I Want To See Your Fav Daycare Storage Piece

[DaycareMama]

I want to see your favorite daycare storage piece. Im talking about what you store your everyday items in like paint, paper, pencil boxes, art trays, maybe a spot for smocks, pencils and crayons.

My storage is very limited and im looking for one piece of furniture to hopefully recreate that I can store these items on for a quick crab kinda thing. I would like the kids to have their own utility boxes but to store 12 pencil boxes gets...well messy and cluttered.

Please share some pics with me

[DaycareMama]

http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/product/productImages.jsp?productItemID=845,524,441,789,209&imageAttribute=ATR_prd_cnt_image_large&FOLDER<>folder_id=2534374302174461&ASSORTMENT<>ast_id=1408474395181113&bmUID=1335894681265&viewOnly=false


Im looking for something like this I guess....

[daycare]

wow that is nice...how much is something like that??

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I have something like that and I love it.

It looks a little different now (this was taken 2 months ago). I have that storage container from Lakeshore for their fat crayons in the middle of the storage piece on top.

[DaycareMama]

to much I think this one was $460.
I just saw another for $499 im not sure what the difference is.
Let me see if I can post that link better

[DaycareMama]

http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo...re/viewall.jsp




LCLC

I love that! These are what im looking for except maybe a little cheaper. Hoping the hubby will want to make me one

[Lianne]

I have a 4-shelf bookcase from Walmart. I use plastic shoe boxes in varying sizes to hold my art or manipulative items. The shoe boxes stack well and are clear so I can see what's in them. I did have the shoe boxes stored in a cheap Walmart pantry but have used the pantry elsewhere. I use a plastic file box for my construction and craft papers. Each colour gets it's own hanging file and I even have one for scrap paper.

I should add, the daycare children do not have free access to art supplies. My group is too young right now. In the past when I've had older children, I've set up a small desk/table with a small bookcase or one of those plastic drawer units on wheels with limited art supplies

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Originally Posted by DaycareMama

http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo...re/viewall.jsp




LCLC

I love that! There are what im looking for except maybe a little cheaper. Hoping the hubby will want to make me one

This is mine.
It says it's $245.20 right now.

http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/...&Brand=&Price=

[DaycareMama]

Originally Posted by LCLC

This is mine.
It says it's $245.20 right now.

http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/...&Brand=&Price=

You know I have looked at that one 1000 times and didnt like it for some reason. But seeing yours being used in a ''real life" its exactly what i want.
Does it have tracks where trays slide or do they just kinda sit it the hole?

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Originally Posted by DaycareMama

You know I have looked at that one 1000 times and didnt like it for some reason. But seeing yours being used in a ''real life" its exactly what i want.
Does it have tracks where trays slide or do they just kinda sit it the hole?

They sit in the hole, which is nice for me because the kids can take them out and put them back away themselves.

On top are those little caddies you can buy at craft stores. One holds glue bottles and scissors, one holds stamps, one holds little supplies, and one holds rolled up smocks.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

The top stores a lot if you can get it organized.

[DCMom]

I just have too much stuff to fit on a single piece of furniture

My biggest problem is accessibility for the preschoolers and inaccessibility (unless supervised) for the toddlers, lol. I use a combination of adjustible shelving, plastic carts and drawers to house everything. The drawers on the bottom I can turn to the wall when I don't want the littles dumping the paint supplies and the playdough tools. They also have the magnet letters; the manipulatives for the table will soon be there also.

Everything else is within preschool reach.

[daycare]

Originally Posted by DCMom

I just have too much stuff to fit on a single piece of furniture

My biggest problem is accessibility for the preschoolers and inaccessibility (unless supervised) for the toddlers, lol. I use a combination of adjustible shelving, plastic carts and drawers to house everything. The drawers on the bottom I can turn to the wall when I don't want the littles dumping the paint supplies and the playdough tools. They also have the magnet letters; the manipulatives for the table will soon be there also.

Everything else is within preschool reach.

I love this idea...I have the same exact issue....it looks nice and big and everything is in one space...

Are those from home depot?

[DCMom]

Originally Posted by daycare

I love this idea...I have the same exact issue....it looks nice and big and everything is in one space...

Are those from home depot?

Yes. The adjustable shelving is Closetmaid from HomeDepot. The storage bins and drawers are from Walmart; it's the cheapest and you can order online in quantity. The paper is cardboard magazine holders from OfficeMax.

[daycare]

I am sooooo doing this. You are very creative

[spud912]

I agree, I love those storage shelves from Lakeshore and DSS, but I have dumpers as well. We are working on it, but a couple of mine are simply too young to remember not to remove everything and scatter it throughout the play room. For my sanity, everything needs to be out of sight and out of mind.

