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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>The Last Hour Before Pickup
TwinMama 05:17 PM 07-16-2019
The last hour and a half or so seems to take longer than the whole day. I don't know what it is...

How do you guys power through the last of the day before the kids get picked up?
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springv 05:32 PM 07-16-2019
We let our kids watch a movie and wind down
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Blackcat31 06:58 PM 07-16-2019
We go outside
As soon as nap and potty breaks are completed we go outside
PM snack and pickups are all done outside
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TwinMama 07:32 AM 07-17-2019
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
We go outside
As soon as nap and potty breaks are completed we go outside
PM snack and pickups are all done outside
What do you do if the weather is bad?
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Cat Herder 07:44 AM 07-17-2019
We pick up toys, get cleaned up, changed, hair brushed/styled, and gather our stuff to take home. Then we play with their choice of 10 special made, individual sets, of manipulatives that are only for going home time (or thunderstorms ).

Small bins with lids

I have new bins coming soon.
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TwinMama 08:11 AM 07-17-2019
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
We pick up toys, get cleaned up, changed, hair brushed/styled, and gather our stuff to take home. Then we play with their choice of 10 special made, individual sets, of manipulatives that are only for going home time (or thunderstorms ).

Small bins with lids
  • Large Pom-Poms (4 different colors) matching small bowls and kids chopsticks.
  • Stacking Robots.
  • Gears!Gears!Gears!
  • Magnetic Robots.
  • Sorting Bears and bowls.
  • Counting Dinosaurs and laminated number matching/sequencing sheets.
  • Lacing cards.
  • Lacing Beads.
  • Lauri Stacker and foam base.
  • Mat Man.

I have new bins coming soon.
Where do you get your bins?
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Blackcat31 08:14 AM 07-17-2019
Originally Posted by TwinMama:
What do you do if the weather is bad?
Thankfully, it's been nice so far this year.... a few raindrops here and there and in that case we just hang under our canopy.

If the weather is REALLy bad and we can't be outside then we play inside but it's large group play.

I take out all the blocks or book or some other activity that allows for everyone to play at once.

That way it's not a ton of things to pick up when each child's parent arrives and it's not a lot of mess for me once everyone is gone.
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Rockgirl 08:32 AM 07-17-2019
Lately, we’ve been doing puzzles for the last chunk of the day. All of mine LOVE puzzles. They spread out throughout the room, and I give them each one, based on their skill level. When they finish one, I swap it out for another one. It helps that people have donated lots of puzzles to my daycare, so we have a huge selection!
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Cat Herder 12:30 PM 07-17-2019
Originally Posted by TwinMama:
Where do you get your bins?
Dollar Tree They are going to get cracked. It is what they do.

https://www.dollartree.com/clear-pla...25x5-in/298957

I fill them, myself.
https://www.amazon.com/Schylling-WSR...gateway&sr=8-2
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Cat Herder 12:38 PM 07-17-2019
I forked out money for the expensive Kaplan bins, they did not last a full year. They shatter.

Some of my Dollar Tree ones are on year 12.
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AmyKidsCo 01:19 PM 07-17-2019
We go outside or do games/coloring at the table.
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Ariana 10:11 PM 07-17-2019
This was always my stressful time as well so I implemented colouring and play doh. This is the only time they get to do these activities and it keeps them engaged and it works!
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Tags:burn out, last hour of care, long day
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