What to Pack for Your Child's Daycare | Essentials Packing List
Starting daycare can feel less overwhelming and stressful for both you and your child when their bag is fully packed with all the essentials!
A well-organised bag is also necessary, so their carers have everything they need to provide the best care and support for your little one. With all the excitement as the first day approaches, it can be difficult to know what to pack for daycare. This guide includes a checklist of essential items and extra items to add to their bag, as well as tips for staying organised.
Daycare Essentials to Get Your Child Through the Day
At Little Learners Day Care centre, we provide
- five meals per day (breakfast/morning tea/lunch/afternoon tea/ late snack),
- all nappies & wipes, milk, sunscreen, sunsmart hat (for children 12mths+), and
- all incursions & excursions (this is all included in the daily fee you pay).
Some childcare facilities expect parents to provide their own nappies, food, and other items. Here’s a list of items to pack to help your child feel comfortable, and to make things easier for their care providers:
Additional clothes: We recommend 2 full change of clothes be provided, as it’s very common for children to spill their food & drinks, get dirty during messy play and have toileting accidents. It is also important that families provide appropriate clothing (i.e. Jacket & Beanie for Winter and clothing that is cool but adequately covers your child for Summer (i.e. no singlet tops). If your child is between 6 weeks – 12 months you will also need to provide a SunSmart hat.
Medication: If your child needs to take medication regularly, you will need to complete a Medical Management Plan & give their childcare provider the medication required, along with clear instructions from their doctor outlining how and when it should be administered.
Nappy Cream: Needs to be provided by families, if required.
Bottles, formula or breast milk: Most childcare providers will ask parents to provide sterilised bottles, that are clearly labelled with their child’s name. Breast milk can be brought in frozen or fresh. Parents must prepare formula bottles at home with the required amount of water, along with a container of pre-measured formula. It is the responsibility of the parents to take home and wash/sterilise their child’s bottles daily.
Comfort items: Some children can get separation anxiety when they’re apart from their family. A familiar item such as their favourite teddy, a blanket, or a family photo can be brought along every day to provide security & continuity between home and daycare.
Shoes: Comfortable closed-toe shoes with Velcro or an easy slip-on design are a must-have for a safe and enjoyable playtime.
How to Make Packing for Day Care Easier
No doubt you are busy parenting, working, and running your household. These tips will help you to keep your child’s bag organised for day care.
- Select the right bag: Use a backpack or holdall with multiple compartments that offer plenty of space to keep everything in one place.
- Label all your child’s belongings: Use a good permanent waterproof marker to put your child’s name on everything in the bag so their carers can easily locate and identify them if they get misplaced.
- Use packing cubes: Help your child’s carers easily find what they’re looking for by separating their belongings into extra clothing, medication, liquids, and so on.
- Replenish the bag regularly: Check and restock your child’s bag each evening so you don’t have to rush to do it in the morning and accidentally forget one of the essentials from the daycare checklist.
What to Leave Out of Your Child’s Daycare Bag
To keep operations running safely and smoothly, you should avoid packing these items in your child’s bag:
- Toys and books: Aside from a comfort teddy, you should leave their other toys & books at home. Childcare providers like Little Learners Day Care centre provide enough toys and resources for children to play with.
- Small objects: Don’t pack beaded bracelets, marbles, or coins as young infants could pick them up, put them in their mouths, and accidentally choke on them.
- Items of value or sentimentality: Leave expensive items or clothing at home if you don’t want them to get damaged or lost.
- Food from home: Most childcare providers have a strict “no food from home” policy as there may be children at the centre with allergies or anaphylaxis. This is to ensure a safe environment for all children.
- Large or bulky items: Help your childcare provider to manage your child’s comfort and safety easily by keeping extra large teddy’s and large cushions and blankets at home. Ask your child’s day centre if you are expected to contribute any bedding for them to use at naptime.
If you want to know more about packing your child’s bag for their first day at Little Learners Day Care centre, please get in touch with any questions.