[DaycareMama]

Originally Posted by DCMom

I just have too much stuff to fit on a single piece of furniture

My biggest problem is accessibility for the preschoolers and inaccessibility (unless supervised) for the toddlers, lol. I use a combination of adjustible shelving, plastic carts and drawers to house everything. The drawers on the bottom I can turn to the wall when I don't want the littles dumping the paint supplies and the playdough tools. They also have the magnet letters; the manipulatives for the table will soon be there also.

Everything else is within preschool reach.

I like this too. Very nice and clean looking

[gwenpatt.dc]

Originally Posted by DaycareMama

http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo...re/viewall.jsp




LCLC



I love that! These are what im looking for except maybe a little cheaper. Hoping the hubby will want to make me one

When he sees the price he will! It motivated mine!! https://www.daycare.com/forum/images/smilies/wink.gif

[texascare]

I have the one from discount school supply but what I do not like is that there are no lids available for the tubs... Has anyone ever noticed that?

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Originally Posted by texascare

I have the one from discount school supply but what I do not like is that there are no lids available for the tubs... Has anyone ever noticed that?

I hate lids. I ditch all lids to items in my Preschool. The children either find them difficult to open, or they simply get in the way. I like that there are no lids.

[DCMom]

Originally Posted by LCLC

I hate lids. I ditch all lids to items in my Preschool. The children either find them difficult to open, or they simply get in the way. I like that there are no lids.

I have a love/hate relationship with lids. I like that I can control the toddler dumping, but stopping to help the preschoolers every time they want to change can be frustrating some days, too!

Ahhhh! The joys of mixed age care

[bgmeyers]

My in laws bought this at an auction years ago. I love that there are drawers.

[MarinaVanessa]

Originally Posted by texascare

I have the one from discount school supply but what I do not like is that there are no lids available for the tubs... Has anyone ever noticed that?

The reason that most daycare/school furniture and toy suppliers don't carry lids for their bins is because most of their business comes from schools and daycare facilities and both usually follow the environment rating scale (even if they aren't actually rated most follow the guidelines). The rating scale is pretty much a guideline for children's environments based on what research has found to be most beneficial to them.

The lid thing has a lot to do with the idea in child development about how supplies, toys and equipment should be readily available and accessible to the children without needing any assistance.

Lids can make it difficult for some kids to get to what's inside. That's also why most bins are clear (so they can see what's inside) or if they aren't transparent bins they at least have a label or photo of what is inside directly on the box (so they can identify what's inside).

[Fruitloops1]

LCLC, I notice you have a lot of bare tile. DO you like it? My DC area is all tile and I was concerned with getting rugs because I am afraid of the kids tripping on the edges. But I feel like the tile is cold and too hard? What are some of your pros and cons with the tiled floors?
sorry my questions hijacked this thread

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Originally Posted by Azra11

LCLC, I notice you have a lot of bare tile. DO you like it? My DC area is all tile and I was concerned with getting rugs because I am afraid of the kids tripping on the edges. But I feel like the tile is cold and too hard? What are some of your pros and cons with the tiled floors?
sorry my questions hijacked this thread

My entire Preschool consists of tile. I absolutely adore it. I fondly call it "washable." We make large messes and I can easily vacuum/wipe.

I have four rugs. One for circle time (ABCs), one for the home center (green wool), one for the discovery center (orange wool), and one for the building center (a road map rug). The children tend to sit on the rugs the vast majority of the time but don't mind moving to the tile if there is no space elsewhere. The prefer to do their puzzles and play with manipulatives on the tile floor. It's flat and provides them with a large amount of space.

There really aren't any cons. I don't have any children that are just learning how to walk nor do I have any babies.

Here are photos taken 1.5ish weeks ago of the other two rooms:

[3girls]

LCLC, I LOVE your setup! Beautiful!!!

[Kiki]

LCLC: What a great setup, wish I could shrink myself and hang out there during the day!

[Abigail]

I purchased the snap lids for storage for main craft supplies. They came from Walmart and I purchased 3 of the 4 sizes available. My largest size contains all the fingerpaints and paints. My two medium sizes contain dobbers and thin/thick washable markers. My three small sizes contain the glue/scissors, jumbo/large crayons, and triangular crayons. All of these are stacked as they're made to stack nicely together. They are stored in the closet. All my kids are too young to even have a crayon without supervision so all art supplies are only available when we do them together.

[DaycareMama]

I LOVE those snap on lid things. I just bought some more today for some little things and a big one that has wheels but would fit under a bed, for my own dd's sand box.