The Only Daycare Supply Checklist You Need| 99 Must-Haves
Reading Time: 6 minutes About to set up your first-ever daycare? Amazing! Do you know what equipment is needed for a daycare center?
Worried you might spend on irrelevant stuff or end up leaving essential equipment? If yes, then this article is all you need.
We have compiled a checklist of 99 daycare materials and supplies you need for your home or commercial center setup. This list includes all the essential equipment for classrooms, kitchens, safety, nap time, hygiene and management.
This daycare setup list is for both centers and home daycares. So, let’s save some bucks by only buying the things you need.
40 Classroom Equipment for Daycare
Your daycare classroom will be your center’s most essential area. It’s where kids will be spending all of their time. Ensure to set it up nicely, making it colorful and suitable for kids.
Classroom Furniture List:
- Kids’ table and chairs
- Shelves
- Drawers
- Storage baskets
- Rugs and Bean bags for a cozy corner
- Teacher’s desk and chair
- Bulletin boards
- Folding room dividers for creating separate spaces
- Playpen
- Mats for activities and playing
Tip: Use open shelves or have transparent doors to store toys. It’ll be an attraction for kids and will serve as decoration as well.
But where can you buy all this furniture? Here are 7 affordable options to get daycare supplies and furniture that will save you hundreds of bucks.
Toys and Activity Supplies List:
Your daycare classroom isn’t complete without toys. Add age-appropriate toys and activity material. The important thing is there should be enough material to give to every kid in the room, which is a licensing requirement as well.
For infants
These 7 supplies are all you need for an infant classroom.
- Soft and stuffed toys
- Sensory books
- Squeeze toys
- Musical toys
- Teething rings and toys
- Water mats
- Finger puppets
For toddlers
Wondering how to set up a toddler daycare room? Here’s your supply list.
- Art supplies
- Toys
- Puzzles
- Indoor slide
- Blocks
- Kids’ musical instruments
- Drama accessories like hats and costumes
- Playdough
For preschoolers
Lastly, these are the must-haves for a preschool classroom.
- Art and drawing supplies
- Crafting supplies
- Legos
- Climbing structures
- Sand and water play
Educational Supplies List:
For toddlers
- Activity sheets and educational material
- Picture books
- Storybooks
- Sorting and matching games
- Interactive learning boards
For preschoolers
- Supplies for fun science learning
- Books
- Worksheets and educational supplies
- Basic board games
- Number and alphabet games
10 Nap Time Supplies for Daycare
One of the many concerns of parents is where and how their kids will sleep. You need proper arrangements to ensure the little ones get a peaceful sleep.
- Cots: You’ll need multiple cots. So go for simple, cost-effective ones. No need for fancy stuff here.
- Cot Sheets: Some daycares ask parents to send sheets with their kids, and some don’t. Whether you provide it or parents send it, it’s an essential supply you need.
- Sleeping Mats: For toddlers and preschoolers. We have this buying guide to help you select the best yet affordable nap mats. Do check it out.
- Light Fixtures: If there are windows in the room, you’ll need thick curtains. You might also need dimmer lights or night lights.
- Rocking Chairs: These are for infants.
- Storage space: To store all this stuff
- Pillows
- Blankets
- Story books for toddlers and preschoolers
- Pacifiers and stuffed toys
14 Kitchen/Meal Equipment for Daycare
You’ll have to prepare meals for the kids. And if you have decided to ask parents to send it, you’ll still need some supplies to heat it and serve it.
- Baby bottles +Formula: Some daycares ask parents to send bottles.
- Fridge: This is essential. You’ll have to store the food and milk.
- Paper Towels and Napkins: For cleaning purposes.
- Stove: You might not need it if you’re not providing the food.
- Microwave
- Kids dining set
- High chairs: For infants
- Feeding Chairs: For toddlers
- Kid’s table chairs: For preschoolers
- Storage Bowls
- Dishwashing Liquid
- Bottle brushes
- Tissue and wet wipes
- Bibs
9 Daycare Hygiene and Cleaning Equipment
Hygiene is crucial for the health and well-being of kids. Licensing authorities can cancel your license if you don’t follow the SOPs.
So, in short, you can’t, and you shouldn’t compromise on the health and safety of kids.
- Hand Sanitizer
- Soap
- Paper Towels
- Wet Wipes
- Cleaning Cloths and Sponges
- Spray disinfectant: For furniture and toys.
- Mop and Bucket
- Gloves
- Laundry detergent: For cleaning crib sheets and blankets
When Will You Use Cleaning Supplies?
You’ll use some of these daily and some weekly. For example, you’ll have to clean and disinfect the toilet, floor, utensils, tables, toys, and feeding chairs daily. In contrast, shelves and other stuff that kids don’t interact with should be cleaned weekly.
Here’s a detailed guide on daycare cleaning that’ll sort out your daily, weekly and monthly cleaning schedule.
9 Toilet Supplies for Daycare
You can’t miss this part of the care. You’ll need decent arrangements for changing diapers and toilet training the toddlers.
- Diapers: Have a stock of them in different sizes. Or kids can bring it with them.
- Baby Potty: For toddlers who’re starting toilet training.
- Step Stools: For toddlers and preschoolers
- Diaper changing Counters: For infants.
- Bins for diaper disposal
- Disposable gloves
- Baby wipes
- Soap and hand sanitizer
- Mirrors
8 Daycare Safety And Protection Supplies
You should be prepared for any emergency situation. And since you have kids under you, you need to be extra careful.
Every state has some safety requirements for licensing. You must check with your state’s website to see what they recommend. Below is a general list that almost all states require.
- Childproof Locks for Doors and Cabinets: You don’t want kids to open up the cabinets and create a mess, nor do you want them to sneak out of the room.
- Corner Guards: Kids are clumsy, and they often hurt themselves. Sharp corners are dangerous. Put corner guards on any sharp edges or corners you have in the classroom.
- Safety Gates: If needed anywhere.
- Electric Socket Covers: If there are any low-level sockets, cover them instantly. In a room full of kids, they are too dangerous to remain open.
- First Aid: Your first aid box should include: bandages, antiseptic, scissors, tweezers, thermometer, burn cream, anti-inflammatory cream, and fever medication.
- Smoke Detector
- Fire Extinguishers
- Carbon Monoxide Detector
9 Management Equipment for Daycare
Your daycare is set up now. But what about management? Let’s look into it.
Following are the 9 most important ones. You can add to the list according to your requirements.
- Digital attendance tracking system: If you have a center, an attendance tracker will be your best friend.
- Teacher’s desk
- Notepads
- Pens and stationary supplies
- Computer
- Printer
- Scanner
- Internet
- Storage cabinets
You have got all the supplies now. You’re ready to set up your daycare. But do you have any inspiration and ideas? Here are 8 easy, quick and stress-free daycare room setup ideas.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What Are the Basic Materials Needed for Early Childhood Environments?
Early childhood environment includes a lot of toys and activity materials that help children explore and learn.
This includes
- Linguistic material
- Sensory play
- Games
- Art supplies
- Workbooks
2. What Are The Essential Elements in an Infant Daycare Facility?
An infant daycare facility should be safe and hygienic. It should have all the supplies needed for infant care (mentioned above) and an appropriate child-to-teacher ratio.
Conclusion
There you have it, your ultimate daycare setup checklist. Now, you don’t have to worry about your center’s setup. Just buy these 99 items, and your daycare will be ready for the business.
From safety and toilet to toys, you got all done with this 1 list.
