Just For Fun: Just Curious How Many People Do This.... THEMES

[Starburst]

I have seen some daycares that have themes like cartoon/disney characters, weather, nursery rhymes, shapes, colors, animals, dinosaurs, beach, royalty, hands/feet, or even just school/kid/baby theme either in the title, the designs, or the curriculum. You can simply answer yes or no to some of these if you are not comfortable putting too much information.

1. Is there a special general theme (or weekly theme) for your daycare? Is the theme related to your daycare name (like an angel theme for "Amy's Little Angels")? Why did you pick that theme/name for you business?
2. If you have a preschool do you have a different name for the preschool program than the daycare program related/not related to your original 3. theme?
3. If you offer multiple age groups do you have any special names for each age group?
4. If you don't have a theme why not? (not interested, never thought about it, too cutesy for your taste)?

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My answers:

1. I plan on having a general theme based on my name and I have lots of ideas to incorperate it- plus I just love trying to find ways to make things fit with themes . The daycare title will have the theme in it (I have at least 3 titles I am considering). And I will probably have some mini weekly themes not related to my main daycare theme.
2. I plan on having a different title for my preschool program that is related to my theme.
3. I do plan on having different age groups and for rate and curriculum purposes I plan on having special titles related to my theme.

[MissSarah]

I think having a theme is a neat idea. I don't at the moment because I'm not licensed so can only have 2 kids so it seems weird to me for such a small group. Once I get my license though I think I will try to come up with something.

[Starburst]

I think having a theme is a neat idea. I don't at the moment because I'm not licensed so can only have 2 kids so it seems weird to me for such a small group. Once I get my license though I think I will try to come up with something.

I notice your name is Sarah, and that means princess- maybe you can try a royal/renassaince theme or something like that (just a thought no pressure ) I took a class with one local provider who named daycare "Carol's Kid Kingdom" but I don't know if she has a theme through out her program or if it is just the name.

Lol my name is Star, so I plan on doing a star theme.

[MissSarah]

Ooo...I like the idea of a renaissance theme! I would just have to make sure I didn't make it too 'girly' which would be so easy to do ::

[daycarediva]

. Is there a special general theme (or weekly theme) for your daycare? Is the theme related to your daycare name (like an angel theme for "Amy's Little Angels")? Why did you pick that theme/name for you business?
2. If you have a preschool do you have a different name for the preschool program than the daycare program related/not related to your original 3. theme?
3. If you offer multiple age groups do you have any special names for each age group?
4. If you don't have a theme why not? (not interested, never thought about it, too cutesy for your taste)?


1. Bee's I LOVE bees. I am VERY allergic to them, but my father taught me not to fear them, and together we researched them and learned about them. I have a very healthy respect for them. Parents/kids aren't allowed to kill bugs in my home. We release them back into nature.
2. Name is related to theme.
3. My kids are ages 2-5 plus 2 SA'ers. So no, I don't do egg/larva/pupa (plus, those are kind of gross names!) LOL!

EVERY SPRING/SUMMER I do a bug month. During that, we do a bee week. We learn about them (they are fascinating!), we eat honey, we make honeycomb art, etc.

I love bugs (I know, that's odd!) but kids are SO FEARFUL of things and fear is a learned behavior. I have kids come into my home PETRIFIED of flies. REALLY? Once you educate them, they are no longer fearful. Now the kids that have been here (even my 3's) will tell my 2's "That bee is afraid of you!" "Don't squish that spider! He is our friend!"

We have an ant farm, raise butterflies annually, have a bug watch board (we take photos of the unusual bugs we find, research them and put their info on a board next to their photo)

Dcm's are grossed out. Dcd's think it's way cool.

[Heidi]

. Is there a special general theme (or weekly theme) for your daycare? Is the theme related to your daycare name (like an angel theme for "Amy's Little Angels")? Why did you pick that theme/name for you business?
2. If you have a preschool do you have a different name for the preschool program than the daycare program related/not related to your original 3. theme?
3. If you offer multiple age groups do you have any special names for each age group?
4. If you don't have a theme why not? (not interested, never thought about it, too cutesy for your taste)?


1. Bee's I LOVE bees. I am VERY allergic to them, but my father taught me not to fear them, and together we researched them and learned about them. I have a very healthy respect for them. Parents/kids aren't allowed to kill bugs in my home. We release them back into nature.
2. Name is related to theme.
3. My kids are ages 2-5 plus 2 SA'ers. So no, I don't do egg/larva/pupa (plus, those are kind of gross names!) LOL!

EVERY SPRING/SUMMER I do a bug month. During that, we do a bee week. We learn about them (they are fascinating!), we eat honey, we make honeycomb art, etc.

