Hi ladies, just wondering if you could help me out a little bit.

I would LOVE to incorporate a sensory bin area into the daycare, but don't have the extra room for it right now ... because we have my daughter's (got it as a hand me down form my parents) humungo dollhouse. I would like for this to go up into her room, but I'm not sure if it would be a big loss as a toy for daycare kids. (I can't judge how they play with it because I'm not open yet).

I have attached some pictures so you can see my layout (excuse the drab colors ... I'm trying to figure out ways to brighten it up in here, too). My idea is to get a cube-type shelf that would go across from where the play kitchen is, to kind of section off a dramatic play area, then on the other side of the cube-shelf to move the train table there, and be able to switch that out as a sensory bin type table... what do you think?

Any suggestions would help Thank you!

The first pic is standing in my kitchen doorway, showing the kitchen area (dramatic play) and big doll house... The second picture is standing in the front of the daycare area looking towards the back (you can see the play kitchen ad doll house on the left). Train table right in the middle of everything ...

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Is that whole area for childcare? Like the room in the back also?

In my mind I see humongus room that needs to be filled with stuff! I see so many places to put a sensory table. All I did was take a clear bin that you would use to hold clothes and such (6 in deep) put it on a very small table I bought and put it in a corner of my room. Takes up hardly any room and then I do use the underneath for storage.

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You say drab. I say blank canvas!

Go buy cheap umbrellas. Diff colors. Hang them along wall. It will help w echo. I see floor pillows. Baskets of toys, colorful artwork the KIDS do. Hanging on the wall. I use shallow bins. Cake pans actually on my train table for sensory play. I use my water table in winter w various things. Bowls, tubes, containers.

Omg. I would harm a human for that room!!!

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Your last statement-I thought it but you said it-

Hopefully no one comes up missing!

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dh built me one (I think its in my pics) out of pcv pipe and its great. Its not super big and I made it a bit higher so the littles can't get in and throw things everywhere.

I would paint the walls a warm color. Add some comfy chairs for a reading area.

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Haha, thanks ladies ... yes it's the whole living/dining combo. I think the pictures actually make it look a lot bigger than it is. Once I get kids in here, I will definitely be using their artwork to decorate the walls - I've already stocked up on various sizes canvases for them to go to town on

We are short on $ right now to buy a bunch of other things - DH is losing his job in a month, so we're trying to be very careful in case something else doesn't come through right away, and my daycare doesn't get strated that well. I need to buy a new table (right now, just have a two-seater, which would be enough for my own kids, but no one else).

I am planning on getting a bin like you mentioned for the sensory stuff, and just putting it on the train table whenever we do something like that.

Here is another picture ... one that shows some more exciting things, haha. (This is when you walk into the front of the daycare area) ... so I have a little reading area, a more "baby" centered area, I will be putting an exesaucer along the wall next to the dino toy, and hoping to get a safe mirror for that spot, too.

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I guess my biggest questions are:

Would moving the doll house be a big loss, because it takes up so much room? If I moved it, the train table would no longer be out in the middle of the floor anymore.

And also, do you prefer and open floor plan or sections?

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In my opinion, a sensory bin will get far more use than a dollhouse.

Sections, for coziness and keeping play focused.

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I think the wall color is a bit drab; I think if you painted it a pale color it would brighten it up immeasurably. Something like a pale green or yellow maybe. Possibly blue, but that might make it too cool. Different curtains would probably help, too.

Sections/open depends a lot on the specific group/personalities/ages/time of year/weather. Okay, weather is a bit of a joke. Possibly.

I like to keep my setup fluid and easy to change, as I find that I have to change it up pretty often. I rotate toys fairly often, and big things like dollhouses/lego sets/etc get a LOT more play when I rotate. So keep in mind that whatever you do right now, you can always change in a month or three or whatever works.

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How many kids are you going to be licensed for? I'm assuming 6? I'm licensed for 6 and I have a little sensory table that's big enough. If you section it off, you will probably have enough room for the dollhouse. Or you could just use some type of bins and have individual ones for sensory play on the table. I use my family room for the daycare playroom and it's not that big, but I fit more than I thought I could! I do keep the larger baby items in the family room (my son uses them anyways) and bring them in the other room or let them use the bigger toys in the family room when the older kids are sleeping. My walls were plain too, but once kids started coming, they are filling up with art and other things.

Here are a few pics-they are old and do not have the recent things on the wall. Above the shelving unit, I put a cupboard up for supplies and there is more art and stuff on the walls now.

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Wow, I have room envy!! There's so much potential there, I hardly know where to start. I do agree that painting the walls would help a TON - I'd probably go with a nice pale yellow. I don't know about where you are, but our dollar store carries alphabet, color, and shape posters. You could even make them yourself with pieces of poster board.

I like the idea of sections. Too much open space encourages running in the house, IMO. I also agree that a sensory table would probably get more use than the dollhouse.

Please keep us updated, I can't wait to see how it progresses!

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You could get a smaller sensory table and put it right next to the train table. I like having my table in the middle of the room (although I would like a smaller one) so the kids don't run around inside.

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Do you mean real umbrellas or the paper type ones? If real, how do you hang them? I would like to put more real stuff up, but I don't know how to hang things on the wall so they will stay up and we have finished ceilings also.

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Thank you all for the suggestions. Yes, the wall color is a bit drab, but painting isn't an option right now (we just moved into the house, and our kids' rooms had no floor and needed paint BAD so it was more of a priority to update those first), but will be something I will do in the future. I did hit the Dollar Tree and got some wall posters (ABC, colors, shapes, numbers) and some cute bug die-cuts that I will be putting up. I have one more cube shelf to go on the wall. And like I mentioned earlier, I will be filling the walls with kids' art once I get some kids in here

Melilley - I really like what you did wth the bins ... putting half one way and half the other. I'm wondering if doing something like that would help create another "Section" for me.

I think we will be putting the dollhose up in my daughter's room - I've been thinking that I don't want all the Barbies and little pieces down in the daycare area anyways.

Now, just to convince my husband to let me use a little bit of our tax money to buy the shelving/cubt unti I've had my eye one and the new table from Ikea ... :\

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I would hang real ones. In my opinion, the more real stuff in a child's world. The better.

I'd use screw hooks in the corners and just hang them from the brellas strings at handle.

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I'm not understanding how you would hang the umbrellas. Sounds cute.

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Oh duh! I thought you meant on the wall, not the ceiling. Makes sense now..lol Good idea!

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For the sensory area maybe in the section near your table along the wall (not where the heating vent is! ). I think there may be baby dolls or something there, I can't really tell in the pic what they are.

I like sections because otherwise open space becomes a running zone with my group. my 'sections' are large but I divide them up so there isn't just one big room to run back and forth through.

Personally, unless its the plastic dolls, I hate doll houses because it means me dressing and redressing barbies or dolls.

Good luck! I love your space!

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I would move the lol house because I wouldn't want to deal with babies sensory bins- mine is not out all the time. I place it out at certain times of he dy. I have little ones who dump so I don't have it in my playroom. I place it on a plastic tablecloth on the kitchen floor.

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Haha, yes ... I deal with this with my 3 yr old daughter right now, which is why I don't want it to be down here. BUt then I'll be running up and down the stairs on the weekends to deal with changing Barbies clothes up in her room haha.


That's a great idea, too! The entry of the daycare is actually our large foyer ... I could lay down a table cloth and do some sensory bins in there.

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