Wish List?

[BumbleBee]

I had a family over today to sign paperwork and they asked me if I had a list of items I want/need for the daycare. I told them that no, I didn't. They suggested I start one.

Does anybody else have a wish list? What do you put on it? Do you have a monetary limit for things you put on it? Do you let all of the parents know about the wish list?

[Starburst]

You can have a list of "Donations that are always welcome" so that way parents can donate at anytime but not feel obligated or pressured- that way they can donate freely and know thay are becoming more active in their child's early education/daycare expierince as well as get rid of any unneeded clutter that can help someone else (recycling).

1. Building Items (wooden blocks, cardboard boxes, Lincoln logs, and legos)
2. Gently used clothes (as a possible loaner back ups incase someone runs through their back up clothing or forgets to bring a jacket, bibs/crumb catchers)
3. Crafts (pipe cleaners, googly eyes, milk/egg cartons, tp/pt rolls, pom-poms, paint, markers, scrap paper, rulers, stensils, tweezers, popsickle sticks)
4. Containters (tupperwear, water bottles, glass jars, baskets, toy chest)
5. Toys (dolls, action figures, doll clothes/accessories, dramatic play props, costumes, craft/science kits)
6. Entertainment (Child related: CDs, DVDs, games, books, coloring books, VHS/cassettes- if you still have a VCR and a cassette player)
7. Cleaning Supplies (sanitary wipes, gloves, baby wipes, old [clean] rags, unused sponges, hand soap)
8. School/Office Supplies (backpacks, pens/pencils, paper, binders/folders, envelopes, scissors, paper clips, staplers/staples, calculators)
9. Snacks (granola cereal/bars, fruit, fruit roll-ups, animal cookies, water bottles)
10. Odds And Ends (buttons, marbles, string/thread, fabric, crayons, stickers/stamps, old telephones, old socks, blankets/pillow cases, diapers, paper/plastic/garbage bags)

And you can always have a little donation box where they can drop it off and if you find some things you don't like you can also ask other daycare parents if they need something from the box (espesually if you know that they are lower income and have school age kids who need school supplies), try talking to other local providers about having a 'materials exchange', or just simply once a month take a trip to Good Will/Salvation Army.

[ABCDaycareMN]

When my son was in preschool they had a "giving tree" with post it notes of things they are always in need of. By doing this it kept the costs of preschool lower. The items would include Kleenex, paper plates for snack and crafts, paper towel rolls for crafts, Little Dixie cups for snack, batteries, napkins, etc.

[blandino]

I have done a list of donations wanted. I don't expect them to be new items, I just put it out there that, for example, if anyone had a boppy they are down with (and don't plan on having any more children) then I would really like one. So far I have been given two

Also for example we needed another diaper genie for our 2nd changing table, so I approached a mother whose son had just potty trained to see if I could buy hers from her - with full intention of paying her for it - but she insisted that it was a gift.

I also have a few DCK whose grandmothers work in public schools, and they always bring me their leftovers. I have a drawer full of glue sticks and gallon storage bags of markers, and a TON more from on Grandmother who is a Pre-K teacher. I am so grateful for these items and have had to buy very little art supplies in over a year.

Also some of my DCP will randomly show up with rolls of toilet paper, ziploc bags, or paper towels just as small donations. Those mean a lot too.

I am about 50/50 on posting an actual list because I feel like parents are paying us (as opposed to a public school teacher - who parents aren't paying). But then again, I have totally thought about doing it before too...

[MsLaura529]

I definitely have a wish list ... is a parent wants to buy me that huge crawl-through caterpillar I've been seeing on all the websites, yes please! Haha.

But really, I might create a list of possible donation items: extra craft supplies, paper towel rolls, pipe cleaners, things like that. I like the idea of the snack donation, too. Or even maybe books, blocks, extra snow clothes for the winter time (mittens, hats, gloves, socks ... things that get wet and can easiyl be changed with an extra pair and still allow for playing outside).