My new daycare space that is currently being worked on is two rooms knocked into one. One room had ceramics and the other hardwood. I want carpet in my new space as I find ceramics for extended periods of time is not fun. Hard on knees, bums and even feet. Easier clean up for sure but an all round cooler feel to me and I find carpet to be more comfortable and cosy. I would not go to the added trouble and/or expense to heat the ceramic floors in any other space than bathrooms. I only intend to do daycare for a couple more years and then this space will be a formal dining room, so I had considered just patching up in between the two surfaces where the wall was taken out with plywood to make it level and then getting a large rug, or rugs to cover over and then once it's a dining room redo the hardwood. I didn't go with this however because soft rugs can be expensive and large rugs that are good are not cheap...or at least not cheaper than a mid range carpet. I always worry about injuries occurring with edges of rugs.

In my daycare room there is no food, no arts and crafts and no drinks all of that is in my eating area so my carpet should stay relatively clean. Of course when it is time to toilet train then I will have to rug doctor it from time to time, but overall carpet is for sure my first choice.