Daycare.com Forum
Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Sigh, My Daycare Space Is Finally Done. :)
nanglgrl 10:19 PM 10-24-2012
I've been working on my space for a long time so I'm proud of it and of course want to share. For some reason it wouldn't let me upload my images into my album to put on the decor site so I'm posting here.
I've been in the business for 10 years and when I started I dreamed of this space and it's finally here. That said my youngest is 2 so when he's in school in 3 years I will probably find a different job but at least I can enjoy it until then.
I'm just so happy right now!
I've been in the business for 10 years and when I started I dreamed of this space and it's finally here. That said my youngest is 2 so when he's in school in 3 years I will probably find a different job but at least I can enjoy it until then.
I'm just so happy right now!
nanglgrl 10:21 PM 10-24-2012
And some more photos....
nanglgrl 10:23 PM 10-24-2012
And more still....
nanglgrl 10:26 PM 10-24-2012
And more......
nanglgrl 10:28 PM 10-24-2012
And the last few...
littlemissmuffet 10:33 PM 10-24-2012
WOW!! What an amazing space! It's bright, organized, functional and so kid-friendly. I love it... I wish it was mine!! Great work, girl! 
One little tiny thing... the colors on the staircase are out of order.
One little tiny thing... the colors on the staircase are out of order.
nanglgrl 11:03 PM 10-24-2012
Thank you for the compliment! It feels so good to be proud of my space again because for the last few years it was a mess.
Yes, I've been told about the colors on the stairs. The funny thing was I wasn't even trying to put them in order...the fact that only one is misplaced is an accident as none of them were supposed to be in the ROYGBIV order. I was so sick of painting at that point and I was doing every other stair so I could stand on the not painted or dry ones to finish up. When I was done I noticed the problem but no way am I changing orange, that one took a million coats! Really though, maybe I will fix it someday just so people don't think I did it wrong...just think of all of the kids I'm teaching who won't know the proper order of the rainbow! I would hate to do interviews, have parents see my stairs and say to themselves, "is this the person I want teaching my child? She doesn't even know the order of the rainbow!" We all know those parents exist.
Yes, I've been told about the colors on the stairs. The funny thing was I wasn't even trying to put them in order...the fact that only one is misplaced is an accident as none of them were supposed to be in the ROYGBIV order. I was so sick of painting at that point and I was doing every other stair so I could stand on the not painted or dry ones to finish up. When I was done I noticed the problem but no way am I changing orange, that one took a million coats! Really though, maybe I will fix it someday just so people don't think I did it wrong...just think of all of the kids I'm teaching who won't know the proper order of the rainbow! I would hate to do interviews, have parents see my stairs and say to themselves, "is this the person I want teaching my child? She doesn't even know the order of the rainbow!" We all know those parents exist.
Michael 12:54 AM 10-25-2012
Nice job, well organized. I was laughing at more and more pictures. When was it going to end? haha you should have just taken a video instead. 
melskids 03:01 AM 10-25-2012
Very nice! I wish I had that much space!
lovemykidstoo 04:31 AM 10-25-2012
That is fantastic!! I absolutely love it. I wish I had that much room to do that. P.S. I didn't even notice the colors being off on the stairs. I love that idea.
Sunchimes 05:16 AM 10-25-2012
I can't decide which part I like best, but the bins in the sensory area and that wall of storage closets have to be in the top 3!! Can you tell I have organization and storage issues? Could I be nosy and ask how many square feet of space you have? Sometimes, it looks huge and in other pics I think that it really isn't much bigger than what I have, just well organized. Either way, I love it!
Could I be nosy and ask how many square feet of space you have? Sometimes, it looks huge and in other pics I think that it really isn't much bigger than what I have, just well organized. Either way, I love it!
EntropyControlSpecialist 05:26 AM 10-25-2012
Another lady who has a lot of designated space for her Preschool in her house ... LOVE IT!!! I really, really love the rainbow stairs. What is up there?
