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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Summer....
lflick 10:53 AM 06-03-2014
I am entering my third summer with a DC. This year I am projected to have quite a range of childrens ages (1 to 9). What are some of your go to projects, themes, etc to keep everyone happy? I would be lying if I said I wasn't a tad bit worried!
Christina72684 11:03 AM 06-03-2014
I would love ideas too! So far this year I bought some cheap squirt guns at Dollar Tree (3 for $1!) and they've loved that, but it's a pain to keep filling them up. I got a cheap yard sprinkler this weekend that I'll try once it stops raining and gets hot again.
We're doing our Zoo/Ocean units right now and are going to the Zoo in a few weeks. After that we will do gardening and Farm animals and go to the County 4H Fair in July.
We're doing our Zoo/Ocean units right now and are going to the Zoo in a few weeks. After that we will do gardening and Farm animals and go to the County 4H Fair in July.
playground1 11:24 AM 06-03-2014
Originally Posted by Christina72684:
I would love ideas too! So far this year I bought some cheap squirt guns at Dollar Tree (3 for $1!) and they've loved that, but it's a pain to keep filling them up.
We have an old baby tub that we fill with water and put in the yard. They can refill them themselves. I would love ideas too! So far this year I bought some cheap squirt guns at Dollar Tree (3 for $1!) and they've loved that, but it's a pain to keep filling them up.
nothingwithoutjoy 08:02 PM 06-03-2014
The mud kitchen is a favorite with everyone.
We've been doing something like this this week, and it's been a huge hit with all. I loved the way this was set up on tables as opposed to a sensory table, because it gives space for setting stuff up around the bins of water, which they all love to do.
Big kids love sensory stuff as much as littles...you should see my big kids go crazy with shaving cream!
If you set the big kids loose with a low-temp glue gun and a bunch of "junk," they'll be busy for hours on end, day after day.
We spend a lot of time in the woods or by/in the stream in the summer. Great for all ages.
We've been doing something like this this week, and it's been a huge hit with all. I loved the way this was set up on tables as opposed to a sensory table, because it gives space for setting stuff up around the bins of water, which they all love to do.
Big kids love sensory stuff as much as littles...you should see my big kids go crazy with shaving cream!
If you set the big kids loose with a low-temp glue gun and a bunch of "junk," they'll be busy for hours on end, day after day.
We spend a lot of time in the woods or by/in the stream in the summer. Great for all ages.
nothingwithoutjoy 08:12 PM 06-03-2014
Oh, and how can I forget...cooking! My big kids love to cook, and when it's not too hot, I set them to work at the end of naptime, baking muffins for snack. They love it.
daycare 08:20 PM 06-03-2014
goo make lots and lots of flubber and goooooo
Lucy 08:24 PM 06-03-2014
Art is great. Maybe not for the 1 year old LOL, but the older of the bunch can always grab some supplies and create something. It's a good go-to when you need them to be quiet.
Here's a recent thread about it. (I'm sure there are others in the forum someplace too.) At the bottom, I have a list of what's in my art supplies. https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71374
Yard toys are good too. I got some fairly inexpensive ones at our Kroger-type store (it's called different things in different areas), probably K-Mart, Walmart, or some place like that would have them too. Just things like ring toss, croquet, bean bag toss, those velcro paddles with velcro ball to toss.... things like that.
Here's a recent thread about it. (I'm sure there are others in the forum someplace too.) At the bottom, I have a list of what's in my art supplies. https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71374
Yard toys are good too. I got some fairly inexpensive ones at our Kroger-type store (it's called different things in different areas), probably K-Mart, Walmart, or some place like that would have them too. Just things like ring toss, croquet, bean bag toss, those velcro paddles with velcro ball to toss.... things like that.
heyhun77 08:31 PM 06-03-2014
My summer program is way more laid back than my school year program and that's saying something since I am nearly 100% play based but still tayler activities to each child's growing abilities. For the big kids I put together work bags for enrichment activities. It really only takes them about 20 minutes a day to complete including math online plus reading 40 minutes a day. They do that during nap time. For other activities, we participate in the summer reading program at the library and attend activities there when we can, we do lots of neighborhood walks with nature scavenger hunts and playing a local parks, we have two science activities per week and at least 2 art activities. Daily we do storytime a couple times a day plus random reading, we play in outside classroom which has pretty much everything we play with inside plus a big sandbox, our daycare garden, the kids' individual flower garden spots, the sensory table with rotating filler and then lots of nature and movement.
They keep really busy independantly and I can float between all the kids which are ages 1 to almost 10.
They keep really busy independantly and I can float between all the kids which are ages 1 to almost 10.