Inspirational and Empowering Child Care Business Owners To Build Successful Child Care Businesses

Archive for the ‘Child Care Center’ Category

It’s Time To Prepare Your Child Care Business For Spring

Created by Vennie Randolph.

I love it when the month of March comes, because I get to add a touch of spring to my childcare facility!

Today I want to share some spring decor ideas with you and some tips on where you can find some great spring related ideas; so that you are inspired to add a touch of spring to your home daycare or childcare center.

Many of my spring decor ideas are discovered when I am out shopping. This past weekend, I was out shopping at Trader Joes and I discovered some gorgeous yellow day lilies. Seeing the day lilies, gave me an idea to add some fresh lilies on the sign-in table.  Adding a vase with fresh Spring flowers is a great way to welcome parents into your program.

I Love to browse home and garden magazines to get spring decor ideas. In fact, I make a trip to the local library to purchase old home & garden magazines to spark my creative juices.

Also, I love to stop by the local Nursery to get spring ideas and one of the things that I notice in the home & garden department at the local nursery are “Spring Flags.”

So, every spring, I display a Welcoming Spring flag near the rear entrance of the building; where parents enter the building. (Check out the flag below)

Spring is also a great time to paint your walls. In the Spring of 2011, developed a desire to liven up the walls at my center with a fresh coat of paint. So, my husband and I went to the local home depot to pick out a paint color and I settled on an earth friendly green. Check out the picture that inspired my new wall color and then my new wall color.

This is the picture that inspired my wall color choice.

Learning Days Child Care Center, Spring 2011. We've added new shelving and more plants since this photo.

I hope that you have been inspired to prepare your childcare business for spring!  Where do you get your spring ideas from? Feel free to share your spring decor ideas.

I look forward to sharing more spring ideas with you in upcoming post, be sure to follow my post/ childcare business tips & discussion on Facebook and Twitter.

Shiketa

Feel free to submit your spring photos to childcarenews@aol.com. (Your facility will be given credit for the photos)

Category:

Child Care Center, Decor, Family Child Care, Program Planning

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Kids Love Sensory Play

“Creating a Child Care Business That Kids Love”

As I wrap up the theme on creating a childcare business that kids love, I thought it was appropriate to end the theme with ” Kids Love Sensory Play.” I chose sensory play, because it is open- ended and there is no right or wrong way to explore sensory materials.

In fact, kids love to play in anything that is messy! Today I want to inspire you to plan and encourage more sensory activities in your childcare program.

According to Elaine Lambe  (Educational Consultant), “Sensory play is currently seen as one of the key areas of play for babies and young children and a crucial part of their development. Sensory play is play that involves the use of one or more of the five senses, touch, sight, smell, taste and hearing. Our senses are our guide through the world around us and for babies and young children they provide endless opportunity for fascinating discovery.”

Today I want to share with you  five sensory play ideas that kids really Love:

Exploring Shaving Cream “It’s messy, yet it is fun! Kids can make shapes or even practice writing their name in the shaving cream.

Source: Cultivated Lives

Colored Rice Explorations. This is a Pot of Gold Activity planned back in 2011. The teacher dyed the rice yellow, by soaking the rice in yellow food coloring and by adding a small amount of alcohol. Then she let the rice air dry over night. The kids love to feel, scoop, sift, explore the color and measure the rice.

Exploring Cornmeal. The first time that I saw kids playing in cornmeal was in my child development laboratory Class back in 2002. I didn’t think it was quite educational back then, however, now we love to add cornmeal to the sensory tables to encourage the children to; explore the cornmeal by feeling, measuring, scooping, writing in the cornmeal and whatever they discover that they can do with the cornmeal that will enhance their play.

Source: Not Just Cute

Colored Water. This is a great way to teach children their colors or to spice up the water play!

Source: Not Just Cute

Styrofoam Fun! Don’t throw away anymore Styrofoam, save it for sensory play!

Source:Loving and Learning in Pre-K

I realize that many of the sensory activities above may not be appropriate for children under the age of three, however, it is appropriate for a toddler to explore water play or to play with edible  home-made playdoh or with pudding.

Whatever sensory activities that you decide to incorporate into your program, I know that the kids will enjoy it because Kids Love Sensory Play! Feel free to share sensory activities that you offer in your program and share your thoughts about this blog post.

With Your Business in Mind,

Shiketa Morgan

Resource Links

http://play-activities.com/blog/sensory-play-%E2%80%93-part-1-%E2%80%93-introduction-what-is-sensory-play/

http://childcareandbeyond.tripod.com/sensoryplay.html

Many family home providers are getting empowered in the Family Home Child Care Empowerment club! Take a sneak peek at the first 5 weeks of the club by subscribing to the 5-day mini course “It’s Free”! http://childcarebusinessowner.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=237d43de3475bcab0f4337852&id=e56603be8d

Category:

Activities, Child Care Center, Curriculum, preschool, Quality Care

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