How to structure a day for young ones

[Momof4]

Here's my day:
8am - Breakfast
9am - Ouside play, parks, walks, library, water table, swings, etc.
During bad weather - crafts, theme of the week lesson
11am - freeplay in the toyroom while I prepare lunch
11:30ish - Lunch - I use flashcards and read a story while the children eat
12:15ish - Circle time - songs, puppets, wind-down time before naps
12:45ish - Naptime
3pm - Afternoon snack
3:30 - Freeplay in the toyroom since I have children picked up at 3:20, 3:30, 3:50, 4:20 & 4:45 There isn't time to do anything in between all those times.

You must be incredibly organized to have spare time in your day! I admit that when I have some free time I sit down with a cup of tea and maybe check my daycare forums but that usually happens on bad weather days ony when we are inside.

Do you have a felt board with games you can use and finger puppets, small mats so you can play 'musical mats', a big king sized sheet to make a fort. Remember that the children need time to play. When I started in my first 2 years I was trying to entertain the children all the time but I realized they are still learning when they are playing. We can give ourselves a break now and then because we work long days.