Daycare Starter Pack
Starting in daycare is a very special time, and it involves establishing a whole new routine in your daily life. As a parent, you probably have many considerations leading up to this transition, and perhaps we can help answer one of them – what does your child actually need for daycare?
Of course, the answer depends on what the institution itself offers, but we’ve compiled a list of the most common items you’ll need to prepare for your child’s daycare start.
This list is developed by FOLA – The Parents’ National Organization.
Checklist for Daycare and Nursery
- Rubber boots, if your child can walk.
- Shoes with good ankle support (if your child can walk, otherwise slippers)
- Rain gear (In cold weather, it can be lined, otherwise bring a warm sweater to wear underneath)
- Jacket
- Warm sweater or vest
- Indoor slippers
- Bibs, if your child drools
- 3 sets of spare clothes, from innermost to outermost.
- Pacifiers with the child’s name on them (Usually, it’s the parent’s responsibility to bring pacifiers home and sterilize them, preferably daily)
- Comfort item (Teddy bear, security blanket, or similar, which provides comfort for your child and smells like home. Try to obtain two copies so the child can have one at the institution and one at home)
- Diapers (In some institutions, parents must provide them)
- Water bottle (Some institutions request this. It’s the parents’ responsibility to take the bottle home and clean it)
- Optional: stroller (Some institutions and daycare providers do not have strollers available. Parents must therefore acquire an institutional stroller. You can choose to use the one you already have or buy a used model that fits your child’s care facility)
- Optional: sleeping bag or blanket
Seasonal Items
Summer Essentials
- Sun hat
- Sunscreen (optional)
Winter Essentials
- Hat. It’s a good idea to have an extra one that can stay at the institution.
- Outdoor mittens. Buy many at once and not the most expensive ones, as they tend to disappear often. Fortunately, most educators spend more time with the children than searching for missing mittens.
- Outerwear. At low temperatures, we recommend a snowsuit; at transitional temperatures, a thermal set or similar is a good bet.
- Sleepwear, preferably with mittens, a thin wool or cotton hat, snowsuit, or similar. Some places provide sleepwear, so ask before you purchase it.
Remember to Label
With many children and many similar items, it’s a great idea to put a name on all the things that “live” in the daycare. When items aren’t labeled, there’s a high risk of them getting lost. So putting a name on clothes and items is a great help for both you and the educators. It’s also easy to decipher if you accidentally take something home that isn’t yours.
Tip: You can buy name tags designed to be put on clothes, etc. They can withstand many trips in the washing machine, and you can also write one of the parents’ phone numbers on them, so there’s both the child’s name and a telephone number.