5 Kids every day

[playfelt]

I do more group activities than crafts so that I can include everyone. Take a look at the age mix you have and decide just what it is you need to "teach" and then find a way to do it in play so that it happens naturally and isn't an isolated lesson time you need to do. Making a puzzle isn't the skill to be learned - it is manual dexterity so there are many ways to learn the skill. That means having some days with puzzles and some days they are turning the pages of a book or putting sticks into small slits etc.

Get over the notion that being a good daycare provider means being in the child's face all day long. They need supervision and care and interaction but need to have the freedom to learn according to their own interests. You choose the toys and activities to be out and they choose what to play with. It sounds like the middle of the week is a good day to switch out some of the toys and to feature something else.

If you are finding that the children aren't able to freely choose what to play with then the skill to be taught is how to play and how to choose activities and how to entertain themselves. It could be that you have children that are used to having an adult control their time.