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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 Dramatic Play!

One of the most popular centers at my facility is the Dramatic play area. In fact, the teachers normally have to remind the children to choose other centers until there is more room to play in the dramatic play area.

let’s think back to your childhood. Did you like to dress-up in your moms clothes or wear her make-up? Think about how that made you feel?

Kids love to role-play their parents and they love to pretend. Recently, my school-age teacher, thought it was a good idea to encourage the children to make their own store. Check out the picture below.

Source: Learning Days

The kids made the sign and the pretend money. We also added an old credit card machine and some change for the toy cash register. The objective for the store is to teach the children how to count money, how to use a credit card, how to answer the store phone and how to greet customers.

In fact, there will be many skills gained from this center. One of the children wrote me a pretend check as they prepared the store. Check it out below.

I was so excited to receive that check. Too bad I could not take it to the bank to cash it, lol. When the school-age child gave me the check, I realized the importance of having dramatic play…it enhances a child’s creativity.

Have you ever thought about creating a Dramatic play wish list? Recently I was shopping in Sams Club and I spotted a playhouse that I would love to have on my playground. (see photo below)

On my Wish list!

I hope that you have been inspired to get creative with dramatic play and create a childcare business that kids love!

If you need more ideas, check out the following sites below. I would love to hear about your dramatic play ideas. Feel free to share your comments below and send a photo of your dramatic play area to childcarenews@aol.com.

Your photos may be featured on the Child Care Business Owner network!

Have a Great Week!

Shiketa

Resource Links

Dramatic Play Area ideas

Dramatic Play and Prop boxes

Kelly’s Kindergarten.com

Dramatic Play in Early Childhood

The importance of Dramatic Play