Since making the decision to start up a Family Day Care business in my home I have had quite a few readers ask me for tips on setting up my environment or how I plan to do it.
As I am nearly ready to begin I thought it might be nice to share with you how I have set up our home to be an inviting child and family friendly space (I hope!)
I don't have a garage or dedicated separate playroom space, we don't have the room for that but I also get a little stir crazy if I am confined to one room in a house for too long with kids!
I also feel strongly that the appeal of home child care is that children are welcomed into a home environment perhaps not so different to their own but which offers opportunities for social interaction, learning and play within a safe and not overwhelming atmosphere. Especially wonderful for babies and toddlers who may be experiencing their first separation from parents/caregivers.
As we have the toddler twosome, our house was already child friendly and we have had to accept that much of our previous room design needed to be modified as they grew from babies. So stretching to make the spaces also inviting and productive for a family day care business hasn't been a big imposition. You might feel differently if you don't have young children of your own though!
So instead of one area dedicated to child care I have tried to incorporate lots of little child friendly and yet also family friendly spaces within our home….Let me share some of them with you…and my reasoning behind them.
This is our little book and quiet area. The toddler twosome love to curl up here for a story and at night we all lie on the pillows with just the lamp on above us to read our bedtime stories!
Books on the shelf are rotated each week and there is also a little basket especially for board books. By rotating we can rediscover old favourites and find some new ones too! It also offers a nice space for simply having some quiet time when needed.
Regulations require that glass in a care area is now safety glass and therefore won't shatter if an incident is to occur. As we live in an older style house this has been difficult to ensure. Some panels on our french doors we have been able to add a safety film to but the older style bobbly glass can prove difficult to attach the film to. Since we are still in the process of refurbishing all the old doors and windows in this house I didn't want to spend too much money as yet so we have come up with the idea of a few wooden boards to cover the difficult bits!
This one at the front door we turned into a chalkboard which the toddler twosome are loving!
This is our little ‘Home Corner‘ area and it changes around often. It's located near the kitchen so the girls currently love to cook in their kitchen while I am getting dinner ready in mine! I can also see them easily.
It has a mix of new wooden props such as cakes and fruit for cutting as well as some lovely ‘real life' homely touches collected from op shops and around our own house. The drawers currently hold lots of different props that can be accessed or I often change things around every few weeks. I'd love a nice plain wooden kitchen set but this is what we have currently so I try and make it work.
This area has also become a doctors office, an ice cream shop,, a fruit shop, grocery store (they love those white shopping baskets!) and much more…just by introducing a few new props each time.
It's quite small but the girls love the enclosed feeling and play in there a lot more since I moved a lounge in front of it to form a wall. It also allows us to maintain a little dining room space for ourselves!
In front of our main lounge area I converted our TV entertainment unit into a space for building and construction toys and prompts. There are blocks of various sizes and materials as well as baskets of loose play items such as packing peanuts, wool and felt bits and pieces and anything else I might have recently collected. They get changed around regularly too.
Blocks are stored in big plastic tubs in a cupboard and then emptied into baskets and onto shelves ready for selection…by changing things around regularly it keeps the children engaged and looking forward to new challenges.They are easily accessible and don't need to be put ‘out' for them to be able to choose and begin building.
There were glass doors on this cabinet which were lovely…but not safe and I actually think the baskets make the room feel nice and cozy anyway!
This cabinet is a piece of furniture that I have turned into a puzzle shelf for now….it's all about using what you already have! Again I put a selection of age appropriate (as well as a few more challenging puzzles) out each few weeks and then change them around.
By turning shelves like this sideways it creates smaller, more friendly spaces for children to play in as they wish. Just because the puzzles are there doesn't mean they have to stay there but it does give a base for packing up time!
I change this area around often….it has a mat so it tends to be for construction/building or quieter activities. At the moment you can see my dress up trolley, our dollhouse (that Daddy built!) and some favourite Little People set up for play. The dress up trolley has baskets underneath which hold bags, shoes, hats, scarves etc to add to their dress ups! There is also a mirror at the end for checking out your finery!
