Daycare Room Questions

[Kiki]

hopefully this will work, but look at what I'm dealing with.

https://www.daycare.com/forum/album....&pictureid=434

I have some suggestions for you, but it's late. I just wanted to say: You have Peek A Blocks!! lovethis lovethis them, my oldest DD was barely 1 when they came out, and we bought her all of them. Not even kidding. The only things we have left are the train, (and only the engine part), the dump truck, and a few blocks. I'm glad to see that someone else has them lying around too.

[countrymom]

I have some suggestions for you, but it's late. I just wanted to say: You have Peek A Blocks!! lovethis lovethis them, my oldest DD was barely 1 when they came out, and we bought her all of them. Not even kidding. The only things we have left are the train, (and only the engine part), the dump truck, and a few blocks. I'm glad to see that someone else has them lying around too.

I have the dump truck, the gumball machine and the one you put the rolling ones and them fall from one side to the other. I bought most from a yard sale except for the gumball machine that was a gift for one of the my kids birthday. I take them out down every once in a while and they all love them.

[Crazy8]

please don't take offense but that space would drive me insane!!! I would seriously cut back on the number of things you have available for the kids - toys, books, all of it. Looks like you use a few rooms for your daycare, how many kids do you have? I would maybe find one free wall and fill it with all the same high bookcases (you said your DH can build, right?). Make it look neat and orderly where you can see everything.

I have a small room for daycare and only a handful of kids (my max is 5) so I just use those closetmaid pieces to "build" what I need. They aren't quite as heavy duty as others but they are inexpensive and sturdy enough for my needs.

Here is an example of one I have, its made up of a few different pieces you buy separately- a cabinet piece, then shelf piece and then a cubby piece. I have since added another shelf piece to the top to make it taller and it is bolted to the wall in 2 spots so very sturdy. If you could do a whole wall of something like this you would be able to organize sooooo much stuff!!!!

[countrymom]

I think I need one book case, right now there is 3 but they are small thats what the problem is. When I started long ago I didn't have so many books but little by little it accumulated.

[Kiki]

I looked through your pictures, but I have a question before I give you suggestions. How much of that do you use on a daily basis? Can you list more than 15 items in those rooms (by items I mean groups of toys that go together, I see doll houses so the dolls + houses=1 item and so forth you get the idea I'm sure) that the kids use on a daily basis?

[My3cents]

I take it that you have a store room for toys and you take them out into the other rooms?

I am not going to judge you, because just as some people like very little clutter and "things" there are others that love the fact that you have tons for the kids to do.

I would neaten what you have up, get rid of what you don't use or could do with out. I see some stuff that looks like it could fall onto a small child- but I am not sure if that is your store room or actually where the kids play.

Love the Peek-a-boo blocks, my only thing is that they like to throw them and knock each other with them. They are very hard. I sometimes think I like them more then the kids do.

Books- you can put them in bins- my kids seem to love to take out a bin and look through my books. It is another way to organize them and make them more accessible to the children.

I love the way you have organized your music cd's

Thank you to everyone that is able to share pictures- I enjoy seeing all the different type of set ups. From tons of stuff to streamline.

I did notice you seem to be geared towards girls more then boys-- just an observance.

[Blackcat31]

do you have alot of books and how do you store them. I can't rotate them because I have no room. I don't want to get rid of them because I have children who come to me who have never seen so many books, and that they can acually sit and look at them (sad I know, but its starting to become a trend)

I have tons of books! I think I might have stock in Scholastic! I currently have rain gutter type shelving for books in my main area as well as a smaller set of rain gutter shelves down low in the infant/toddler room. I keep about 25% of the books I own and available to the kids.

The rest of my books are stored in rubbermaid containers according to season/topic/theme and are put out when necessary. I keep my rubbermaid containers in a small storage closet for easy access.

You are right about kids not always being familiar with having open and free access to books as many of my DC kids will sit and look at books for hours and seem to love being able to take one and put it back on their own....even the littles.


art closets/cabinets. Doesnt anyone have one. Every picture I look at, I never see art closets. Where do you store all your paints, and dodads (the stuff the kids can't use) I have a 6 foot cabinet and its filled. I need to organize it but don't know how.

My art supplies are out and available for use at all time. I use a half shelf unit that has cubbies and have the supplies separated into bins and baskets so they can see what I have and use what they want.

The extra stuff that I have such as the gallon jugs of paint or extra paper is stored in a tall floor to ceiling cabinet that is locked and in one corner of the room.

I have never attatched anything up high, like a shelving unit in my room. For those who do, are you worried that its going to come crashing down.

I do not have anything attached up high and although I know that making use of the higher space is ideal since it is unreachable to kids, but higher up makes me nervous for several reasons and besides that, I am kinds short (5'4") and hate having to drag a step stool around so I keep things where I can reach them


entry ways, I need ideas. Where do you keep their coats. If you look at my pictures, I want to make that into my entrance way. Its becoming to hard for my kids to leave for school and have dcp's stand in the hallway blocking them. Dh can build anything. Do you think those ikea storage units will work. It looks like a step and has 6 large bins that you can use. I'll find a picture.

I have a separate coat room/entry way that has cubbie units in it. The coat room is separated from the rest of the house by a half door/gate. Parents do not usually come past the half door although they are welcome to do so, it is just easier to drop their child off or pick up all in the coat room.

My DH built my cubbie systems and each one has a coat hook, a cubbie for shoes and a cubbie for a basket so each child can keep their things separate. The units are placed in an "L" shape along two walls. I have a huge storage closet in the coat room too as well as a bench for parents to use.

I answered in bold