Understanding Child Care Challenges

When opening your own child day care center, you'll need enough activities to keep the little ones busy. That means purchasing toys that serve multiple purposes, as well as toys that are guaranteed to capture the interest of curious toddlers. Below is a list of four must-have toys that will get your day care center started off on the right foot:

Full Kitchen With Pretend Play Items

One of the main focal items you should have in your room is a full kitchen with pretend play items. Most of the kitchens for sale in the toy department are made of plastic, however, you can find some constructed out of wood. The unit should feature a stove, oven, sink, and a microwave. You may even find a few with shelves for plates, cups, and utensils. Sold separately are pretend food items that the little ones can use their imagination to cook, heat up, or store in the fridge. You can assign dollar amounts to the food items for older children to introduce them to money and grocery shopping. 

Blocks

Every child day care center needs a few sets of blocks. Again, you can pick up plastic or wooden blocks and these sets even come in a variety of shapes and colors that can be used as educational tools. Kids love to build towers, houses, and even enclosures to place animal figurines inside. They will practice their problem-solving skills when one piece doesn't fit, but another does. 

Dolls

Another must-have item is a collection of dolls. Consider purchasing a doll that has buttons, zippers, laces, snaps, and velcro, as these dolls help children practice their dressing skills. Next, you can pick-up a doll that comes with a few different outfits. The outfits could be from different seasons so the kids learn what clothing items to wear when it's cold, warm, or hot, or they could be for different occasions, such as pajamas for bedtime, play clothes for outside activities, swimwear for a beach outing, or a dress for church. 

Cars and Trucks

Finally, every child day care center should have a few cars and trucks of different sizes. Trucks that have an open bed in the back are perfect for little boys that want to transport pretend items from one side of the room to the other, while cars with doors that open are exciting for the kids that like to place a person inside the vehicle before driving the car around the center. It is also easy to paint a roadway on poster board for the kids to use. For additional play, include stop signs and buildings the children will recognize, like a grocery store, library, or school. 

Contact a company like Carousel Of Learning Pre-School & Nursery for more information and assistance.