This area leads into the block area to which I have added a little round table which is mainly used for fine motor type activities and smaller block building.
On the other side of the table is a set of shelves against a wall…on the top shelves I have resources only accessed by me and the rest of the shelves hold different baskets of toys which are again rotated every few weeks.
The shelves along the bottom are the most popular toys at the moment and easily accessible at any time. I'm in the process of adding picture label cards to the front of each basket to help with self selection and packing up.
The back verandah is the area we will be using for our home daycare entrance. There is a side gate into the backyard and then a few steps up onto the verandah. This will help keep our family entrance separate from care .
I haven't completed this area yet but you get the idea…there is a noticeboard, a few more boards covering the glass which will actually become little art centres, a table for parent sign in/paperwork and today's craft requirements as well as a fridge for food and drinks.
There are hooks for bags and hats and this area then leads onto another play area…
This space is invaluable in wet or cold weather…we have a lot of fun out here and again I often change it around and add different toys.
At the moment there is a table for snacks or play or craft, a whiteboard for storytime, music or just exploring, a kitchen area, lounges for snuggling on to read a story or share a game, a ball pit in the box and obviously much more!
The only drawback is that because of all those windows I can't have furniture or climbing hazards underneath of course. Would love to have some shelves but it just won't work and safety comes first!
These are my main areas of play and where care will take place within the home…but to be honest regular readers will know that we will mostly be found outdoors playing! This is where most of our craft and messy activities will take place too.
This environment is currently set up for 2-4 yr olds as I only have my girls but obviously there would be the addition of more age appropriate materials and some things being put up higher if younger children and babies were in care. It is easy to modify if you start with an organised and child friendly space.
And although I like to have defined areas such as puzzles, blocks, books etc….it doesn't mean I will make children stay and play in those areas with only those materials….it just offers an environment where children know where to find things and how to help pack away. It also encourages them to seek out a space on their own if they feel they need to.
When we have done a little more work on our outdoor environment I shall share some of the changes we had to make to adhere to regulations and my philosophy on outdoor play!
What great play spaces! I love the care and thought you have put into the set up 🙂
Thanks so much for stopping by Racheous!
Oh my goodness…. if I ever needed care, your space would be exactly what I would look for! That, coupled with your incredible knowledge of early childhood education and you should have a wait list in NO time! Best wishes to you in your new endeavour!
You are always to sweet Sherri!Such a lovely comment thankyou x
I don’t want to do a home daycare – but you’ve given some great ideas just for setting up a home for kids! I love that you seem to focus on the same kinds of pretend/constructive play that I do – I was taking mental notes for my own girls as I scanned this! Thanks for posting this!
You are most welcome…most of these ideas and spaces originally were set up just for my girls…it’s the child care educator in me I think so hopefully they might prove helpful to your inspiration x
wow its all looking great! I definitely think the families will be very impressed and don’t be worried that you don’t have a specific play room, your set up is great. I know your going to have no trouble getting work, its so welcoming and friendly
Thanks Karen…really hope I don’t have to much trouble getting families in!!
