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Suggested Preschool Supplies

What do I need to set up a preschool or daycare?

Here is a comprehensive checklist of items needed to fully equip and maintain a preschool or home-based childcare program. To make it easy to scan, the supplies are broken down by category, ranging from daily classroom essentials to administrative and safety tools.

🧸 Toys & Learning Manipulatives

Items in this category should focus on fine motor skills, open-ended play, and cognitive development.

Dramatic Play: Play kitchen, play food (wooden or durable plastic), dishes, dress-up clothes, child safe mirror, dolls (diverse representation), and doll stroller.
Block & Building Zone: Wooden blocks, magnetic tiles, large cardboard bricks, plastic interlocking blocks (Lego Duplo size), and play vehicles (cars, trucks, community helper vehicles).
Fine Motor & Manipulatives: Wooden puzzles (knobbed and interlocking), pegboards, lacing beads, stacking rings, pattern blocks, and counting bears.
Sensory & Science: Light table accessories, magnifying glasses, sorting trays, sensory bins, water play toys (cups, funnels, basters), and child-safe magnets.
Literacy & Cozy Corner: Soft floor cushions, a low bookshelf, and a wide variety of board books and picture books.

🎨 Art & Creative Supplies

Stocking standard volume-measured, washable, and non-toxic materials makes setup and cleanup manageable for daily projects.

Consumables: Construction paper (multi-color packs), drawing paper, fingerpaint paper, tissue paper, coffee filters, and paper plates (for crafts).
Coloring & Drawing: Washable markers (broad line), chunky crayons, colored pencils, and chalk.
Paints & Mediums: Washable tempera paint, fingerpaints, watercolor palettes, and non-toxic playdough.
Adhesives & Attachments: Washable glue sticks, liquid school glue, masking tape, painter’s tape, and child-safe scissors (blunt tip).
Tools: Chunky paintbrushes, paint rollers, smocks/apons, stamp pads, and no-spill paint cups.

🍽️ Kitchen, Dishes & Mealtime

Durable, reusable items sized for small hands are ideal for family-style dining or snack times.

Children's Tableware: Small plastic or silicone open cups, sectioned plates, small bowls, and child-sized utensils (forks and spoons with wide grips). We like the insulated stainless-steel cups that keep drinks cold when we go out to play. Label the cups with children's names.
Prep & Serving: Large mixing bowls, serving spoons, pitchers with lids (small enough for kids to practice pouring), and silicone baking mats.
Storage & Cleaning: Air-tight food storage containers, dish towels, bottle/cup brushes, and a heavy-duty dish drying rack.

🧼 Cleaning, Sanatizing & Hygiene

Maintaining strict health and safety protocols requires a mix of daily cleaners and heavy-duty sanitizers.

Sanitizing & Disinfecting: EPA-registered disinfectant or bleach (for mixing fresh daily sanitizing solutions), disinfecting wipes, and commercial-grade carpet cleaner. See our cleaning information page.
Daily Clean-Up: Multi-surface spray, dish soap, hand soap refills, paper towels, and microfiber cleaning cloths.
Waste Management: Hands-free step trash cans (for the diaper area and main space), trash liners, and diaper disposal bags.
Personal Hygiene: Facial tissues, baby wipes, and a well-stocked first aid kit kept completely out of children's reach.

🖨️ Office Supplies & Documentation Machinery

Running an organized program requires robust tools for curriculum prep, business tracking, and parent communication.

Heavy Machinery:
- Printer & Copier: A reliable all-in-one inkjet or tank printer (ideal for printing full-color lesson plans, newsletters, and sign-in sheets).
- Laminator: A heavy-duty thermal laminator (essential for protecting file folder games, visual schedules, name tags, and outdoor signage).
Laminating & Printing Consumables: Thermal laminating pouches (3 mil and 5 mil), a heavy-duty paper trimmer/cutter, replacement ink/toner tanks, and copy paper.
Organization & Desktop Basics: Three-ring binders (for child portfolios and business records), sheet protectors, file folders, hanging folders, a label maker, a heavy-duty stapler, 3-hole punch, paperclips, and dry-erase markers.

🪑 Furniture & Environment Essentials

The physical setup dictates the flow and safety of the space.

Child-Sized Furniture: Low tables (rectangular or round) and sturdy chairs (typically 10-inch to 12-inch seat height).
Storage Solutions: Low, open toy shelves (for child-led access), clear plastic bins with lids, and individual cubbies or coat hooks for children's personal items.
Rest Time: Stackable daycare cots or rest mats, fitted cot sheets, and a dedicated storage cart for bedding.
Safety Barriers: Hardware-mounted safety gates, outlet covers, and corner guards for low furniture.

Bright living room with modern inventory

Here is the breakdown of furniture, bedding, and specialized care gear needed to manage eating, sleeping, and daily routines for varying age groups.

🛌 Rest & Nap Time Essentials

Providing comfortable, easily sanitized rest equipment is essential for licensing compliance and ensuring quality sleep.

Cots & Mats:
- Stackable Daycare Cots: Lightweight, washable mesh cots with durable plastic corners. Stackable designs are ideal for saving floor space when not in use.
- Foam Nap Mats: Thick, vinyl-covered foam mats that can be easily wiped down and sanitized between uses.
Bedding & Linens:
- Fitted Cot Sheets: Elasticized cotton or poly-blend sheets designed to fit tightly over daycare cots or foam mats for safety.
- Small Blankets: Individual, lightweight fleece or cotton blankets (washed weekly or reserved for individual children).
Storage & Transport:
- Cot/Mat Mobile Cart: A wheeled metal or plastic rack designed to transport and store stacked cots or folded mats efficiently.
- Labeled Cubbies or Bags: Dedicated space or breathable storage bags to keep each child's personal blanket and sheet separated to prevent cross-contamination.

🍽️ Feeding & High-Chair Gear

Depending on the age range of the children, mealtime requires a mix of supportive seating and easy-to-clean infrastructure.

Seating Solutions:
- Easy to Clean High Chairs: Durable, seamless plastic or finished wood high chairs with adjustable, removable trays. Seamless designs prevent food from getting trapped in cracks.
- Low Feeding Chairs (Table Height): Heavy-duty chairs with built-in trays that sit directly on the floor or match a low table height, allowing older infants and toddlers to safely sit at their own level.
- Booster Seats: Strapped booster seats with removable trays that secure to standard child-sized or adult chairs.
Mealtimes Safety & Clean-Up:
- Silicone Catch-All Bibs: Waterproof bibs with a wide front pocket to catch crumbs and spills, which can be quickly rinsed or run through a dishwasher.
- Splat Mats: Large, washable vinyl or silicone mats placed under high chairs and feeding tables to protect flooring from major spills.

🍼 Infant & Toddler Specific Gear

If your program includes infants or younger toddlers, these specialized items are required for daily care:

Changing Station: A sturdy changing station or changing table with a safety strap, a contoured vinyl changing pad, disposable sanitary paper rolls, and nearby locked storage for diapers and wipes.
Diaper Disposal: A heavy-duty, hands-free step can with an odor-locking seal specifically for diapers.
Safe Sleep (Infants): Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) approved cribs or pack-and-plays with firm, tight-fitting mattresses and no loose bedding. Pack and play sheets.

First Aid Supplies

First aid kit for the classroom and one for the car. The ideal preschool first aid setup should feature latex-free and powder-free gloves for staff protection, sting-free antiseptic solutions to avoid distressing sensitive skin, and child-friendly bandages.

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