3.5k
Daycare and childcare providers in Winnipeg, Toronto, Vancouver, Ontario etc. in CanadaGarderies à Montréal ou au QuébecFind daycare or childcare providers in the USA
Forum control
+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 17
  1. #1
    Euphoric ! bright sparks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Posts
    2,074
    Thanked
    807 Times in 564 Posts

    Daycare Room equipment Wish List....

    Sorry for typo error in thread title. I can't change it....duh me

    I am moving house in August and moving to a place with a huge unfinished basement which I am so excited to dedicate completely to my daycare and have the wonderful opportunity to finish exactly as I want for my daycare needs. I have to say I am consumed with excitement at designing my new space to be both exciting, fun and new but also functional.

    I wanted to hear what peoples ideas were for their dream daycare room
    and what things people had on their wishlists but maybe they can't have due to financial or space issues.
    Last edited by bright sparks; 06-18-2012 at 09:40 AM. Reason: typo error

  2. #2
    Starting to feel at home...
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Calgary, Alberta
    Posts
    115
    Thanked
    15 Times in 15 Posts
    I have way too many things to list, but my reference to send you to would be qualityclassroom.com ? .ca? You can order their catalogue or look through it online and make the perfect space. You could spend thousands in minutes. My #1 thing would be furniture to start- good shelving/low bookcases for the toys and activities that would wrap around the entire room. #2 would be to upgrade the quality of toys and activities. Have fun designing!

  3. The Following User Says Thank You to Dayhome Mamma For This Useful Post:


  4. #3
    Euphoric ! bright sparks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Posts
    2,074
    Thanked
    807 Times in 564 Posts
    I have loads of ideas and a huge wishlist of my own but looking for other peoples dream items for some new ideas

  5. #4
    Starting to feel at home...
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Ottawa
    Posts
    78
    Thanked
    19 Times in 17 Posts
    I would want 5 cubbies for the children to place all their belongings. Low well organized shelves for toys, I like cube shelves for toy storage and easy tidy up. I loved having an aquarium in my playroom. I also love having a book case with display and nice soft pillow and chairs to sit in. I would build a facade sp? Of a house in front of my everyday living area ..... Or have a loft space. I also had a climber in one area of my basement with ride on toys .... For those rainy or really cold winter days. A sink near my art area and three art stations or a blackboard on the wall.

  6. The Following User Says Thank You to ECE53 For This Useful Post:


  7. #5
    Euphoric ! Dreamalittledream's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Ontario east
    Posts
    1,152
    Thanked
    278 Times in 201 Posts
    A floor with a drain...water safe everything & a big hose to simply hose everything off at night. Wouldn't that be cool? Okay, so...back to reality...I would love a gymnastics area...foam balancing beams, ball or foam pit to jump in, trampoline, those big gym mat material rubber shapes that you can position any way, spring floor, big mirrored wall...amazing sound system.
    Children are great imitators.
    So give them something great to imitate.

    ~Anonymous~

  8. The Following User Says Thank You to Dreamalittledream For This Useful Post:


  9. #6
    Euphoric !
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Ottawa, Ontario
    Posts
    4,499
    Thanked
    1,469 Times in 1,125 Posts
    I would want square rooms not rectangle - that has been my issue in just about every house we have lived in because I only get part of the basement. Long and narrow means moving through one area to get to the next or similar traffic pattern issues. I would build half walls to separate areas to maintain an open feel and movement of air and light. I would insulate the floor or use those dricore squares under if not using carpet. I would install a bathroom, double laundry tubs, kitchenette or bar area with fridge and microwave.

  10. The Following User Says Thank You to playfelt For This Useful Post:


  11. #7
    Euphoric ! Inspired by Reggio's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Ontario
    Posts
    2,697
    Thanked
    946 Times in 686 Posts
    My dream space would have had a seperate entrance to the daycare and a kitchenette downstairs so 'everything' was contained - but that did not happen

    For the 'room' my staples are:

    Child size cubbies for their belongings and boots/shoes ... that they can access them to get dressed and so forth and parents know where to go for 'dirty clothes / art / etc". Fortunately my spouse made mine for a fraction of what Quality Classrooms charge and we stained and painted them the same color to 'blend' into the wall so they are not too much of an eye sore in our foyer!

    Childsize table and chairs for both meal time and for creative art / sensory time ... this was the best investment I ever made because being able to be independent at these times of day helps...instead of highchairs I bought booster seats that FIT onto the child size chairs so that the kids are all at the same height for meal time - infants love this!

