be worth keeping. You can preserve these by putting them in a binder with plastic sheets. Think of categories that will appropriately group them together, and write the categories in color coded tabs (you can use mini colored post-its for this) using a pencil. Its better to use a pencil because you can easily re-categorize whenever then need arises or if you feel like it. Examples of categories I wrote in my son’s memorabilia binder are: Growth Charts, Daycare, Extracurricular Activities, Report Cards, Preschool, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, etc. As much as possible, minimize the “for keeps” items so they won’t create clutter, or worse be a fire hazard.

See: How to start a daycare business

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Open houses are the most excellent way to induce parents to sign their children up your centre. But for an open house to be an effective advertising tool, there are some pre open-house preparations to be made and a budget allocated. What you want to is create an unforgettable occurrence for both the parents and the kid.

Timing
Open houses should be over the weekends so that the working parents can check out your centre at an unhurried pace. It can be in excess of one weekend or if funds permit, offer it over two or three weekends.

Promoting your open house
There are several ways to guarantee that news of your open house is reached.
- Put up a banner, with the date and time of your open house, about two weeks before your actual open house.
- Take up an announcement in the local papers announcing your open house.
- Put up notices in several high traffic areas as doable such as local cafes and eating places. Do not forget to put it up your own centre so that the other parents are informed. Nothing beats word of mouth publicity.
- Print flyers and allocate it at high transfer areas in and around your area a week prior to your open house.

Pre event preparations
- Do some spring cleaning. Make sure that the centre is neat and tidy, no wires exposed, the books and notes neatly stacked, dirty stains painted over, etc.
- Frame up all your the licenses and awards and put them up. Pin up nice photographs of children’s activities and their drawings.
- Make sure that all the necessary materials are ready and inserted into nice presentation folders. Items include set of courses, time table, food menu, etc. Prepare a few sets.
- Prepare a nice little album / scrapbook of photographs

Open house programme
- Make sure that you have enough brochures for the parents to bring home.
- Ensure that you have lots of employment forms and writing materials available
- Prepare a curriculum for the children e.g. face painting, art and craft, story telling, etc.
- Ensure that you have sufficient helpers on the day of your open house
- Prepare some snacks and light refreshments
- If budget permits, arrange small little door gifts and give it to them as they depart, if possible with the name of your centre printed. Examples of door gift as car decals or balloons.

After the open house is ended, the work is not done yet. Keep in mind to follow up on all your leads. Write little notes on the form such as when to follow up with them, etc so that you do not forget. Systematize and file them in an orderly manner. One proposal is to file them according to when they said that they will sign up, so that you know when to trail up.

See: How to start a home daycare center

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