I get very excited for Spring ! Taking the kids outside is my favorite part of the day. We are cooped up in the winter so I have to get pretty creative with activities that keep them moving and active without breaking the bank or destroying the house.
I love to decorate my home and the daycare is one of those spaces that is so much fun to decorate. A lot of thought went into designing areas that would work for several different age group at one time.
Reading Area/toddlers 3-to 5-year-old
Creating a reading area for the kids 3 & up was very important because they need to be able to grab their favorite book and put it back; keeping things where they can be independent & follow simple instructions. If you don't have a large space this is something that can be done on a smaller scale.
I love using my dining table to do activities. The kids all have their own spot to sit at, table, helps with the first decision of where to sit. Next, I chose a lower set of cabinets, that I repurposed and added a countertop from our local home improvement store. The cabinet has plenty of drawers and storage for everything. Labeling drawers and having containers that they can see inside helps with making choices when they are deciding which activity to play with.
Busy Books/Coloring Books & crayons/Magnet Dolls/Puzzles/Sticker Books/Button Art
I teach preschool two days a week during the school year. Workbooks/Homemade Workbooks/ABC Dino Matching/Number Cards with clothespins/DIY ABC Matching to name a few. I put a list together below. Please contact me, I would be happy to share more ideas.
Other Activities Include potato head, block puzzles, pop it (we race to see who can finish their pop it first), large floor puzzles, felt board holidays/farm/ocean/transportation to name a few.
Creative Play Area 1-to 5-year-old
Train tables work great for the toddlers to stand and play, I have two. I do not follow the fads, my toy selection include dishes, babies, dollhouse, blocks, farm, farm animals, zoo animals, magnet tiles, magnets & dress up. I want the children to learn while they play. I ask questions about the toys and how they are playing with them. What does the cow say? What color is that? What shape is that? We count and sing which allows the kids have fun while they are learning. This has worked for years with my daycare kids. Kids love to learn and watching other children play and learning how to share with all age groups. I am able to watch how much they can discover and learn.
Outside Area/Infant to 5-year-old
Providing somewhere safe for children to play is my first priority. I do not have a swing set, climbers or slide in this outside space. I have had all of those things when I was raising my daughter and at my house of 22 years. When I moved to this house I decided a fence, playhouse and sandbox were going to work the best for this space. I have several ride on toys, bubble machine, DIY Chalkboard, tunnel, balls, farm, kitchen set with dishes & food, sand toys and pool noodle horses (yes, I said pool noodle) lol. (I can share a photo if you are interested!)
Playing outside is a great way for the kids to exercise and explore. We play games also: What time is it Mr. Shark?, freeze tag, musical hula a hoop (musical chairs) are just a few examples. Singing and playing music outside is a must, we can be as loud as we want. My neighbors love us! Thank God!
I love keeping the kids busy and the bonus is learning while they play.
In conclusion, designing a space with what you have is very doable and working on one area at a time is great place to start and the easiest. If you need information or additional ideas, please contact me I would love to share more of my ideas specific to your needs. Remember think outside the box, you can create new and fun ideas for your children. These ideas can work for your space even if you aren't a daycare provider. Thanks again for taking time to read and allowing me to share my experience and information with you.
No comments:
Post a Comment