Daily Lesson Planning Tips for Busy Child Care Providers - post

Being a child care provider is a very busy job.

You spend your day changing diapers, wiping noses, serving snacks, and keeping children #safe. With so much to do, finding time to write a lesson plan can feel impossible.

However, having a plan actually saves you time. When you know exactly what activities you will do, the day goes much smoother. The children are happier because they are busy, and you are less #stressed because you are prepared. 

This guide will give you simple tips to make lesson planning easy and fast. We will also share how ChildCareEd can help you with trainings and resources designed just for busy #teachers like you.

Why is Lesson Planning Important?

A lesson plan is like a map. It shows you where you are going. Without a map, you might get lost. Without a lesson plan, the #classroom can feel chaotic.

• It stops boredom: When children are bored, they misbehave. A plan keeps them busy.
• It helps children learn: You can make sure children are learning new words, numbers, and social skills.
• It shows you are a professional: Parents love to see what their children are doing.

Tip 1: Keep It Simple

A lesson plan does not need to be a long document. It does not need to be perfect. It just needs to work for you. Do not try to plan every single minute of the day.

Start by picking one main activity for the morning and one main activity for the afternoon. 

• Morning: Maybe you read a story and do a #craft.
• Afternoon: Maybe you go outside and look for bugs.

The rest of the time can be " #free- #play." Free play is very important for children. They learn by playing with blocks, dolls, and #puzzles. You do not need to plan everything they do during #free-play.

Tip 2: Use a Theme

Using a "theme" is one of the best ways to plan quickly. A theme is a topic that connects all your activities. When you have a theme, you do not have to think of random ideas. All your ideas come from the theme.

Example Themes:

• Animals: Read #books-about bears, count toy bears, and roar like lions.
• Seasons: In fall, collect leaves. In winter, cut out paper snowflakes.
• Colors: Have a "Blue Day" where you paint with blue and eat blueberries.

When you use a theme, the children get excited. They dive deep into one topic and learn a lot of new words.

If you are struggling to come up with creative activities, ChildCareEd has a great course called "Lesson Planning for Preschoolers." This course teaches you how to build plans that are fun and educational without taking hours to write.

Tip 3: Plan for Different Ages

Many child care providers have mixed groups. You might have a baby, a #toddler, and a #preschooler all in the same room. This can make planning hard.

The trick is to do the same activity in different ways.

Example Activity: Painting

• For the Baby: Put paint inside a sealed plastic bag. Tape it to the floor. Let the baby squish the paint with their hands. It is safe and clean!
• For the Toddler: Give them big brushes and a big piece of paper. Let them explore mixing colors.
• For the Preschooler: Ask them to paint a picture of their family. Ask them to tell you about what they painted.

You do not need three different #lesson-plans. You just need one activity that can be changed a little bit. 

To learn more about how to handle different ages and behaviors during activities, you should check out the course "Classroom Setup for Child Care." This training helps you set up your room so that lesson planning becomes easier. 

Tip 4: Prepare Your Materials Early

Nothing ruins a lesson plan faster than missing supplies. Imagine you want to do a gluing project, but you cannot find the glue! The children will get restless while you look for it.

Try the "Sunday Basket" method (or do it on Friday afternoon).

1. Look at your plan for the week.
2. Gather all the books, crayons, paper, and toys you need.
3. Put them in a basket or a box.
4. Put the basket on a high shelf.

When it is time for the activity, you just grab the basket. You are ready to go in seconds. This lowers your stress level immediately.

Tip 5: Be Flexible

Sometimes, even the best plans do not work. Maybe the children are tired. Maybe they are super energetic and cannot sit still. Maybe it is raining and you cannot go outside.

That is okay!

A lesson plan is just a guide. If the children are loving the blocks and do not want to stop to paint, let them play with blocks! If they are cranky, maybe skip the complicated game and just read a story on the rug.

Being a good teacher means watching the children and doing what they need. This is called "Observation." By watching them, you learn what they like.

ChildCareEd offers a course called "The Best Promotion is Play" that will help you learn to identify different types of play and how they contribute to cognitive, physical, social, and emotional growth.

Tip 6: Use Resources and Templates

You do not have to create everything from scratch. There are many tools to help you. Using a template helps you fill in the blanks quickly.

ChildCareEd offers free resources for teachers. You can find forms and checklists that make your paperwork easier. Why spend time drawing a calendar when you can print one?

Resource Recommendation: Check out the free resources section on the website. You can find helpful documents to organize your day.

Tip 7: Repeat Activities

Children love repetition. Have you ever noticed a child asking for the same book ten times? They like doing things over and over again. This is how they learn confidence.

If you play a fun game on Monday, play it again on Wednesday! You do not need 5 new activities for 5 days. You can repeat the favorites. This saves you planning time and makes the children.

Conclusion

Daily lesson planning does not have to be scary or take a long time. By keeping it simple, using themes, and preparing your materials, you can create a fun learning environment without the stress.

Remember, the most important part of the lesson is you. Your interaction with the children is what matters most. The plan is just a tool to help you engage with them.

If you want to become a pro at planning, take a look at the courses below. They are designed to help you succeed. 

Further Reading

For more tips on how to manage your classroom and curriculum, read this helpful article on our site.

• Read Article: The Importance of Lesson Planning

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