Hi! first post and a question :)

[Cares]

Hi everyone!

I've been reading posts on here and finding it and everyone very helpful. We're planning on moving soon (already bought the house, just waiting for ours to sell!) and I'm planning on starting my own home daycare I'm really excited, and a touch nervous. So much to do and plan and get ready... and then to find the kids!

The basement in our new home is unfinished. Which is great, because we can create what we need. It's not big, but not tiny either.... the space is about 20x20ft.
We'll definitely be building a small laundry room, and there will be a small storage room out of the way (outside of that 20x20 area).

What are your must haves? What do you highly recommend I do in the basement? Keeping in mind that it's not a large space. I'd like to be upstairs very minimally. I had planned on eating lunch up there, and that's it (other than outside time of course). Oh, we do not have a basement entrance. Parents have to come in the front door and go downstairs for pick up.

Thank you so much, I value your responses!
Cares

[Dreamalittledream]

My space sounds very similar to yours. First of all, some kind of storage/cubby/hooks at the front door, as space allows. My basement playroom is divided into zones:
-Table/chairs, chairs with boosters attached. This area is used for crafts, eating and is my learning zone where all of the puzzles, books, magnet wall, easle, desk for drawing is kept.
-Imagination Station; my puppet theatre, dress up area (big mirror), play kitchen/table & all the toys related to pretend (dolls, tools, musical instruments..)
-Large muscle movement; a slide, ball pit, ramp and tunnel
-lastly, my train table in another corner of the room which doubles as a Lego, block and car table.
-the center of the room is wide open for circle time, dancing, twirling etc.
I also have a small kitchen area set up (storage, microwave, fridge) so that I can prep. & they can eat right downstairs.
I am fortunate to have a big wall of shelves on one wall...the bottom shelf is the play tunnel to crawl through, middle 2 for toy storage and top ones for games & activity bins.
Best part...I close the door at then end of the day and there it remains for the next morning.

Hope that helps.

[Wonderwiper]

Hi! Welcome! I have also recently moved and am in the process of setting up my relocating daycare (I'm on mat leave too!). Where are you moving to? Setting up my new space has been lots of fun, I don't mind emailing you some pics if you PM me your email. My preference is to have areas set up to encourage creative/active/quiet play etc., instead of wall to wall toys. My basement is small but I still have a slide, ball tent, playhouse, kitchen, reading area, blocks/ building/ cars area, art area etc. I have a full bathroom with I am so happy about so I never have to be upstairs!

[Wonderwiper]

My space sounds very similar to yours. First of all, some kind of storage/cubby/hooks at the front door, as space allows. My basement playroom is divided into zones:
-Table/chairs, chairs with boosters attached. This area is used for crafts, eating and is my learning zone where all of the puzzles, books, magnet wall, easle, desk for drawing is kept.
-Imagination Station; my puppet theatre, dress up area (big mirror), play kitchen/table & all the toys related to pretend (dolls, tools, musical instruments..)
-Large muscle movement; a slide, ball pit, ramp and tunnel
-lastly, my train table in another corner of the room which doubles as a Lego, block and car table.
-the center of the room is wide open for circle time, dancing, twirling etc.
I also have a small kitchen area set up (storage, microwave, fridge) so that I can prep. & they can eat right downstairs.
I am fortunate to have a big wall of shelves on one wall...the bottom shelf is the play tunnel to crawl through, middle 2 for toy storage and top ones for games & activity bins.
Best part...I close the door at then end of the day and there it remains for the net morning.

Hope that helps.

Ha ha, you write much faster than me! Sounds like your set up is similar to mine! Sorry to hijack, but do you cook downstairs or reheat in micro? I'd love to be totally self contained but still not sure how to make hot lunch!

[Crayola kiddies]

I am self contained in my basement ... I have a bathroom and kitchenette with a micro, 2burner hot plate, toaster kettle ect... Kitchen table and chairs .... Then the play area ... I bought four pantries with doors from Canadian tire and I arranged my toys in them and I put child locks on the handles and I open a different one each day. The kids never get bored and it's a great way to do toy rotation. Also keeps down on the mess/chaos. I am lucky that I have a separate entrance from my garage right into the daycare so the parents are able to drop off and pick up right from the daycare and the only time the kids are upstairs is for nap time . I love it cause at the end of the day I can go "home" and I don't feel like I am always at work

[Momof4]

Welcome! The other ladies covered the basics so these are just silly little tips. Cupboards with doors so they can be shut is something that has made me feel neater and a little more organized. Soft floors, no sharp corners on anything because boys will be boys, markers out of reach because I just had my couch coloured green with a marker today, get all the parents to send their own wipes, diapers, extra clothes and all necessities, receipt books, I use a logbook for each child, bedding for different ages, the rest will come to you with practice.

[Dreamalittledream]

Ha ha, you write much faster than me! Sounds like your set up is similar to mine! Sorry to hijack, but do you cook downstairs or reheat in micro? I'd love to be totally self contained but still not sure how to make hot lunch!

. Hello. Usually my lunches are a repeat of supper. And by mealtimes my little monkeys are chomping at the bit to get eating...so, the more I have prepped and ready to reheat the easier. I so agree with you that wall to wall toys is so unnecessary

[Cares]

wow! Thank you everyone!
Definitely storage with cupboards to shut! We'll be using it as a movie room (for the family on weekends, and evenings when our own kids teens), so we'll have a sectional and tv unit there as well (with toy storage). It's hard to balance daycare and also family space. But it's just for once in a while, so no biggie.
Where would you have naps? I was thinking of creating a little nap area... the space around the laundry room will make an L-shape. I was thinking the nap area in that small part. Or would it be better as a small kitchenette? Or just more room for an activity spot?? Ah! lol