I have two siblings who will be leaving at the end of the month--with the possibility of occasional drop-in care after--and I'd like to do something special for them for their last day. Both boys, 1 year, and 4 years. Any ideas?
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I have two siblings who will be leaving at the end of the month--with the possibility of occasional drop-in care after--and I'd like to do something special for them for their last day. Both boys, 1 year, and 4 years. Any ideas?
Walmart does really fast (& cheap) photo books. A nice keepsake for them if you take photos of their time with you.
We are doing photo dvd's of "xxxx's days at daycare" and we make a poster card with photos and all the kids hand prints. I also give every child a hardcover book with a message inside from my family.
Depending on how long they have been with me I do one or all of the following:
Child gets to be King or Queen for the Day ... they choose the snacks and lunch, a field trip within reason cost wise and the afternoon 'graduation' activities again within reason cost wise ... popular request seems to be pinatas. If I have several kids leaving at once I will do a little more bang for them cause I can combine their choices into one day or over two days.
We make a Canvas painting with the kids hand prints that says 'growing friendships' and it has the names of the kids who've been part of the program while that child was enrolled .... here's a sample
http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...ngarden018.jpg
We make a good bye card and each child draws a picture and I write a 'what we will miss about X' on their page. I also write a poem about the child's time here with us on the last page of the card.
I upload all of the photo documentation onto a flash drive for the child and family to have as a keepsake ... sample of a simple photo documentation of kids who I have permission to share image for 'educational sharing purposes'. In between the two images would be a more detailed 'observation' specific for each child's experience that day, week or month we were exploring something in relation to what they were mastering developmentally as per the domains of learning ~ aka new language they used, concepts they discovered while color mixing, cognitive skills mastered, social skills with sharing or turn taking or problem solving via their explorations and so forth.
http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...tation-011.jpg
http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...tation-012.jpg
If you've been here from infancy to graduation than I also give the child a 'digital photo' frame for home to play the documentation photos on so they do not have to rely on using their parents computer all the time and so they can 'see' their childhood from infancy to graduation from daycare in one moving story...these are expensive aka why you have to have been here there duration of your journey to school and shown that your the kind of client who would 'appreciate' the gesture and ensure your child respects it ;)
I also have a digital frame with everyone's documentation on it in the playroom so the kids can watch themselves and reflect on how much they've grown or interests gone by.
I do a collage from Walmart with pictures from the time they spent with me.
I scrapbook a memory book for every child leaving my daycare. It also includes a graduation diploma and a heartfelt letter from me. This takes me about 40-50 hours to complete so it's quite a gift and the people who have received these memory books are so appreciative.
I have done lots of different things in the past for children depending on their age and how long they have been with me. I am really BIG for throwing parties!!!! decorations and a gift make them feel really special and loved for the day! Right now I am planning a party for 3 boys who are going to school and leaving me :( We are going to have a big bon fire in the back yard, parents invited too, we will read some back to school books around the bon fire and make smores. before we go outside I will have the boys to be the first to put their hand prints on a canvas painting I have had an idea for for a long time but havent gotten to. Figured the boys would feel special to be the first!!! then we will use fabric markers to decorate some "matching" shirts we will wear outside for the bon fire. I purchased each boy a small bucket and in it put their tshirt, and some other things they will need for school markers, pad of paper, (of course some glow sticks for the fire) hand sanitizer for school, and a weeks worth of snacks for snack time at school. (and a package of chewy vitamins, thats my thing with the kids...whenever they are at my house they ask for their vitamin :)) The canvas has a tree trunk painted on it and then I purchased the primary colors and orange and green for the kids to put hand prints as the leaves, there will be a hand print for each child I have had in care over the years, thats what the boys will help me with. :)
You're so attentive, kids must love you best.Quote:
Originally Posted by Inspired by Reggio