When I first decided to open my daycare, I felt completely overwhelmed by the sheer number of things I needed to consider.
From safety supplies to toys, and everything in between, I had no idea where to start or what materials were essential.
I remember spending hours researching and making lists, only to feel even more confused.
That's why I’ve put together this comprehensive list of classroom materials you need if you want to open a daycare center—so you can avoid the same confusion and confidently kickstart your journey in childcare.
Health and Safety supplies
Health and safety supplies are essential for keeping the little ones safe and sound at your daycare. Parents count on us to provide a secure space where their kids can play, learn, and grow without worries.
Here’s a checklist of essential health and safety items:
- First aid kit
- Fire extinguishers
- Carbon monoxide detectors
- Smoke detectors
- Electrical outlet covers
- Emergency signs
- Hand sanitizer
- Disposable gloves
- Medicine storage containers
By focusing on health and safety, you not only follow the rules but also earn the trust of parents, who often choose a daycare based on how safe and caring the environment is for their children.
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Furniture and Equipment
Having the right furniture and equipment in your daycare is like having a cozy home away from home for our little ones.
Cribs provide a safe and comfortable spot for naptime, ensuring that children get the rest they need to grow and play.
The right size furniture like tables and chairs makes every mealtime, craft time or storytime more enjoyable and comfortable for the children.
Essential items include:
- Napping mats or cots
- Kids' tables and chairs
- Changing tables
- Booster seats and highchairs
- Step stools
- Toy Storage
- Cubbies
Play Materials
Outdoor Toys
Outdoor toys are a must-have for any daycare center. They do more than just give children a chance to run around—they play a crucial role in their development and learning. They also play a crucial role in a child's physical development, enhancing their social skills, creativity, and imagination.
Below is a list of outdoor toys to keep in your daycare.
- Chalk
- Sports equipment, such as hoops, balls, nets, and gloves
- Riding toys, such as wagons, bicycles, scooters, and cars
- Helmets
- Play parachute
- Balls and ball pumps
- Hula hoops and jump ropes
- Sand toys, such as shovels, buckets, and sand molds
- Outdoor playset
By incorporating outdoor toys into your daycare, you’re providing children with invaluable opportunities to learn, grow, and explore beyond the classroom walls!
Indoor Toys
Just as important as outdoor toys, indoor toys are essential for a well-rounded daycare experience.
Make sure your daycare has a fun variety of indoor toys to spark different interests and support various developmental stages.
Keep these toys organized in easy-to-reach storage units so kids can grab what they want and put things away without a fuss.
Below is a list of indoor toys for children in your daycare.
- Puzzles
- Blocks
- Board games and cards
- Indoor playsets, such as dollhouses, kitchens, and tents
- Playdough and putty
- Stuffed animals and dolls
- Costumes and make-believe toys
- Children's musical instruments
Fine Motor Activity Materials
These fine motor skill materials not only enrich children’s learning experiences but also help them develop precision, control, and coordination by manipulating, structuring, and sorting small objects.
- Texture and visual puzzles (foam, plastic, wood, etc.)
- Beads, bead pattern cards and strings
- Child-safe sewing materials
- Pegs & pegboards
- Pop beads, gears and other small connecting objects
- Shape sorters
- Connecting straws/sticks
- Small themed toys for sorting, such as fruit
Reading Materials
Don’t forget about reading materials—they’re important for a child’s development and love of learning and reading.
Books help kids expand their vocabulary and understand sentence structure. Listening to stories also improves their listening skills and comprehension.
Look for reading with interactive elements like flaps, textures, or sounds to engage younger
- A wide variety of books and magazines, including fiction and nonfiction, for various age levels
- Audio player/listening station with headsets
- Audiobooks
- Written materials from daily life (such as calendars and phone books)
- Paper and& writing materials
By incorporating a rich selection of reading materials, you’re setting the stage for a lifelong love of learning and discovery. Happy reading!
Math and Science Activity Materials
Let your kids discover the wonderful world of numbers and science. With these learning materials help kids foster their curiosity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Additionally, they can spark interest in STEM fields and lay the foundation for future learning.
Here are some essentials:
- Measuring tools such as rulers, measuring tapes, measuring cups, scales
- Shape puzzles and displays
- Number cubes and rods, abacus and other counting tools
- Math games and puzzles, such as dice and dominoes
- Class pet, terrarium or plants
- Timekeeping items: clocks, stopwatches, kitchen timers
- Magnets, prisms, kaleidoscopes and color filters
- Lenses such as binoculars, magnifying glasses or a microscope
- Natural materials: labeled rocks/minerals, plant clippings, pine cones, seashells
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Music and Movement Supplies!
These materials will not only get your kids groovin’ they also promote coordination and creativity in children! Engaging in music and movement activities helps children develop gross motor skills, and rhythm and promotes self-expression. It also enhances their social skills as children often participate in group activities fostering cooperation and communication.
- Rattles, windchimes, and toys with bells inside them
- Headphones
- Cultural dance videos
- Cultural music in diverse languages
- Music tapes carrying age-appropriate song genres like nursery rhymes, folk songs, classics, blues, and jazz tunes
- Culturally distinct costumes worn during local dances
- Music boxes or musical mobiles
- Pompoms for daycare dances child-appropriate musical instruments like guitar, harmonica, banjo, piano, xylophones, drums, tambourines, and cymbals
Arts and craft
They're not just about making cute little creations they're also about sparking creativity, imagination, and fine motor skills in kids.
When children dive into arts and crafts, they're not just painting or gluing—they're exploring colors, textures, and shapes, and turning their imagination into reality.
Here are your Arts and Craft must-have
- cardstocks
- Child-safe paint
- Paintbrushes, paint cups and palettes
- Variety of paper: drawing paper, construction paper, tissue, etc.
- Crayons, markers and colored pencils
- Various colors play dough or plasticine and tools such as rolling pins, cookie cutters, etc.
- Child-safe scissors
- Glue
- Craft materials such as sequins, feathers, foam, pipe cleaners, glitter, cardboard tubes, paper plates, fabric, buttons, pom-poms, etc.
Technology
Our trusty sidekick in the modern world of childcare! It's not just about screens and gadgets; it's about opening up a world of possibilities for our little ones. With interactive screens and SMART Boards, we can turn learning into an adventure, engaging children in hands-on activities that bring concepts to life.
It's also a valuable tool behind the scenes, helping us streamline operations and stay organized
- Computers,
- Tablets, and Interactive Screens
- For educational activities.
- Printers and Speakers
- For administrative tasks and activities.
- Daycare Management Software
- To handle administrative tasks efficiently.
Setting up a daycare center involves careful planning and attention to detail. By equipping your center with the right materials, you’ll create a safe, engaging, and nurturing environment for children. Use this checklist to guide you as you embark on this rewarding journey, ensuring your daycare center is well-prepared to provide high-quality care and education.