kids outdoor play centre

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, the ages of the children you serve will determine the contents of your day-care center. (See Reference 1, page 40) You may need to provide an inventory of items in your day-care center for licensing applications, insurance purposes and budget planning. Revise your list when you purchase new items or replace old and damaged ones. Remember that you will need to replace some materials, such as books and art supplies, more often than others.

Fixtures

• Specialized fixtures, often overlooked in the inventory process, include child-sized sinks and toilets. Adults primarily use fixtures such as cupboards, cabinets, adult-sized toilets and sinks. Children and adults in day-care centers share soap and paper towel dispensers.

Equipment

• Day-care centers usually contain equipment required for cleaning and food service. Cleaning equipment includes large appliances such as washing machines and dryers in addition to vacuums, brooms, mops, trash cans and laundry baskets. Food service often requires stoves, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers and small appliances. Children of different ages, who are at various points in serving and feeding themselves, require different sizes of dishes, cups, silverware and serving dishes. Some day-care centers use large carts to transport food and dishes to classrooms. Infant classrooms also require bottle warmers and equipment for diaper disposal. Older children need cots and bedding for naptime. Every classroom should include a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher.Commercial playground
  

  
  

Furnishings

• Furniture in a day-care center varies in each classroom, based on the children's ages. All classrooms require cubbies, window treatments, bulletin boards and dramatic play furniture. Classrooms also tend to have shelving, tables and chairs in different heights. Infant classrooms should contain cribs, diaper-changing stations, highchairs, rocking chairs and soft mats. The reception area and director's office in centers typically have desks, chairs, a conference table and bookshelves.

Office Supplies

• A day-care center's reception area and director's office often include computers, copiers, fax machines, filing cabinets and telephones in addition to the necessary furniture. These areas also typically contain teacher mailboxes, a time clock, professional resource books and a parent brochure rack. They also have computer software programs and miscellaneous small-office supplies.

Toys and Materials

• Although specific toys and materials for each classroom vary, all classrooms use the same types of toys. According to the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (Singapore government agency), age-appropriate blocks, manipulative toys, sensory materials and art materials should appear in all classrooms. (See Reference 2, page 25) Every classroom also should have books, musical instruments, dramatic play props as well as science and math toys.

Outdoors

• The classroom learning environment extends to the outdoor playground. Age-specific climbing equipment, surrounded by fall-zone surfacing, provides room for many children to play. The playground often has a sandbox and a playhouse. A shed stores equipment such as bikes, balls and push toys when not in use. Fencing around the entire playground provides safety.Commercial playground