I really, really love the rainbow stairs. What is up there?
countrymom 06:07 AM 10-25-2012
I love it all, I love the house with the stair, that rocks! the only thing is that you need to remove the plant by the window, I have kids who would eat it, or maybe its the cat who would eat it, unless its fake. I love the circle time calender, where did you get that, its totally something I'm looking for.
GoodKarma 06:08 AM 10-25-2012
It looks wonderful!
MyAngels 06:20 AM 10-25-2012
Beautiful! I can see why you're so proud
ABCDaycareMN 06:24 AM 10-25-2012
I love it! I plan to do something similar when I move to a bigger house. I am curious tho where did you get that shelf for the diapers?
frugalmama4 06:47 AM 10-25-2012
Outstanding!
May I come over to play...plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
May I come over to play...plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Kimberli 06:51 AM 10-25-2012
Wow, SO bright, colorful and stimulating ... and completely organized too! Great job!! So well thought out! 
Happy Hearts 08:04 AM 10-25-2012
I love everything! Especially all the storage! I didn't notice the wrong order of colour, either.... I was just thinking 'what a great idea!"
You have inspired me. Thank you for sharing
You have inspired me. Thank you for sharing
Country Kids 08:08 AM 10-25-2012
I need storage-lots of storage! Would love to give my hubby his garage back.
MNMum 08:12 AM 10-25-2012
Amazing! Did someone build the loft for you? What age group do you have? I think my 20 mo olds would drive me nuts if I had set up that way. They are the "dump and run" type!
Blackcat31 08:13 AM 10-25-2012
LOVE it!!
I have a question though....is that TOuch color board you have hanging above the sensory tables really as cool as it is suppose to be?
And I
the giant paperclip board....that is awesome.....where did you find that? (I have this weird obsession with BIG versions of little things 
) and I want one of those!
I have a question though....is that TOuch color board you have hanging above the sensory tables really as cool as it is suppose to be?
And I
the giant paperclip board....that is awesome.....where did you find that? (I have this weird obsession with BIG versions of little things ) and I want one of those!
Fruitloops1 08:35 AM 10-25-2012
its so beautiful!!! I love the entire thing!!!
nanglgrl 09:07 AM 10-25-2012
Originally Posted by EntropyControlSpecialist:
Another lady who has a lot of designated space for her Preschool in her house ... LOVE IT!!! I really, really love the rainbow stairs. What is up there?
It's so much easier when you have a space just for daycare! At the top of the rainbow stairs there is a little costume closet and bench and a comfortable reading area....and of course the egress window which is why the loft was created in the first place.Another lady who has a lot of designated space for her Preschool in her house ... LOVE IT!!!
I really, really love the rainbow stairs. What is up there?
nanglgrl 09:52 AM 10-25-2012
Originally Posted by countrymom:
I love it all, I love the house with the stair, that rocks! the only thing is that you need to remove the plant by the window, I have kids who would eat it, or maybe its the cat who would eat it, unless its fake. I love the circle time calender, where did you get that, its totally something I'm looking for.
That's are class cactus. It's usually in the science area but I have a child put it by the window every day for sun. My children all just turned 2, they never mess with it except to give it water or move it to the sun but I do watch them and it closely. Of course I will always have to watch closely as new kids come in because I've had a few who would eat anything that wasn't food. I love it all, I love the house with the stair, that rocks! the only thing is that you need to remove the plant by the window, I have kids who would eat it, or maybe its the cat who would eat it, unless its fake. I love the circle time calender, where did you get that, its totally something I'm looking for.
I recently bought the circle time calendar through Lakeshore Learning after seeing it in another daycare providers space in the decor section of this site. It's very functional and great for a short circle time with my younger group who really just want to get up and go.
Lyss 09:57 AM 10-25-2012
Looks great!!
Can I come play?
Can I come play?
Country Kids 09:59 AM 10-25-2012
I would like to enroll myself! Have I aged out? I sleep for naptime/totally potty trained/eat well and play pretty well.
Let me know!