I love bugs (I know, that's odd!) but kids are SO FEARFUL of things and fear is a learned behavior. I have kids come into my home PETRIFIED of flies. REALLY? Once you educate them, they are no longer fearful. Now the kids that have been here (even my 3's) will tell my 2's "That bee is afraid of you!" "Don't squish that spider! He is our friend!"

We have an ant farm, raise butterflies annually, have a bug watch board (we take photos of the unusual bugs we find, research them and put their info on a board next to their photo)

Dcm's are grossed out. Dcd's think it's way cool.

Cool! I'm not really a bug "fan" myself, but I that sound fun, and by taking pictures, I wouldn't have to touch them...

[Blackcat31]

1. Is there a special general theme (or weekly theme) for your daycare? Is the theme related to your daycare name (like an angel theme for "Amy's Little Angels")? Why did you pick that theme/name for you business?

No themes here. I do NOT believe in organized curriculums and themes in the same sense that most people do. We could start our week out by learning about dinosuars and end up studying community helpers by Friday.

There is no rhyme or reason or any written lesson plan, only child-led topics and activities based on the current interests, ages and developmental stages of the current group of kids I have.

2. If you have a preschool do you have a different name for the preschool program than the daycare program related/not related to your original theme?
No. Educational learning is embedded into the daily care and routine for all children in care, not just "preschool" age.

3. If you offer multiple age groups do you have any special names for each age group?

Nope.

4. If you don't have a theme why not? (not interested, never thought about it, too cutesy for your taste)?

See answer to number #1. I also think themes are too cutesy, definitely NOT my style and I feel they are mainly to attract the parents to your program as an advertising thing.

NOT dissing providers who do have themes or cutesy things....just NOT my style and NOT something I believe in or see the benefits of.

[Willow]

1. Is there a special general theme (or weekly theme) for your daycare? Is the theme related to your daycare name (like an angel theme for "Amy's Little Angels")? Why did you pick that theme/name for you business?
2. If you have a preschool do you have a different name for the preschool program than the daycare program related/not related to your original 3. theme?
3. If you offer multiple age groups do you have any special names for each age group?
4. If you don't have a theme why not? (not interested, never thought about it, too cutesy for your taste)?

1. I named my daycare a name that reflects my back to basics/love of nature type style. I guess you could say my entire house is "themed" around those preferences and beliefs. No bright colors, busy artwork or posters, cluttered playrooms, cartoon characters and I really try to stay away from plastic and electronics as much as I can. I picked the specific name because in the last couple of years the husband and I have planted close to 4,000 trees on our property in an attempt to return it to it's natural state (it used to be thick woods that was clear cut to accommodate crop/pasture land). I think it is serene, calming and peaceful, and a great place for little ones to spend their early years learning and growing.

2. My daycare and any curriculum (used in a loose sense of the word) I do is all inclusive. Everyone learns all kinds of things every day.

3. I don't separate anyone or label groups because I purposely only enroll a small number of children at a time.

[Starburst]

.
1. Bee's I LOVE bees. I am VERY allergic to them, but my father taught me not to fear them, and together we researched them and learned about them. I have a very healthy respect for them. Parents/kids aren't allowed to kill bugs in my home. We release them back into nature.
2. Name is related to theme.
3. My kids are ages 2-5 plus 2 SA'ers. So no, I don't do egg/larva/pupa (plus, those are kind of gross names!) LOL!

EVERY SPRING/SUMMER I do a bug month. During that, we do a bee week. We learn about them (they are fascinating!), we eat honey, we make honeycomb art, etc.

I love bugs (I know, that's odd!) but kids are SO FEARFUL of things and fear is a learned behavior. I have kids come into my home PETRIFIED of flies. REALLY? Once you educate them, they are no longer fearful. Now the kids that have been here (even my 3's) will tell my 2's "That bee is afraid of you!" "Don't squish that spider! He is our friend!"

We have an ant farm, raise butterflies annually, have a bug watch board (we take photos of the unusual bugs we find, research them and put their info on a board next to their photo)

Dcm's are grossed out. Dcd's think it's way cool.

I think thats really cool- my fiance is in college and studying plant science and he had to do some bug projects and I actually got involved in some of it- I even found a bug my cat was trying to catch and MF really loved it because it was actualy very uncommon/hard to find . I thought about doing those butterfly growing kits and getting some lady bugs from Osh. In my child development classes they also teach the kids not to kill bugs and many of the professors have actually tried to catch bugs and just let them outside during the college classes instead of squishing them. I was also going through my closet to orginize all of the stuff I collected for my future daycare and found flash cards of different types of bugs with information on the back, that should be cool for after schoolers

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

We rotate through weekly themes. We learn about other things during the week as well, but study one thing in depth. Last week it was bats because the kids had been requesting bats for awhile. ::

As a group there is no theme on the walls/in the name/etc.