Hello I am so happy to have found this forum. I just started doing daycare in August for the second time. I had a daycare business about 7 years ago when my boys were little but now they are in school. I have a 16 month old daughter now and decided to start again.
I am finding it hard to keep my age groups occupied. I have an 8 month old here, a 2 year old and my 16 month old daughter. The 2 year old is a very young 2. We do a lot of story time, blocks etc but need ideas to fill the day. Most of the plans I had aren't yet working for their ages. Neither my daughter nor the 2 year old will really play independently at all which is sometimes difficult with the baby. Would anyone mind sharing their schedule? Thanks!
AmyKidsCo 05:41 PM 11-24-2014
My schedule is very simple. Most of the day is child-led play. I plan 1-2 activities/experiences each day. Sometimes we get to them, sometimes we don't. I don't usually play "with" the children but I'm around, interacting, caregiving, etc. Most of the time they're so busy with their own agenda they couldn't care less if I was there or not.
7:00 Open
Play
Breakfast
Activity and/or Outside
Play
12:00 Lunch
Story
Naps
Play
Snack
Play
5:00 Close
Heidi 05:53 PM 11-24-2014
Originally Posted by AmyKidsCo:
My schedule is very simple. Most of the day is child-led play. I plan 1-2 activities/experiences each day. Sometimes we get to them, sometimes we don't. I don't usually play "with" the children but I'm around, interacting, caregiving, etc. Most of the time they're so busy with their own agenda they couldn't care less if I was there or not.
7:00 Open
Play
Breakfast
Activity and/or Outside
Play
12:00 Lunch
Story
Naps
Play
Snack
Play
5:00 Close
I'm very similar. I strongly believe in lots of independent/free play. Sometimes, it takes you stepping back and letting them figure that out; whether they like it or not.
A large part of our day revolves around routines such as meals. Our meals usually take a good half hour each, and I always sit with the children. I may eat something else, but we eat together. At the end of a meal, I usually read a story. With toddlers, they're sort of a "captive audience" at this point, and tend to "pay attention" better.
We go out for a walk (weather dependent) daily, and I sing a LOT of songs. There's a blue jay outside? I sing about it. It's snowing? I sing about it. Transition? I've got a song. Fortunately for me, toddlers don't care that my singing is at best mediocre.
Nap time here is a good 3 hours. My toddlers usually start with a giggle fest with their roommates, then sleep a couple hours or more, then giggle some more. It's an opportunity for them to play without the chance to argue over toys and without my interference.
AmyKidsCo 05:59 PM 11-24-2014
Originally Posted by Heidi:
I'm very similar. I strongly believe in lots of independent/free play. Sometimes, it takes you stepping back and letting them figure that out; whether they like it or not.
A large part of our day revolves around routines such as meals. Our meals usually take a good half hour each, and I always sit with the children. I may eat something else, but we eat together. At the end of a meal, I usually read a story. With toddlers, they're sort of a "captive audience" at this point, and tend to "pay attention" better.
We go out for a walk (weather dependent) daily, and I sing a LOT of songs. There's a blue jay outside? I sing about it. It's snowing? I sing about it. Transition? I've got a song. Fortunately for me, toddlers don't care that my singing is at best mediocre.
Nap time here is a good 3 hours. My toddlers usually start with a giggle fest with their roommates, then sleep a couple hours or more, then giggle some more. It's an opportunity for them to play without the chance to argue over toys and without my interference.
I need to do more "singing to the air." I'm in my head so much it doesn't occur to me.
Thank you! My schedule now is very similar. I'm thinking the toddlers I have here now just aren't playing independently too much.
Josiegirl 02:45 AM 11-25-2014
My routine is pretty much the same as above. Kids that young need a flexible routine, basic structure such as naptime and mealtime. I always include playing outdoors twice if we can. The group I have now is between 18 months and 3ish. I offer many many activities if they choose to do them. But nothing is held to a strict schedule except meals/naps.
IMO little kids need time to play, look at books, study each other and their reactions, pretend, draw/paint, just to be kids. Lots of sensory is offered but their 2 favorites are water play and playdoh.
It seems though my 2 toddlers' favorite activity is bucket dumping.
Some activities they enjoy during our day:
Strollers and babies
Cooking in our play kitchen area
Reading books quietly
Balls
Blocks
Sorting/stacking
Moving their little bodies around-Christmas music and dress-up is highly popular with the 2-3 yo crowd.
therov 09:02 AM 12-03-2014
Though they're young, they can still benefit from more of a schedule than play/meal/play. I do free play in the morning from drop-off to morning snack. After snack we have a 10-15 minute Circle Time with rhymes, songs, and a couple of books (usually one "young" book and one for older kids). Then we do one of a few units that are rotated in that spot: art/craft (on days I don't do art, I have crayons & art supplies out during free play), Play Doh/other mushy action, puzzle/block time, puppet/song/dance time, and magnets/magnifiers/other science-type time. After that, it's outside play or a walk until just before lunch.
Even a 12-month-old responds to the schedule since s/he knows what to expect each day. While having lots of variables and choice are helpful in these activities since the kids don't have school-age attention spans, they still do even better with a little more structure built in.
Good luck.