My Daycare Coach

I had some extra time this week because my work closes down for the week between Christmas and New Years. I know right? As a family childcare provider, this was typically a very busy time of the year  school kids needed care and having to keep track of which kids would or wouldn't be here and finishing up our Christmas crafts in time. It got kinda hectic sometimes.  So I chose to make grownup crafts this week  I've been wanting to try making some string art wooden signs  so I started off with something simple. Here's how I did it.  First I gathered my supplies: Small wood plaque  1in panel board nails A hammer Wood stain Paint brush for stain Colored string A pencil  Black and Silver paint pen Paper First Stain your wood plaque with your color choice of stain. I used Golden Oak for mine. After it dries ( I let mine sit over night) cut a heart out of paper and set it on your plaque to make sure it fits. Position it where you want your heart to be.

A fun simple gift idea: Coasters Supplies: Small tiles  (mine were from Home Depot for $.45 each for these octagon shaped ones) Felt sheets Mod Poge  Spray adhesive glue Pretty scrap paper   (I bought a big pack from Michael's) Choose your scrap paper choices. Next trace out and cut out your paper slightly smaller than your tile. Next apply a small amount of spray adhesive to sick your paper to you tile. Then add thin layers of Mod Podge. Make sure to let dry between applications. I did 3 coats to my coasters. After completely dry, cut out felt slightly smaller than your tile. Use the spray adhesive to glue your felt to the back side of your coaster. Now just wrap 4 of them together  with some pretty ribbon and a bow and you have a simple and fun gift. I customized my paper choices to each of my family members. They loved them. 💕

If you are looking for an easy idea for sensory bottles this is it. These bottles are great for children's exploration. It's one of our calmer activities and these bottles can be placed around the room where quiet exploration would be useful. I made five of these and placed a couple in the book area and one in our quiet corner. The other two I placed in our discovery center. They moved around the room throughout the week. So how did I make these wonderful bottles? They were quite easy actually.  I found these cool water bottles that were a cool shape and filled them with different items and hot glued them shut. Our discovery bottles: 1.Corn syrup and glitter. 2.Tempera paint with oil and colored water.3. Shampoo with googly eyes. 4.Shaving cream and food coloring and water.  5.Oil and food coloring and water. 

Running a daycare means safety comes first. I've created a daily safety check off list for you to use to get you started on your own. Feel free to edit as needed to fit your needs. This list is for high quality safety, not for just above regulations. Safety = Quality. Kitchen All cleaners, chemicals, and medications are in locked cabinet Sharp objects inaccessible Outlets are covered Any other unsafe items removed Bathroom All cleaners, chemicals, and medication are in a locked cabinet Personal unsafe items are put away (curling irons, razors) All cabinets have working childproof  locks Outlets covered Living/Play area Entrances/ Exits are locked and secured Outlets covered Wires from electronics safely stored away Bookcases/heavy equipment  are secured to the wall Mini blind cords are separated/ out of reach Sharp corners on furniture are covered Broken toys or equipment is removed Rugs are secured down Tripping hazards are cleared Safety g