Home Daycare Curriculum
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Creating a nurturing and stimulating environment for preschool-aged children is essential for their early development. These ideas for Home Daycare Curriculum for Preschool are just what you need to nurture creativity and learning while still letting kids have fun.
A well-rounded home daycare curriculum made especially for your family childcare program can lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning and growth. Our creative curriculum ideas nurture creativity and give kids tons of enrichment opportunities that you don’t see in most pre-made curriculums.
In my family child care program, we have daily schedules that include family engagement, new material weekly, and lots of ideas for my mixed age group, but I write my own curriculum. There are many good choices out there for learning in the early years and you can find some at an affordable price, but the entire curriculum is just not quite what I’m looking for.
I have unique needs and a love of learning and I love to be creative in what I teach. There are plenty of choices for affordable family child care curriculum, but I like doing my own ideas and getting out of the rut that can form after 29 years of running my family child care home. Maybe some of these ideas might inspire you as well.
And they are free if you use them off the blog! That makes them budget-friendly because we all know we are on a tight budget in the home daycare business. That’s why our curriculum system can be used at no additional cost to your already giant list of things you need to purchase.
You can get a printable version of some of our newer curriculum units on our Etsy store with supply lists AND the Oklahoma ELG’s if you plan to use them to meet the quality rating (QRIS) requirements. (There’s a printable daily schedule and one you can write in included too) And they are very affordable at $1.99 for two weeks of plans in a printable format.
We keep in mind best practices and these lesson plans will work for younger children, as most home daycares have mixed age groups they care for. These daily activities will fit perfectly into your daily schedule and routine.
The Importance of Early Childhood Education
Early childhood education plays a pivotal role in a child’s development. During the preschool years, children undergo rapid cognitive, social, and emotional growth. A structured curriculum helps guide this development, fostering critical skills such as language, motor coordination, and social interaction. By providing a rich, engaging learning environment, home daycare providers can significantly impact children’s readiness for kindergarten and beyond.
Key Components of a Home Daycare Curriculum
An effective home daycare curriculum should be comprehensive, covering various areas of development while being flexible enough to adapt to individual children’s needs and interests. Here are the key components to consider:
- Academic Learning:
- Literacy: Activities that promote reading, writing, and language development.
- Mathematics: Hands-on activities that introduce basic math concepts like counting, shapes, and patterns.
- Science: Exploration of the natural world through simple experiments and observations.
- Creative Expression:
- Art: Opportunities for drawing, painting, and crafting to develop fine motor skills and creativity.
- Music: Singing, dancing, and playing instruments to enhance auditory and rhythmic skills.
- Physical Development:
- Gross Motor Skills: Activities like running, jumping, and climbing to build strength and coordination.
- Fine Motor Skills: Tasks such as cutting, threading, and building to improve hand-eye coordination.
- Social and Emotional Learning:
- Social Skills: Encouraging cooperative play, sharing, and communication with peers.
- Emotional Regulation: Activities that help children understand and manage their emotions.
- Practical Life Skills:
- Self-Care: Teaching basic hygiene, dressing, and eating skills.
- Responsibility: Simple chores and tasks to foster independence and responsibility.
A well-structured daily schedule is crucial for a successful home daycare curriculum. It should balance structured learning activities with free play, rest, and meal times.
Flexibility is key in a home daycare setting. Tailoring activities to suit the individual needs and interests of each child ensures that every young child is engaged and benefiting from the curriculum and gives you age-appropriate outcomes.
Regularly assessing children’s progress and adjusting the curriculum accordingly helps address any developmental concerns early on so you can focus on children’s kindergarten readiness and research-based skills.
After 29 years of providing daycare in my home, I have come up with my own educational philosophy since none of the ones out there exactly fit me to a t. I’m unique and so are my teaching skills. I call it Creative Nature Exploration. It centers around nurturing creativity (which doesn’t begin in school until 5th grade, but creativity is formed by age 8, so it’s super important in early childhood before they go to school) and nature-based studies such as the garden and nature as a whole.
The preschool covers new materials that you don’t generally see and has a ton of art projects that childcare providers can present to mixed-age children in their home-based programs without a ton of spending or shopping. I try to use what I have already as much as I can.
Lesson plans for daycare
Creating effective lesson plans for a daycare setting is crucial for fostering a stimulating and nurturing environment where young children can learn, play, and grow. Well-structured lesson plans provide a roadmap for caregivers, ensuring that each day is filled with engaging activities that promote cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development.
Lesson plans are essential tools in daycare settings, providing a structured approach to daily activities and learning experiences. They help caregivers organize their time, resources, and activities in a way that supports the overall development of each child. By using lesson plans, caregivers can ensure that they address the diverse needs of children, foster a love for learning, and create a consistent routine that children can rely on.
Tips for Developing Effective Lesson Plans
- Be Flexible: While structure is important, flexibility is key to accommodating the varying needs and interests of the children.
- Incorporate Themes: Use weekly or monthly themes to create a cohesive learning experience and keep activities fresh and engaging.
- Assess and Adapt: Regularly assess the effectiveness of your lesson plans and make adjustments based on the children’s progress and feedback.
- Involve Parents: Communicate with parents about the lesson plans and encourage them to reinforce learning at home.
Daycare curriculum
Here are our best creative and nature based daycare curriculum units for you to use in your home daycare:
- Daycare Lesson Plans on Shakespeare-Explore the works of William Shakespeare with toddlers and preschoolers through writing, drama, poetry, and more.
- Daycare Lesson Plans on Picasso-Get creative with your kids and learn about Pablo Picasso and his art techniques.
- Daycare Lesson Plans on Frida Kahlo-Study the creative works of Mexican artist Frida and her meaningful representation of life.
- Daycare Lesson Plans on Huck Finn-Learn about friendship and dedication from Huck and his friends on the river! Camping, picnics, and adventure abound in this story. And lots of learning about love and how to care for people.
- Daycare Lesson Plans on “Anne of Green Gables”-Learn about farm, garden, truth, friendship, and creativity through Anne of Green Gables and her empathy and kindness for others.
- Butterfly Life Cycle Lesson Plan for Kids-These fun nature based lesson plans will give you tons of ideas on how to teach kids science and life cycles.
- Gardening and Plant Theme for Preschool-Learn how to get started in the garden with your kids in this gardening and plant themed lesson.
- Summer Theme Ideas for Preschool-Summer time heats up and kids want more things to do, so check out these summer themed ideas for preschool.
- Preschool Pumpkin Theme-There are so many ways to explore pumpkins with young kids, you will love this pumpkin theme!
- Valentine’s Day Theme for Preschool-We all need holiday ideas and this Valentine’s day theme for preschool will give you a ton of great things that encourage creativity and fun.
- Dental Health Theme for Preschool-Dental health month is a great time to study this dental health theme for your home daycare. Lots of fun and creative activities while you learn to take care of your teeth!
- Art enrichment Daycare Lesson Plans on Jackson Pollock are lots of fun. Splatter paint and paint pouring and studying colors are great for teaching kids many things.
Home daycare websites
These are the best home daycare websites that will help you navigate everything. You’ll find tools from rules to paperwork, menus, curriculum, and so much more in running your home daycare.