Hi there, would like to start off by saying I am a big fan of your blog and have been a follower for quite some time 🙂 Yay for starting your own home day care and well done to you, I love how you’ve created such awesome spaces within your home! I have no doubt you will fill up with children asap! 🙂
As a fellow ‘in-home childcare’ educator, working on my set up within my home is still something I struggle with even after 8 years and just wanted to share some of my thoughts from experience while looking through your photos. None of this is advice or criticism on the wonderful space you have provided, purely my thoughts for reflection 🙂
First thing that stood out for me was the amount of toys & resources you have readily available, all of which are great, I just wonder if you may find trying to keep so much in order overwhelming? likewise will the children find so much available overwhelming? I know after many years of experience I have found ‘less is best’ in our household. I frequently change resources (weekly or fortnightly depending on interests) to suit my children, but try to offer as little as possible. Not only does our ‘less is best’ philosophy stop my kids from being overwhelmed by too many choices but it helps keep our learning environment calm & uncluttered. Less also provides the children with the much needed opportunities for repetition 🙂
Another thought that came to mind was how ‘overtaken’ your home seems and how you think this will effect you personally over time? (don’t get me wrong, I am fully dedicated to my work, creating rich learning environments is my biggest passion & I have done the same many times over the years. If I could I would get rid of our lounge suite and tv and set up a permanent playroom). 🙂 Do you have a space within your home that’s just for your family? somewhere for you to chill out and relax? I only ask as I have just found for myself, after so many years of our home being over run, I now feel the need for myself & my family to have our own space. As long as I can remember my home has been a childcare, and I really wish I could have the two separate spaces as it does become overwhelming. Equally though I wish I had the space to have the most wonderful set up for my few care kids! 🙂
Anyway 🙂 I hope my feedback has been insightful, I don’t normally write on blogs or anything, was just so drawn to your space and wanted to share my experiences with you. 🙂 I am truly passionate about my work and I love how unique in-home childcare is in allowing us to be unlike most centres. Not only do we have the opportunities to form extremely close bonds with our children, but essential opportunities for plenty of one on one time to observe children on a more personal level, allowing us to be able to target in on their interests and provide them with the resources to extend on their individual learning.
I wish you all the best in your home day care and look forward to following your adventures with all your children! 🙂
Hi Chrissy…thanks for taking the time to leave such insightful and honest feedback! You summed up how I feel about family day care so well so I know we are on a similar wavelength that’s for sure!
I hear you on the toys I have out at the moment. I would actually put a fair bit away with more kids in care so as not to overwhelm them. I also plan to use the low box shelves as the main toy selection area. There is a fair bit out at the moment as I have been trying out some new activities and set up ideas with my own toddler twosome. I do find the baskets tend to make them really search for what they want though so not everything gets pulled out. With younger children in care this would definitely happen though of course! I would like to pull back a few things off the verandah though…more and more got added as we have had so much rainy weather lately!
As far as overwhelming the house…I would agree if we didn’t have the girls but we have already gotten used to it as i like to set up spaces like this when there are children in the house anyway. However on the other side of the lounge I have a door that leads to our bedrooms and also the family bathroom….this area will be closed off and the girls special toys will live here too. I have also kept our front verandah space just for us. I do understand what you mean though!
I really do appreciate your thoughts…been many years since I have operated a family day care so it’s good to be reminded of these things to consider!
Thanks so much for reading and following along x
Hi, Just eaves dropping on this little conversation, hope you don’t mind! I’m really interested to see this post as I have three children of my own (twins included, one child under school age) and also run a family day care in my house. I have the same thought from time to time that I would dearly love to have a separate space just for FDC, but also wonder if, over time, it would start to feel like I was back in the confined space of a daycare centre room again. I find it can be really hard to keep things tidy and organised and also CLEAN enough for day care. We have one bedroom for a play room (only very small), plus a shared living room (FDC/family space) and also a veranda. The children seem to love the freedom to wander, but I find it hard sometimes with all the set up, pack up and cleaning. I’d love to see a post later on about how you manage and balance being a mum of little ones and running a home day care. Maybe a daily routine?? Ideas are greatly appreciated for me! Thanks Emma
What a great idea for a blog post Emma…I have already starting working on something very similar so hopefully will have it up soon for you. When I used to be a CDO I really wasn’t all that impressed with some of the garage/granny flat set ups as it just reminded me to much of centre based care and I think parents choose FDC for the home environment but I understand that using the whole home doesn’t work for everyone, it has to be what works for you! I have my kitchen area gated off and bedrooms and spare rooms so I can throw mess in there if I need to lol. I don’t really tend to do more packing up than when I just had my twins as I have always like to do a quick clean when kids are in bed anyway. The verandah is about the only area that can get overwhelming at times so I have learnt to clean it up mid afternoon and put a board across it then so I don’t have to do it again when kids have gone home…and their older brothers and sisters don’t come and trash it at pick up time 😉 I am also a big fan of storage and everything having aplace so I can pack up quickly and the kids can help with certain areas. I’ve got a few tips I can share but would take too long in one little comment, stay tuned and i will try and get the post up by end of next week as you are not the only person to ask i promise. I really do like having the use of my house, especially kitchen during the day though. Not sure I am balancing being a Mum plus educator all that well though…but yes routine is my saviour! You can email me on jode at ozemail dot com dot au if you ever want to chat , happy to have friends with the same issues to chat with 🙂
Makes me want to come and play. I know my son would love it! Stopping by from Hearts For Home Blog Hop.