Let me know!
nanglgrl 09:59 AM 10-25-2012
Originally Posted by Sunchimes:
I can't decide which part I like best, but the bins in the sensory area and that wall of storage closets have to be in the top 3!! Can you tell I have organization and storage issues? Could I be nosy and ask how many square feet of space you have? Sometimes, it looks huge and in other pics I think that it really isn't much bigger than what I have, just well organized. Either way, I love it!
It's really not that big, about 450-500 square feet in all. I also have a toddler baby room that's about 100 square feet but I left it out. I think I'm going to do something else with that room because it's full of battery operated and noisy toys. The square footage doesn't include the bathroom, laundry room or pantry either. It may look a little larger because even though we have an old house we were blessed with tall ceilings in the basement. I can't decide which part I like best, but the bins in the sensory area and that wall of storage closets have to be in the top 3!! Can you tell I have organization and storage issues?
Could I be nosy and ask how many square feet of space you have? Sometimes, it looks huge and in other pics I think that it really isn't much bigger than what I have, just well organized. Either way, I love it!I love organization too (as if you can't tell)! I still need to label all of the sensory bins but I ran out of labels! I bought the cupboards at Wal-Mart and the sensory bin shelf from Kaplan. I almost got rid of the sensory bin shelf and it was in the garage when I was reorganizing because I didn't think I would have room.
DCMom 11:59 AM 10-25-2012
Very nice! I still love your puppet stage; my kids would play with that all day. The loft is pretty cool and of course the wall of storage is to die for
nanglgrl 12:05 PM 10-25-2012
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
LOVE it!!
I have a question though....is that TOuch color board you have hanging above the sensory tables really as cool as it is suppose to be?
And I the giant paperclip board....that is awesome.....where did you find that? (I have this weird obsession with BIG versions of little things ) and I want one of those!
I think the touch color board is awesome but you are asking a grown woman who played with the 3D mirascope for about an hour after we got it and has trouble not opening up gifts for the kids on Christmas/Birthdays before I wrap them to "see if they work". LOVE it!!
I have a question though....is that TOuch color board you have hanging above the sensory tables really as cool as it is suppose to be?
And I
the giant paperclip board....that is awesome.....where did you find that? (I have this weird obsession with BIG versions of little things ) and I want one of those! It didn't get great reviews, a lot of buyers said it didn't work or needed too much pressure but I had a great coupon so I decided to try it after playing with..errr, I mean seeing kids play with it at a doctor's office. Mine works great, no problems and the kids enjoy "writing" on it. I bought the paperclip board at Bed/Bath and Beyond, they also had a dry/erase sheet that you can stick to the wall looks like a big legal pad. Here's a link:
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/prod...p?SKU=18117410
Heidi 12:10 PM 10-25-2012
I love the loft and the stairs the most. The whole set up is very, very nice.
If we ever sell this house and build (as planned), I get a whole basement too, with a seperate entrance. Oh, I wish I wish I wish!
If we ever sell this house and build (as planned), I get a whole basement too, with a seperate entrance. Oh, I wish I wish I wish!
nanglgrl 12:15 PM 10-25-2012
Originally Posted by ABCDaycareMN:
I love it! I plan to do something similar when I move to a bigger house. I am curious tho where did you get that shelf for the diapers?
Thank you! I bought the shelf for diapers through Kaplan but it would be incredibly easy to make one for 1/3 of the price they charge.I love it! I plan to do something similar when I move to a bigger house. I am curious tho where did you get that shelf for the diapers?
nanglgrl 12:19 PM 10-25-2012
Originally Posted by frugalmama4:
Outstanding!
May I come over to play...plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Outstanding!
May I come over to play...plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Originally Posted by Lyss:
Looks great!!
Can I come play?
Looks great!!
Can I come play?
Originally Posted by Country Kids:
I would like to enroll myself! Have I aged out? I sleep for naptime/totally potty trained/eat well and play pretty well.
Let me know!
You guys are all welcome to come play as long as you don't laugh at me when I get totally involved while playing with the legos, dance like a freak or sing of key!I would like to enroll myself! Have I aged out? I sleep for naptime/totally potty trained/eat well and play pretty well.
