Whether you’re running a small home daycare or a big, multi-location daycare business, one thing’s for sure—you need a lot of daycare supplies to make it through the day! 

Staying on top of your daycare supply list can be challenging, so we’ve put together a list of common items you’ll need to start a daycare. We’ll also share other focus areas to tackle before you open your new center.

Creating a daycare supply list

Opening a daycare center and filling the empty space with everything you and your staff will need is exciting! Choosing the right supplies is your next step toward starting a successful daycare.

Include the below in your supply list: 

• Health and safety supplies
• Cleaning supplies
• Furniture and equipment
• Play materials
• Childcare management software

Health and safety supplies

Keeping your children safe is your top priority. That’s why it’s crucial to always have health and safety tools among your daycare supplies.

Your stock of safety supplies could include:

• Smoke detectors
• Carbon monoxide detectors
• Fire extinguishers
• Safety gates
• Corner guards
• Electrical outlet covers
• Child safety cabinet locks
• Child safety door knob covers  
• First-aid kits
• Thermometers

In case of a daycare emergency, it’s a good idea to put together an emergency preparedness kit. These kits typically include extra first-aid kits, an updated file with emergency contact numbers, diapers, cleaning wipes, tissues, ponchos, hand warmers, flashlights, drinking water, and non-perishable snacks.

Check your local government's emergency preparedness guidelines to ensure your daycare supply list meets all of the legal requirements.

Cleaning supplies

A frequent cleaning routine is a must at daycares to keep children and staff healthy and safe. You’ll want to stock your daycare center with everything you need to keep surfaces, floors, and hands clean.

Your daycare cleaning supplies list might include:

• Hand sanitizer
• Liquid hand soap
• Cleaning sponges
• Disinfecting wipes
• Paper towels
• Broom and dustpan
• Multi-purpose cleaning sprays
• Vacuum
• Mop
  
  

With multiple children and adults using restrooms and touching surfaces, it’s important to develop a plan for regularly sanitizing toys and furniture. Some toys and areas in your daycare will need cleaning daily. Check your state’s website or Department of Health for guidelines to ensure you’re compliant.

Furniture and equipment

Your childcare center will need appropriately-sized daycare furniture for play, feeding, and sleeping areas. You’ll also need tables and chairs for older children and high chairs or boosters for the little ones. 

Other essential daycare furniture and equipment to invest in could include:

• Cribs
• Step stools
• High chairs
• Tables
• Chairs
• Strollers
• Playpens
• Dining sets
• Nap mats or cots
• Rocking chairs 
• Diaper changing table
• Outdoor play equipment 
• Cubbies
  
  

You’ll also need other daycare equipment such as shelves or a storage system to hold your play materials and daycare supplies for your play area.

Source

Play materials

Children learn through play and exploration. It’s important to have open-ended play materials that spark curiosity and creativity throughout the day. Consider play materials that are age-appropriate and safe to support physical, language, social-emotional, and cognitive development.

Most childcare centers have a reading nook or library, an art center, a building center, a science center, a dramatic play center, and a writing center. You’ll need age-appropriate materials for these centers such as manipulatives, art supplies for projects, science tools, and materials for pretend play. 

If you have an outdoor space, you’ll need outdoor play equipment such as a sandbox or water table and other equipment that can support children’s gross motor development.

 Types of play materials to consider:

• Felt boards
• Playhouses
• Sandbox 
• Sensory bins
• Tents
• Craft materials
• Swing sets
• Props for dramatic play
• Headsets for audio listening
• Playsets (kitchen, dollhouse, etc.)
• Dolls
• Puzzles
• Musical instruments
• Paint and paintbrushes
• Writing tools 
• Books 
• Building blocks 
• Magnatiles 
  
  

You can even buy toys for your daycare online from secondhand or other low-price stores to save on costs. Here are a few secondhand toy sources:

• Once Upon a Child
• Goodwill (in-store and online)
• OfferUp
• Toycycle
• eBay
• Discount School Supply
• Oriental Trading
• Giggle Time Toys
• Facebook Marketplace
• Play It Again Kids (Canada)
• Good Buy Gear
  
  

Remember to equip your outdoor areas for playtime, too. For example, you can set up a playground, garden, building blocks, and other tools for outdoor learning.

Source 

Childcare management software

As the owner or director of a daycare or childcare center, you’ll need to keep up with the number of administrative tasks you’ll juggle—from attendance tracking to billing your families. 

Childcare management software such as brightwheel can help streamline those administrative tasks, save you valuable time, and allow you to stay in touch with families. For example, you can use brightwheel's daily activity report feature to record and track daily events and activities like naps, bottles, and diapers, and families get real-time updates delivered to their mobile devices throughout the day.

This powerful daycare app gives staff an easy tool to quickly document daily events and milestones for each child in your program and simplifies your daily reports. Families can stay connected to their child's day, increasing their engagement and trust with your program.

What else do I need to start a daycare?

When you open a new daycare, there are many other areas to consider:

• Daycare name: Get ideas and inspiration for naming your daycare.
• Licensing requirements: Check your state’s licensing requirements for the type and size of your childcare center to ensure that your center complies with the laws and regulations in your area.
• Insurance: Understand the proper daycare insurance coverage to obtain before starting your childcare business.
• Curriculum and learning standards: Choose a curriculum that aligns with your program goals and meets the early learning standards for your state. Brightwheel's Experience Curriculum pairs digital lessons in the app with hands-on learning materials mailed to you each month. It's aligned with all 50 states' early learning standards and has daily embedded assessments to monitor each child's progress, saving you time and supporting child development.
• Director and teacher compensation: Learn more about the average daycare director salary and average preschool teacher wages.
• Policies and procedures: Create a parent handbook that includes information about your center's policies, rules, procedures, and approach to child care.
• Marketing and advertising: Outline your marketing strategies to attract new families to your program.

Wrapping up

Outfitting your new childcare center with the appropriate furniture, equipment, and supplies will enable you to run a safe, efficient, and high-quality program. Use a daycare supply list to stay organized and watch your new daycare center come to life.

Brightwheel is the complete solution for early education providers, enabling you to streamline your center’s operations and build a stand-out reputation. Brightwheel connects the most critical aspects of running your center—including sign in and out, parent communications, tuition billing, and licensing and compliance—in one easy-to-use tool, along with providing best-in-class customer support and coaching. Brightwheel is trusted by thousands of early education centers and millions of parents. Learn more at mybrightwheel.com.