Thanks so much for stopping by Sarah!
Wow! I think it all looks great. Certainly more there than my children had in their one room at preschool! I’m sure you’re going to do a great job and the kids who get to be in your care I’m sure are very lucky.
How lovely, you made my day! I didn’t think about how preschoolers only tend to have one area in a centre so that is a good point!!
Wow, Jode, this really is your gift! How wonderful that you’re opening your home to other kids so they can benefit from your knowledge and talent. I’ve started trying to set up some play corners for my little girl and this gives me lots of ideas! I especially love your cozy reading corner.
-Jaime
Thanks Jaime, I must say I have always loved setting up spaces like this for kids and it’s been fun trying ideas out with the girls! I hope you found something helpful…the reading corner is our favourite spot at the moment!
You have set up some incredible play spaces in your home. Good luck with the FDC.
You’ve got Some awesome areas jode. I love the chalk board door, very clever! I think the kids will have such fun at your daycare
Wow you have set up lovely areas to play and explore… I wouldn’t mind coming over for a play myself! The families you’ll work with are so lucky to have you!
Looks awesome!!! I’m a big fan of FDC. I put one of my daughters (with special needs) in one instead of a kindy and it was really a fabulous decision. Loved it.
JODIE! This looks AMAZING! You must have worked so hard to set it all up, your families and kiddies are so lucky to have you.
I would seriously have so much fun there myself!!!!!!!
Oh my goodness Jode! You have been one busy woman. Looks fab 🙂 xo P
Found you on Pinterest. Pinterest warned me that your website maybe “suspicious”
“Suspicious link
This link redirects visitors to another site – it may link to spam or other inappropriate content.”
I chose to continue anyway and am glad I did. I love the set up. The thing I enjoy the most is how neutral it all looks. I don’t understand the obsession with children’s items all being bright primary colors- not very aesthetically pleasing (for me anyways). I have a 2 year old myself and currently take in 4 other children. I have the children’s things throughout the lower level of the house. I like not having to be away from my house-stuck in a kid’s room all day. I also honestly don’t have room to do it any other way even if I wanted to! Upper level is bedrooms which we only visit if I have laundry to fold.
I hope pinterest stops thinking that you are suspicious 🙂
Thanks for sharing such valuable information about Family Day Care Toowoomba… i am very lucky to get these tips from you.
Oh my goodness Jode! You have been one busy woman. Looks fab 🙂 xoWelcome back!
Wow!!! What a day care arrangement. That’s really big help for me, Thanks for share..
What a great job you have done incorporating the children’s play into your home, but also keeping your home a home. Thank you so much for the insight!
I would like say thanks for displaying your spaces. I saw so many ideas that I would like to incorporate in my own home-based daycare too. Like you, I have so much materials, books, recyclable items, toys, and so forth, but what I have done to cut the clutter is to introduce the materials in theme based…for instance for an entire week or two, my daughter will work with items pertaining to e.g. Spring- gardening, flowers, dirt/soil, seeds..etc…
I am very much excited for you and I know you will make an excellent Early Childhood provider…keep in touch!♥jjf
Hi!
Nice article, Jode. And very cool photos. The main things in daycare is safety and game atmosphere.