A good daycare center will offer both physical and creative
activities that are age-appropriate. For infants and toddlers,
typical programs might feature playing with soft toys and
rattles, as well as push and pull toys, riding toys, big crayons
and musical instruments. Outdoor fun like swinging and sliding
is important, too. Children age three to five are more advanced;
their toys and materials should help them learn new skills.
Working with puzzles, building blocks, Legos, paint, and
construction paper are a few examples. Creating miniature towns
or farms is a good exercise for kids of this age; so is working
with Play Dough or sand. A favorite game of pre-schoolers is
playing house: clothes for dress up, telephones, and other
household items are not only entertaining, but also educational.
For both toddlers and preschoolers, books are vital; they should
be read to, and given colorful books with large pictures. Also,
there should be time allotted for snacks, lunch, and a nap or
rest period. However, these t