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As a former daycare owner, and provider, I know how hard it can be to accomplish all of the many job functions that fall into a daycare provider’s job description. Organization is the key to success. You can keep your charges busy with easy, educational activities while you are completing some of the other tasks that are a necessary part of your day. Particularly, if you are a home daycare provider, then you can involve your charges in your chores.
Make a game out of cleaning up. Set a timer and race the clock. See if you and your charges can put everything away before the buzzer sounds. Your charges will become great helpers, if you make cleaning up a fun time for all!
Have your charges help you set and clear dining tables. This instills a sense of responsibility in children. Preschoolers love to help with “grown-up” chores, so make a big deal out of the process to keep them interested in helping. Be sure to handle any dangerous utensils yourself, however.
If you need time to do paperwork, there are many quiet activities that you can oversee, and you do your bookkeeping chores. Let your charges work on fine motor skills by drawing or “writing.” Take advantage of naptime to do your paperwork. Schedule a half an hour of book time for your charges. Have them look at books while you are catching up on important paperwork. Ask them to tell each other stories for a little while and watch their imaginations soar! Let them learn a little science by quietly blowing bubbles and watching them, as you write. Tell them to do this quietly, but to think of questions to ask you about bubbles. Have a question and answer time at the end of their bubble (and your work) session.
Free play is important for young children, also. It may not be as quiet, but it is educational and does not require your direct involvement. Give them half an hour of free playtime with blocks, dress up clothes, and other toys. This allows your charges to work on fine and gross motor skills, social skills, language skills, and more.
Sit nearby, so that you can oversee their play, as you do your work.
Dirty tables? Cover them with shaving creme and turn your charges loose! Remind them not to eat the shaving creme or to wipe their eyes when playing in it. Let them write their names, ABC’s, and draw pictures in the shaving creme. When they are done, your tables will smell fresh and wipe clean!
Are your toy shelves a mess? Teach sorting and classifying skills, as you and your charges reorganize the toys. You can also teach colors and counting skills as you are doing this! (One red truck goes with the other two red trucks!)
Lesson planning becoming a challenge? Tired of doing the same old same old? Talk to your charges! Ask them what they want to do. Ask them what they want to learn about in daycare. Choose a theme and stick with it for a week or even a month. Brainstorm with your charges all the possible activities that you could do that relate to your theme.
This will recharge your creative juices and teach your charges teamwork and brainstorming techniques.
Remember that organization is the key to success! Let your charges help you and learn as they are helping. Plan quiet activities that you can oversee, but that still allow you to focus on paperwork. When all else fails, talk to your charges and ask them what they want to learn and do in daycare. Their answers may spark some great educational activities and help you fill your lesson plans.
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