I'm trying hard to come up with a new daycare model that simplifies the house. I need more time for homeschooling my own kids, and playing as a family.

My dc kids are in preschool in the morning right now. Next year I'll have to get new kids because mine will all be in K. There is time in the morning for home schooling, but I'd also like that time free from cleaning and lunh prep.

So the two areas I'm trying to simplify are food and toys. I've come up with a fairly simple 5 week rotation menu. I think that will help for the food issue. Nothing should take more than 10 minutes to cook. I think I might go to paper plates and cups also. No dishwasher here so I'd rather not have a huge load of dishes to wash.

The toy area is going to be a bit harder. I have all the normal toys: kitchen, food, cars, action figures, train, doll stuff, barbies, blocks, etc... I am thinking about getting rid of the types of toys that the kids play with at home. You know, the Barbies, action figures, cars, kitchen, etc... I want to replace with more science and creative toys.

I'd like to get a preschooler microscope, magnet set, marble run, legos, science back packs, etc...

I want to get them outside more this winter. We go out a lot in the spring, summer and fall. I hate winter though. When my own kids were little I took them out a lot, but now they are old enough to be out by themselves.

I think I'll talk with the preschool my dck's go to and see if they can refer kids for next year. I like having my mornings from 8:30-11:30 free for my own kids.

What other things can I get instead of the usual toys. I was thinking Chia Pets would be fun. Maybe some of those plant domes.

I was hoping with fewer toys would come a cleaner home. I could clear out a bunch of shelves downstairs and have more playing room.

Kelly

Reply

Those preschool toys sound like a good idea. You could get more ideas by looking at the different curriculum categories at http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/ or http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/

Sometimes I look there for ideas, but buy elsewhere because they tend to be overpriced.

Reply

Cool ideas! Butterfly houses and ant farms!
Insectlore.com (I think that's the site)has lots of stuff like that.

Reply

Thanks for the ideas and web sites. I was wondering where to look.

Kelly

Reply

Another place I used to buy from occasionally was Hearthsong, I remember getting some geoboards awhile back plus shape mosiac type puzzles.

Reply

Hearthsong is not the Waldorf-oriented site it used to be though. I used to shop there a lot too.

Reply

We do a lottttttt of science stuff here. Last summer, we caught 20 lubber grasshoppers (they get as long as my hand) and out them in a small square tank with dirt for hem to lay their eggs. In the spring, potentially thousands will hatch from the dirt. They molt five times before they lay. The kids love these grasshoppers.

We also do butterfly hatching etc.

Lots and lots of nature stuff. Leaf projects, tree sapling experiments where we document and photograph it's growth over a few months.

We plant seeds and document their progress.

I try to think up things that are cost friendly so I don't have to buy "kits"

Did you know you can make your own chia pet?? http://youtu.be/3jptVKuB9jY

Oh. And off topic. My almost 12 year old daughter just showed me how to watch YouTube from my iPad through my roku into my tv. Which is awesome because sometimes I let the preschool kid watch abc YouTube videos and now I can stream them into the tv from YouTube. I love technology.

Reply

I am in the planning stages of starting my daycare and my biggest concern is how to go about homeschooling my two kids (12yo dd & 10yo ds). I know that I'm going to have to get creative.

Back on topic.. it never crossed my mind to take all preschool age after their morning preschool. Do you still charge FT price for that?

Reply

I do charge full time rates. I still have them for 6-7 hours a day plus all day on Friday, and I feed them lunch.

Kelly

Reply

Im curious as to what your menu is, would you share it? Im so tired of coming up with food that doesnt take forever to cook that they will actually eat.

Reply