Your preschool equipment is the bread and butter of your centre; there’s very little you can do without it. Once you have everything you need though, you might be pleasantly surprised to find some of your budget leftover. There’s every reason to do something fun with it, and we list five fun options below.
- Paint a mural
Preschool and daycare centres are meant to be bright and welcoming. It’s a place where kids can let their imaginations and creative spirits fly. Why not encourage that and commission a mural? You can find local artists on social media or through recommendations. You can reach out to other schools who have murals and ask who did their work, too.
- Accessorise
Wall pegs, pillows, artwork, plants; little details that complete the big picture. People are very visual and enjoy looking at something pretty hanging on the wall. Creature comforts like pillows come in handy when someone needs back support or something to lean against. Also handy for naps!
- Open Day Party
What better way to say ‘welcome to our community’ than to throw an open day party for families! Plan and advertise early on and if there’s leftovers from your preschool equipment budget, then you can splash out some extra funds on games, catering, or even a bouncy castle.
- Get LOTS of books
Preschool isn’t all toys. Some kids like to read and daycare centres make room for it in their schedules.
You can order books online or even buy them secondhand in charity stores. The amount of sources are endless.
- Do something for your staff
Your staff will spend the majority of their days at the preschool, sometimes until later in the evening. Get something to show how much you appreciate their efforts. Spend the leftover preschool equipment budget on spa vouchers/pampering, stationery sets for something fun (who doesn’t like stationery?) or take them out to lunch. A little gratitude goes a long way!
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Essentials for setting up a preschool | Equipment edition
4 things your competition can teach you about setting up a day care