Daycarelady, if I had a great back yard I wouldn't have to go on as many outings, but I don't have that and I'm sure if I saw your backyard I would die from envy. Don't worry about a thing!
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Daycarelady, if I had a great back yard I wouldn't have to go on as many outings, but I don't have that and I'm sure if I saw your backyard I would die from envy. Don't worry about a thing!
I go to the park everyday 2 times a day lol.....only because I have nodda in my yard as we just moved here in september.......The park I go to is a popular park and its 1 min walk from my front door there are TONS of kids and daycare providers there I actually went today and there were 3 dcp with all there kids chatting there and it was craziness felt very unsafe....I have a small group 2 dcks and 1 my own then after school 2 more summer I will be full and I can tell you right now I will not be going to the park we will be spending our summer in my backyard its just not safe at all. I was actually sad seeing all those kids there and all the dcp talking kids were hitting eachother biting falling off stuff wondering and the dcp just drank there coffees we really need to think about why its important to get out and by the looks of it 90 percent of the time its the dcp needing to socialize its not in the best interests of the kids.
mommylove: I go to the park pretty much daily in good weather, but I go early and leave early and we are usually alone, which is great! I love meeting other providers at the park if there is just one...but once it gets too crowded, it is really too difficult to watch the kids properly. I go at 9am and leave by 10:30 just when everyone else is arriving. We also miss the hot sun and are home in time to have an early lunch and early nap and then in the afternoon we play in my backyard as well. Other than the park, I no longer do other outings as I no longer drive with the daycare (used to before I was full but now they don't all fit in my van including my own daughter). I miss getting out in the winter and seeing other people, but I sure don't miss getting all those kids in and out of the van or trying to make sure they all behave, stay safe, etc while at the library, museum, etc. I think it is easier with a smaller group and/or slightly older kids, but with mainly babies and toddlers it becomes an exercise in patience...LOL. I do miss librarytime though as we had a fantastic librarian who did the best toddlertime ever and it actually kept the kids so enthralled that they stayed completely involved for the entire 30 minutes. I do not miss playgroups...or germ sharing parties as I thought of them...I didn't really feel the kids got much out of them (other than extra colds and flus...LOL).
I don't drive anywhere with my kids as I don't like the liability. We do park visits, walks to the beach but we don't stay long as water and kids freaks me out, we usually go to feed the ducks then on to the park for a picnic then park for play. We do nature walks and backyard fun. I am close to the beach but wouldn't go swimming with 6 kids.Quote:
Originally Posted by DaycareLady
You can have amazing fun this summer right at home, the library has teachers kits you can sign out that gives you lesson plans, themes, storybooks etc... You could have kindermusic come, or do it yourself. My kids love dance and dress up time.
You can set up a kiddie pool or slip and slide for the kids, I never put too much water in and always get a pool with a sprinkler built in, water balloons are great fun, water guns, homemade water table, we add bubbles to ours and the kids love it.
To make a homemade water table you can buy the roll under the bed storage bins:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Rolling-Un...board/12347770
Set up tents in the yard for camping day! Have a scavenger hunt day, we make pet rocks, paint sticks that we find in the forest like snakes for Mom's garden, make tee shirts, have sleep over pj day for rainy days. Heck sometimes we put our swim suits on and run around in the rain!
You will have an amazing Summer just think like a kid and have a ball. You can even have jumping castle fun, just borrow one from someone!
Our childcare association just shared a ministry of Ontario memo that basically bans anyone from having a pool including a blow up kiddie pool or any open water near their daycare children. It applies to centres and providers with agencies but is of course only highly recommended that the rest of us that are private follow the same rules.
I don't go on outings either .... I live in the country so an outing would require putting them in a van and I'm not taking on that added liability. I have lots of outdoor toys and several play structures and lots of space. We are outside in the mornings for about an hour in the winter and several hours the rest of the year.
All of my toddlers take swimming lessons and mine are all close to 3 years old, with that said my children are never ever left unattended even for a few seconds when my pool is set up. One needs my help in the bathroom we all go! I can see why centre's need to follow these rules as there child ratios are extremely high. Its really sad what happened in Orleans a few years ago and it really sucks when irresponsibleQuote:
Originally Posted by playfelt
Providers ruin it for the rest if us. Also its a really good example for us on how we must always be safe and responsible.
Regarding pools, last year my age group were 21/2 to 4. I had the larger blow up pool out. If I could not supervise this area, even for a few moments, the kids were out of the pool and the heavy plywood cover went on. This year my group is younger, so the little kiddie pool will be out with a plywood cover for it also. Water and kids freak me out too.
love these and all the great ideas! thanks everyone!!
I don't usually go to the park when I have all 5 DCK's here. We tend to just play in the backyard at that point since I have two of my own too. I think it's also a safety thing. I do have the choo choo wagon but watching 7 kids at the park or library is hard to imagine unless they were all school age.