Let me know!
nanglgrl 12:42 PM 10-25-2012
Originally Posted by MNMum:
Amazing! Did someone build the loft for you? What age group do you have? I think my 20 mo olds would drive me nuts if I had set up that way. They are the "dump and run" type!
My husband built the loft for me, I drew it out and he made it happen. It was a really simple plan, basically a deck with the house shaped front. I never planned on having a loft but the state rule is that we have to have stairs that go up to our egress window. I thought the stairs alone would be a waste of space so the loft was born. Originally there was a half door at the bottom of the stairs for safety but I took it off when I realized it was more of a hindrance than a help. The boys have become quite able at walking down those stairs in high heels! Amazing! Did someone build the loft for you? What age group do you have? I think my 20 mo olds would drive me nuts if I had set up that way. They are the "dump and run" type!
I have one 16 month old, five just turned 2 years old, one 3 year and one 4 year old and they have all been playing in this space (although it wasn't completely done) since before they reached 2. There is really not much they can dump out. The blocks, a baby doll and a few supplies, some dishes and food, some costumes, a few instruments etc. are always out and even if they get everything they can reach and dump it on the floor it's still not really messy. I rotate the types of items I have out in the centers (different play food, costumes etc.) so they don't get bored and if I see the group really engaged in one center I will get all of the items out for that center so they can expand their play.
I'm sure like most providers my biggest problem is the sand from the sand table but the Roomba takes care of that problem for me.
I did anticipate them getting all of the science/sensory materials out and causing a mess, or ruining some items, but so far they only touch the stuff that is on the top of the storage unit unless I get something out of it for them. I will say though that in the baby/toddler room (I didn't post any pictures of that) they do dump everything out, step on toys and make a mess. Maybe it's because they are all the battery operated, fun for a few seconds type of toys and the centers are more engaging? Maybe it's because in the main room I can see almost every area from my post so it's easy to redirect a child and the baby/toddler room is not in my direct line of site unless I'm in there, in the doorway or looking through the window. I'm sure some of you guys will be able to answer this better than I can I'm just glad the space never looks like a tornado hit it and that I can close the door to the baby/toddler room when it gets too messy!
nanglgrl 12:52 PM 10-25-2012
Originally Posted by DCMom:
Very nice! I still love your puppet stage; my kids would play with that all day. The loft is pretty cool and of course the wall of storage is to die for
Thank you! Isn't it so funny how kids can be so different? Mine rarely play with it. They usually grab the puppets of the puppet tree and run around with them on their hands. They do get some pretty good games of peek a boo going though!Very nice! I still love your puppet stage; my kids would play with that all day. The loft is pretty cool and of course the wall of storage is to die for
I think I bought it at Kaplan.
HappyHearts 12:58 PM 10-25-2012
I LOVE everything about your setup! Colorful, friendly and inviting! I want to come play too!
Country Kids 12:59 PM 10-25-2012
Originally Posted by nanglgrl:
You guys are all welcome to come play as long as you don't laugh at me when I get totally involved while playing with the legos, dance like a freak or sing of key!
I have a friend that lives in Mt. Vernon (I think thats right). So when I decided to go see her maybe I'll stop by. I mean we only live what 9 states away-You guys are all welcome to come play as long as you don't laugh at me when I get totally involved while playing with the legos, dance like a freak or sing of key!
nanglgrl 01:00 PM 10-25-2012
Originally Posted by Heidi:
I love the loft and the stairs the most. The whole set up is very, very nice.
If we ever sell this house and build (as planned), I get a whole basement too, with a seperate entrance. Oh, I wish I wish I wish!
That is exactly why we bought this house. I loved that parents could come right through the door by the driveway and down to the basement and skip seeing my sink full of dishes or baskets of laundry that need folding. It helped that it was in a nice neighborhood and had a huge backyard but that entrance is what hooked me!I love the loft and the stairs the most. The whole set up is very, very nice.
If we ever sell this house and build (as planned), I get a whole basement too, with a seperate entrance. Oh, I wish I wish I wish!
