Masck Restaurant

One of the most important activities for any child in preschool and daycare is outside playtime. This is the time of day that physical fitness and socialization of children generally occurs. Having playground equipment such as jungle gyms, slides, forts and monkey bars are a wonderful idea but should be balanced with open space for them to run in and play group games. All of the climbing and tumbling are things that children do on this equipment that often, their parents pay hundreds of dollars for at a gym or for a trainer. With the childhood obesity epidemic, the value of physical activity and the promotion of it as fun are vital for sets a good tone for their physical well being. Often, children are very limber due to the more elastic nature of their bones and physical activity helps them maintain this. Additionally, the physical activity from using the playground equipment will help to stimulate other areas of development. Having a chance to “relax” and get extra energy out during the day will help with their focus in classes. The fact that many will have to line up and wait their turn to get on the slide or teeter totter will teach them the important social skills of waiting for reward and sharing their toys. There are a myriad of reasons that physical activity and play yards are important, these are but a few.

Once the decision to have a playground at a daycare or preschool has been made, it is important to have the correct equipment. In these settings, the ages and skills of the children will vary both within classes and among classes. So it is important to have equipment that addresses these needs. For younger children, cars that the children can use their feet to move are always good. Avoid motorized equipment as it defeats the purpose of physical exercise. Other good pieces of equipment for younger children are smaller slides and swings with a seat that fits around the entire lower portion of their body. Older children would generally prefer larger slides, traditional swings, forts and equipment with monkey bars. Another consideration for all ages would be to invest in a good outdoor castle or house. This will stimulate the imagination and help children of all ages to play together. An important consideration is the safety of any playground. Make sure that all equipment is located on a soft surface so that if a child falls, they will not hurt themselves as badly. Further, if you are buying used equipment, it is important to insure that all parts are in good working condition with nothing broken. Examine any of these pieces for signs of rust or pieces that could come off easily. Finally, once the equipment is purchased and installed, be sure to take good care of it so that pieces do not break and it does not become rusty.

The one inevitable of a daycare is that most children will be in diapers. For this reason, it is important to purchase and maintain good diaper changing stations. The stations should be large enough to hold some larger children adequately. The children should be able to rest comfortably on a cushion. In most cases, these tables come with the cushion that straps to the top of the changing area. When infants are being changed, the cushion should provide adequate support for their head. Another consideration for a good changing table is the amount of storage space. Depending on the size of the Daycare, multiple diaper changing stations could be purchased for each section. This will allow for more storage for diapers and wet wipes. Each child should have their diapering supplies labeled for sanitation purposes and they should be stored safely away to avoid any contamination that may occur during the diaper changing process. Latex-free gloves should be easily accessible as should paper or plastic to keep everything clean. The cushion must be wiped down between each child. Finally, safety is extremely important. Since all changing tables stand at a height that is easy for an adult to change a diaper, it is possible that the child could roll off and hurt themselves. For this reason, the cushion must be secured with the appropriate straps. Once the child is placed on the table, they too should be strapped securely. Most importantly, do not leave the child unattended. That is again, why everything should be stored nearby or brought to the table prior to putting the child on the changing table.