Explore food, recipes, measuring and so much more with our many manipulation, role play, and early science activities. This theme will help you create a special restaurant within your daycare!

Tips & Tricks

Tips & Tricks Archives

Activity planning

For several years now, we have disliked being called "babysitters". More and more people now recognize us as daycare workers and educators. The main reason for this is that people are realizing that we provide quality services. We are early childhood professionals. We offer complete menus, and we have continuous training. I do not know any "babysitters" who have taken courses on childhood development. We also offer a wide variety of activities which expand each sphere of children's development.

This week, I want to emphasize the importance of planning your activities. I will give you advice on how to do it, the contents of your planning, the basic principles, etc.

You may choose to plan one week at a time. You can display your planned activities on the wall so parents will be aware of what their child has done or will be doing. Parents greatly appreciate this in home daycares. For daycare workers, having activities which are planned ahead of time is like a safety net. However, having a strict activity plan which leaves no room for change or unexpected events can be a great source of stress.

On our website, we provide several activity suggestions related to a specific theme. I like to select a week's worth of activities which reach each sphere of children's development (motor skills, cognitive skills, social and moral skills, emotional skills). I never set time limits for activities. I always prepare all the necessary material for activities ahead of time. I choose my activities with the group's current needs and interests in mind.

On my planning sheet, I include the goal I have set for this activity as well as the developmental sphere it involves. I have a section which lists the subjects we will discuss during circle time, songs, books, and routines and transitions I will use and how I plan to go about it. Putting everything in writing pushes me to research my theme. I feel prepared and organized which allows me to have fun with the group!

The Educatall Team

No element of this text may be copied, reproduced, distributed, published, translated, downloaded, posted, or transmitted, in any way, without prior written authorization from Educatall and the copyright holder. Elements may be posted and/or downloaded solely for personal and non-commercial use provided no modifications are made and all notices of intellectual property are fully shown (name of the author, title of the article, name of the website, date the text is used and the date of the part in question).

*Share and use*

Among the 150 best websites on the Toile du Québec in 2006

Considered Innovation of the year by the Salon des Générations

Awarded the Canadian Prime Minister’s prize for Excellence in early childhood education 2002-2003

Among the best websites to succeed in school according to the annual guide 2007-2008