Setting up play dates!

[little rascals]

I have seen mentioned here many times about scheduled play dates some of you ladies do. How did you come about organizing it. Do you look up dayhomes around your area and contact the provider. Ive never done this before but sounds like something I may start doing in the summer. Thanks in advance.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I am in Ontario ~ after the drowning incident in Ottawa where a child drown and the women was decreed to be 'illegal' just because she was having a play date with other providers at the time and therefore had more than 5 children on the premise while she was operating a daycare the risk is now too high!

So I do not meet up at peoples homes anymore unless our total number of children are less than 5 for some reason which I think is totally ridiculous but what are you going to do as much as I hate isolation it is not worth a huge fine or the loss of my business if clients think I am 'illegal' for any reason

So when we organize play dates now it is 'in public' at parks, OEYC programs run within the communities, the Children's Museum, Libraries and so forth ~ this way there is no risk of being seen as 'illegal'.

As for how to find fellow providers ~ I have met providers in all sorts of ways ... our region has always had some sort of local home childcare network at one time when I was new I belonged to three different ones, the OEYC runs a Childcare only playgroup on Friday mornings plus an array of other ones throughout the community where it is a mix of providers and parents, just talking people up at the parks, attending professional development and chatting people up and I have yes as you mentioned for your idea I have had providers contact me via my website and ask to network via that manner and I thought that was awesome way for them to reach out cause than I was able to let them know of all the other resources available to them!

[Momof4]

I have a couple of good friends in my area and I bus to meet them with my daycare children. We meet at parks or at our library but not at each other's homes. Mostly it's a space issue - 10 children in a yard is way too much. In the summer we also meet at a splashpad sometimes.

I really enjoy getting out to spend an hour or two in the morning with somebody I like so we can talk about our days and our daycares and our own lives a big - adult conversation as opposed to nonstop toddler conversations, haha.

Since I've been friends with these ladies for a while we call or email each other all the time but if I were you I would check kijiji or put in your postal code on this site to find other caregivers in your area if you don't know any yet.

[little rascals]

Thanks ladies.
Reggio I don't think I would plan any play dates at someone's house or mine. Was thinking at parks or when they have some events for kids. I will have to see if there are any child care networks in my area.
Momof4 I may try kijiji for now and see how it goes. I think it Would be nice for the kids to interact with other children and being able to have an adult conversation would definitely be great!

[Inspired by Reggio]

... I think it Would be nice for the kids to interact with other children and being able to have an adult conversation would definitely be great!

I agree ~ one of the things I explain to potential clients who are on the fence about going out and about is that being able to get out to playgroups is a chance for children to master social skills needed for school in the larger setting they will be facing soon while not having to be in a 'large centre program' ALL day in order to get it ... it is the best of both worlds of the small family style ratio for the majority of day and all the perks that offers but exposure to some of the benefits of large group programs for developmental milestone mastery and even 'immune building' ... for example there are learning materials that some playgroups have that I just do not have the space or $$ to have in my small program so the children can explore those through the outings and being exposed to a larger 'germ presence' but on short term basis helps to build the kids immunities so that when they get to school they are not suddenly sick all the time due to that sudden influx of new germ exposure ... so my kids are rarely sick despite being exposed to playgroup germs because IMO while they are in my program here they are getting healthy fresh snacks and hot meals and really good sleep habits ~ so have resources to build those strong immunities when exposed to something so when they get to school and are suddenly brown bagging it without a nap they will not be dealing with trying to build an immunity to larger group germs as well with those reduced resources!

Meeting at parks allows a chance to play some of the large group games that are hard with just 5 mixed age group children to truly get the meaning or fun of them ... for example I often bring my parachute to park play dates and we can play some more games with that, or duck duck goose and other games that are just more fun when you have a few more children!

We have done things like 'Canada Day celebrations' at the park where each provider brings a different activity to do with the group like face painting, a creative art, a gross motor game and so forth so that there is a nice variety for the children of special things to do but each provider is only having to do ONE activity ~ that is another perk of centre care that I missed working for home but we can turn into a perk for us as well via public play dates

Isolation is the number 1 reason why home childcare providers burn out ~ if you can find ways to surround yourself with other passionate providers for play dates to reduce that isolation and provide in person resources for dealing with challenges in your program it can make the world of difference!