Your Guide To Daycare Essentials

Just as cohorts of brand new school-goers will be making their way through the hallowed school gates for the first time in January, lots of mini people will also find themselves winding up at daycare. And, just like school—daycare comes with a list as long as your arm of all the things that your little one will need throughout the day. 

Although this list will vary greatly depending on the age of your child and your specific daycare provider (for example, some include things like nappies and wipes in the price, others don’t), there are a few universal things that each child will require when they make their daycare debut. Here are our top essentials.

Backpack Or Bag

A bit of a no-brainer but worth pointing out, a backpack or holdall-style bag to transport all of the (many, many) things your child will need throughout the day is an absolute daycare essential. Choose something that is both practical and fun, so that you can easily identify it at pickup. Better yet—why not get a personalised bag with your child’s name on? Stuck On You’s offering of bags encompasses a range of different sizes and patterns, as well as some pretty adorable designs and customisation options. 

A Sunhat

 

Especially in Australia where the sun is so powerful, a sunhat is a daycare essential if you want your child to be able to join in with outdoor activities. A bucket style hat that will shield their face from the sun is an ideal choice.

Lunch Bag And Food Containers

Inevitably, food—and things to transport said food in—are pretty important when sending your child to daycare. Alongside what to pack (got you covered here, friends!), you’ve also got to think about what to pack it all in. A mass of ziplock bags will quickly get confusing (not to mention bad for the environment), so we recommend choosing a lunchbox that will keep everything fresh and in one place.

Stuck On You’s epic range of personalised bento boxes come with handy compartmentalisation, so they also help on the what to pack front, too. We love that you can completely customise your child’s lunchbox, from the colour and name to the design and font used. 

 

Changes Of Labelled Clothing

 

As you well know by now, accidents happen all the time and parenting is often accompanied by the full-time hum of the washing machine in the background. Make sure you’ve got at least two, if not three changes of seasonally-appropriate clothes for your child packed, as the likelihood is that you’ll be collecting them wearing an entirely different outfit to the one you dropped them off in. Of course, it all needs to be labelled so that you don’t end up losing half of your kid’s wardrobe down the daycare drain—check out Stuck On You’s range of easy, iron-on labels to make this whole process a whole lot easier!

Comfort Toy

Image: Shine 365 Marshfield Clinic

Or blanket. whichever gives them the greatest sense of security…just make sure you wash it frequently as the battle against those pesky daycare germs is real.

Bottles

 

Kids get used to drinking out of particular types of bottles, so make sure you pack their favourite bottle to take with them. Of course, it needs to be labelled—but luckily Stuck On You has got you covered with their range of personalised name stickers which are safe in the microwave, dishwasher and freezer and come with a resistant coating that makes them both super long-lasting and waterproof. All hail the label gods!

Want More Back-To-School Stuff? Find It Here:

• Back To School: Your Essential Guide
• Back to School: 5 Lunchbox Friendly Sandwich Ideas
• 5 Things Your Kids Are Likely To Bring Home From Daycare

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