EW 2000 Plus

Playgrounds play a large role in a child’s life, from helping them physically to developing important social skills. One of the favorite times of a year in a daycare center is when it finally becomes warm or dry enough to go out and make good use of the playground. The first thing you see is a rush of children eager to run around the entire playground. A playground should have toys for the children to run around, explore and climb on. Stairs or ladders are very important for their climbing abilities. Low monkey bars are not only fun to hang off of but are great for developing upper body muscles! Playgrounds build us socially as well as physically. The sense of achievement you get when you finally make it across the monkey bars for the very first time builds your self confidence. Playgrounds can also improve a child’s group skills as they invent monsters to run from or fires to go and fight. Even the playground arguments can be extremely beneficial! The children can learn to identify when they need their own space or when to tell their friends they would rather not be chased. Playgrounds can also be a great tool for the growth of imagination! Climbing the ladder becomes climbing the castle wall to save a princess. The slide can become a very important part of the spaceship. The possibilities are endless!

Nap time (or rest time) is not always the favorite time for a child. It can be met with anger, tears or disgust. Occasionally it is a happy experience. Having a padded mat for the child can help to make them more comfortable. These rest mats provide them with a spot that is only for that child, (personal space is very important to a young child) and gives them a sense of security to have it in a spot that is just for them with their blanket on it or their own personal stuffed animal from home. The mats should be large enough and long enough so they are entirely on the mat as the ground can be dirty as well as cold and uncomfortable. Children do like to personalize their mats. Some children like to have their blanket waiting for them, while some would prefer to get the blanket from their cubby and bring it to their mat themselves. Some like their rest mats in different places while some like the one spot in the room that is comfortable to them. If another child is to touch their mat they can become upset because this is their mat, their space and it is all theirs.

As cute as children are, they come into contact with a large variety of germs. To minimize the spread of these germs surface sanitizers should be used often to keep the children, (as well as teachers and parents) healthy. There are several steps to sanitizing a surface. And a surprising amount of surfaces need cleaning constantly. Soap, water and bleach are the simple sanitizers that are easy to find and use. When cleaning a table after eating it is very important to use soap before bleach as food will deactivate a chemical in bleach that makes it such an effective sanitizer. The same goes for making sure all of the soap is off of the table as this will have the same effect on the bleach. The best way to clean a table is to spray soapy water on it. Wipe it thoroughly and then to spray plain water on it to ensure all of the food and soap are off. After those two steps are complete you may spray the bleach solution. There are different opinions on whether or not the bleach should air dry, be wiped down or sit for two to five minutes and then be wiped down. Depending on the age group you may have more or less to sanitize. In a diaper wearing age the changing table must be sanitized with a higher bleach solution after every child has lain on the table. For younger children it is suggested that any toys that are played with be sainted after use as they are more likely to have been in the mouths of said children. Some toys may be put in dishwasher on a sanitizing option.