How to structure a day for young ones

[Sandymack]

I just started up my home daycare after years of working as a behavioural therapist, a nanny, and an esl teacher. I have 3 kids right now ages 2 years (but a very quiet 2 year old), 16 months, and 10 months.
I have the basic schedule of the day down with snacks, lunch, naps, outdoor time, playtime...but I'm finding in my first 2 days of the daycare that I have time to kill and can't seem to think of some good age appropriate activities for all the kids to enjoy together. The things I planned for are mostly for older children, but my kids are all very young that I am getting so far.
Anyone have any suggestions to help me better structure my day for the wee ones?
Thanks~!

[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.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I am a lover of lots of time for FREE PLAY myself with access in the playroom to lots of open ended materials designed to support creative role playing and discovery ... I do not 'structure' too much of their day where it is ME who is leading play or entertaining them ... that is their job.

My day goes like this - times vary cause I do not watch the clock but rather their cues but the 'flow' is the SAME everyday.

7:30 .... arrival children engage in either free play or sensory/creative art option set up at table
8:30 .... snack time / washroom routine
9:00 .... outside time / field trip / playroom in inclement weather
10:30 .... field trip / playroom in inclement weather
12:00 .... Lunch time / Story Circle time
1:00 .... Nap / Quiet Time activities
3:30 .... Snack Time
4:00 ... Outside time until go home / inclement weather we do sensory / creative at table

[playfelt]

I have a large pizza box that I glued felt to the front of the lid and inside I keep general type felt such as some nursery rhymes or counting rhymes or a songs like itsy bitsy spider. Whenever there is a lull or things seem to be getting tense I can break the cycle by grabbing the box and finding a place to sit and they come and join me for awhile. I usually have a second box of bin set up with seasonal stuff and in this one include felt board stuff, fingerpuppet stuff, etc. Nothing that takes more than a couple minutes to do as in not lengthy stories. Just gap fillers. It also works well for toddlers since their attention span for each item is only about a "gap" long. Just switch things in and out of the boxes according to interests or seasonal changes.

[crafty]

I've just started too and I have a 3yro ld, 16 and 18 month old. My schedule looks like Reggio's but every monring when it's nice enough we go out for a nice loonng walk. I call it the exploration walk and we talk about what we see and hear. After lunch we have music and dance then we have story time / relaxation and we go off for our nap.
Everymonth I have a theme which I plan special events like in May it was all about Prince and Princesse. So we had medieval olympics (ring toss, mini soccer ...) we had a bal so everyone dressed up on that day and I also have one movie a month. Based on my theme (or not) I find some arts and crafts projetcs and cooking as well but it is never written in stone when we actually do them. I go by how the kids feel and if they seem up for it. I also want to try setting up stations once the other kids joind the group as I want to reduce traffic in the toy roy and prevent 'collisions' hihi.

[Dreamalittledream]

Agreed, my schedule looks like Reggio's. In my experience I've found it difficult to engage in one activity for too long with that age group (the under 2's). Goodness, even the time it takes for a diaper change is difficult for some to stay still! Even during my circle/story/craft/ activity time I allow the little ones to join for a bit then wander around the playroom, exploring quietly. Don't stress, even if it looks like they are simply chewing on a block...they are learning and still listening. It does amaze me though that even my little 1 year olds know the routine...example, they see me starting to prep lunch and they automatically start tidy up. They love to be included in those routines (handing out cups, spoons etc.). The best you can do is offer the activity, the rest is up to them. At the end of the day, if they had fun with some learning thrown in...I'm satisfied.

[Sandymack]

Thank you guys! Your schedules are all very similar to how I have structured mine, so it's good to know I must be doing it right!
Right now I am phasing the kids in to get to know them and their routines well, so my first week I have only had 1-2 kids max until July when kid #3 and kid #4 begin. I think I will find that I have less time to fill when there are other kids to play together. 1 kid from 730-530 can be a bit boring! It's hard to go from having a strict, busy job that there is never spare time, to having hours of "hmmmm what now?"! Thanks for all your input. I am going to get some more puppets and simple interactive things to fill the gaps

[Inspired by Reggio]

Oh Sandy I hear ya ~ I prefer to have a full house cause they do a way better job of entertaining themselves ... I get bored when I have less than 4 kids!!!!

[playfelt]

Yes the kids themselves will feed off each other for play but also you will be busier so you won't have the downtime that right now seems like gaps to fill. If you look at the kids during those gaps there is still plenty of things set out for them that they have not touched or tried yet so no excuse for them being bored. But it takes longer to change 5 diapers than it does 1 so everyone just goes on about their merry way playing while you change all 5 diapers so those gaps of what do we do now (what do I do now) naturally disappear. It is so hard for many kids these days to play without an adult leading it that that is really the skill I am teaching the kids - to be able to function without me.

[sunnydays]

Agreed! I have six in diapers including my own daughter and I definitely don't have time to get bored! And as Playfelt said, while I am changing diapers, wiping noses, consoling crying babies etc, the others learn to play independently. I am always there in case they have problems, but they really do need to learn to fill in their own gaps...too much structure in my opinion is causing our young people to be unimaginative, stressed out and unable to think for themselves. My own two little ones (2 and 4) play all day with each other on weekends without much intervention on my part...they have huge imaginations and they are never "bored". I do find if I sit down in the playroom and I'm not doing something, the kids instantly hover around me and want me to play with them or want to sit on me, etc. Some cuddle time is good and necessary, but not to the point that they are clinging on me all day long. Finding that balance is key!

Yes the kids themselves will feed off each other for play but also you will be busier so you won't have the downtime that right now seems like gaps to fill. If you look at the kids during those gaps there is still plenty of things set out for them that they have not touched or tried yet so no excuse for them being bored. But it takes longer to change 5 diapers than it does 1 so everyone just goes on about their merry way playing while you change all 5 diapers so those gaps of what do we do now (what do I do now) naturally disappear. It is so hard for many kids these days to play without an adult leading it that that is really the skill I am teaching the kids - to be able to function without me.