    Dramatic play / kitchen area - well stocked with materials that promote role playing and dress up in a variety of 'real life ways' ... I want to upgrade to a nice natural wooden one but cannot find one so might have to DYI what I want cause I needed a 'corner style' one for where I want to keep it

    Quality set of wooden blocks for a block corner and accessories that promote imaginative building and creating including ramps and gully style blocks to create 'rolling structures' ... my kids will play for hours here!!!

    Book Nook .... if I had the space I would me a loft style one where the book nook is up top with a nice place to curl up and it could be a place away from 'babies' if needed be for older ids and under neath could be the 'dark cave' with the light table under it and flashlights and things that glow and make 'magic reflections' and on the side of one of it a 'puppet / felt board' area for literacy ... we had one of these custom made in a centre I worked at and it was AWESOME!!!!

    A Light table is a must ... again you can make a DYI for cheaper than Quality Classrooms

    Quality musical instruments for exploring

    Child size shelves for variety of floor toys that promote open ended explorations

    ETA forgot the 'wooden dollhouse' it is plain wood and serves as not only the dollhouse but also the firefighters hall, the Dr office or Hospital, the Vet clinic and various other 'structures' depending on their interests as I have a variety of different accessories but the 'doll house' is a staple since I got rid of the Little Tykes / Fischer Price 'themed structures' that normally are used cause they took up way too much space to rotate.
    Last edited by Inspired by Reggio; 06-18-2012 at 02:49 PM.
    Children construct their own intelligence. The adult must provide activities and context, but most of all must be able to listen. Children need proof that adults believe in them. Their three great desires are to be listened to, to understand, and to demonstrate that they are exactly what we expect."
    Loris Malaguzzi

  12. The Following User Says Thank You to Inspired by Reggio For This Useful Post:


  13. #8
    Euphoric ! bright sparks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Posts
    2,074
    Thanked
    807 Times in 564 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by playfelt View Post
    I would insulate the floor or use those dricore squares under if not using carpet. .
    Great idea, I never thought of this. Thanks

  14. #9
    Euphoric ! Inspired by Reggio's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Ontario
    Posts
    2,697
    Thanked
    946 Times in 686 Posts
    Ya we are getting the dricore when we replace the floor in the playroom in July (had a flood in the Fall last year) and picked out a 'commercial' hardwood laminate cross which can be steamed - but it looks awesome and homey!

    I would stay away from wall to wall carpet personally for a child's play space ... easier to clean tile or hardwood and use 'area rugs' for soft places cause if they get peed or puked on you can toss them into the washing machine

    Plus wall to wall carpet is an 'allergen' for many now a days
    Children construct their own intelligence. The adult must provide activities and context, but most of all must be able to listen. Children need proof that adults believe in them. Their three great desires are to be listened to, to understand, and to demonstrate that they are exactly what we expect."
    Loris Malaguzzi

  15. The Following User Says Thank You to Inspired by Reggio For This Useful Post:


  16. #10
    Euphoric ! bright sparks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Posts
    2,074
    Thanked
    807 Times in 564 Posts
    I plan to have half the room in carpet and half the room in some kind of commercial grade vinyl (thicker, more durable and warmer) I have a rug doctor so I can wash the carpet no problem and I'm not a fan of rugs as IMO they can be a hazard for tripping on edges and even though you can put the non slip pieces underneath them to keep them in one place, I find that dust and crumbs quickly accumulate under them so it becomes more work to lift them and clean under them every day rather than just vacuum the carpet.

    I have found a great website with resources for setting a daycare room up. Half the room is classified as wet which is then split in to 2 spaces for craft, water play, meals, entryway and the other half is classified as dry, split into 2 spaces again, 1 side a busy area for blocks, active play, cars etc and the other half is quiet play so storytime, circle time, puzzles etc. The website goes into great detail about configuiration of these areas in the room and defining the areas so the children understand what each space is for. I think this is a fabulous idea and I've really only scraped the surface of the things this website covers. Check it out and repost

    www.communityplaythings.com

  17. The Following User Says Thank You to bright sparks For This Useful Post:


Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 0
    Last Post: 08-13-2021, 12:12 PM
  2. Replies: 3
    Last Post: 09-24-2016, 01:47 PM
  3. Wait list
    By omnishock in forum Managing a daycare
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 12-09-2015, 03:13 PM
  4. Wait List?
    By Sandbox Sally in forum Caring for children
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 04-03-2012, 06:52 AM

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts

A few tips...

Do not hesitate to refer to this article to help you choose a daycare provider, know which questions to ask, have an idea of what to look for...
Updates
We expect providers to keep their listing and available openings up-to-date. However, to prevent oversights, openings expire after 45 days.
Partner in your
search for a daycare provider