It took me 10 years to get this set up how I wanted and at times it seemed unattainable. When I first started I had all of these ideas but no space.
I was in a rental duplex and used the downstairs living room, kitchen, half bath and dining room completely for daycare and the upstairs bedrooms were ours. We spent about a year eating at that child sized table! and the only adult furniture in our living room was a red couch that I bought specifically because it matched the toys...artwork? posters about shapes and colors. Oh the memories! Keep wishing! It will happen.
nanglgrl 01:11 PM 10-25-2012
I just want to say a big thank you to everyone for their compliments. It means the world to me. It's sites like this and people who share their spaces, ideas and knowledge that helped me design my space. I love seeing the children enjoy the space but having adults appreciate it too makes all of my hard work so worth it.
There are several ideas that I did in my space (the circle time center and peg board for instruments just to name a few) that I used because other people shared them. Thank you for sharing, without you this wouldn't have been possible.
One thing I've learned through this endeavor is that there is never enough space. Even if I had 1000 square feet I would find ways to fill it up! Thanks again.
It's sites like this and people who share their spaces, ideas and knowledge that helped me design my space. I love seeing the children enjoy the space but having adults appreciate it too makes all of my hard work so worth it. There are several ideas that I did in my space (the circle time center and peg board for instruments just to name a few) that I used because other people shared them. Thank you for sharing, without you this wouldn't have been possible.
One thing I've learned through this endeavor is that there is never enough space. Even if I had 1000 square feet I would find ways to fill it up! Thanks again.
spud912 01:35 PM 10-25-2012
OMG, I LOVE your setup! When I redesigned my playroom a few months ago, I had many of the same ideas, but it definitely did not turn out as nice as yours! I especially love all your storage space, the science station and all of your puppets. Of course I love love the idea of a loft too! Want to trade spaces for awhile?!?!
LK5kids 02:04 AM 10-28-2012
I'd love to come play too and I'm only about two hours away!
Your space is beautiful beyond words!
and I'm only about two hours away!Your space is beautiful beyond words!
daycarediva 05:07 AM 10-28-2012
I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEE THIS!
I wish I could pull my sand and water tables back out, but my 2 year old toddler tornado won't allow ANY of it to stay IN them.
I wish I could pull my sand and water tables back out, but my 2 year old toddler tornado won't allow ANY of it to stay IN them.
LaLa1923 03:33 PM 10-29-2012
Originally Posted by nanglgrl:
And some more photos....
And some more photos....
Very nice!! I might need to see this in person!! lol I lOVE IT!! Where did you buy the things you used? I love the changing table!
nanglgrl 04:05 PM 10-29-2012
Originally Posted by LaLa1923:
Very nice!! I might need to see this in person!! lol I lOVE IT!! Where did you buy the things you used? I love the changing table!
You're welcome to stop by! Very nice!! I might need to see this in person!! lol I lOVE IT!! Where did you buy the things you used? I love the changing table!
Everything has been collected over the last 10 years. Most of the basics (including the changing table) were purchased through Kaplan, a few things through Lakeshore learning and some from Discount School Supply. I always find a coupon code though so I never pay full price. If my daycare was doing well I invested more money into it and if it wasn't I just paid the bills. I guess looking back I must have had more good years than bad. LOL.
Sunshine74 04:40 PM 10-29-2012
I love, love, love your music center. And the loft with the rainbow stairs. And the puppets. Your whole space is fantastic, but those are my three favorite areas.
Did you make the crayon artwork yourself?
Did you make the crayon artwork yourself?
nanglgrl 10:50 PM 10-31-2012
Originally Posted by Sunshine74:
I love, love, love your music center. And the loft with the rainbow stairs. And the puppets. Your whole space is fantastic, but those are my three favorite areas.
Did you make the crayon artwork yourself?
Thank you! I did make the crayon artwork (an idea I saw on Pinterest). I planned to do it with the kids but it ending up being too hard.I love, love, love your music center. And the loft with the rainbow stairs. And the puppets. Your whole space is fantastic, but those are my three favorite areas.
Did you make the crayon artwork yourself?