Let's Talk … Child Care

You hear it said frequently at this time of year “Out with the old and in with the new,” but what if you could turn that old into something fabulously new? That is just what one home child care provider did in Dubuque. Due to the new safety regulations related to crib standards, child care providers had to replace most of their cribs with new ones that meet the current safety standard. She shared with me that she just couldn’t bare to see the still in good condition crib go to the landfill so she got creative.

She turned her old crib into a cozy area for one or two children to read or play quietly. I could not be more in love with this idea! She cut off the legs, removed the slats to make an entrance and shortened the length of the crib and crib mattress. She used lovely sheer fabric to give the privacy effect while still being able to supervise the activities within the cozy area, added a few pillows for softness – and VOILA a new piece that added to the quality of her program. The top bar with the fabric lifts off when children are interested in using the space for dramatic play – think zoo! And BONUS, she did something great for the environment by thinking about how to turn something old into something “new” rather than cluttering the landfill.  Triple win!

I know we have some creative readers out there! What have you transformed into something “new” for the children in your care? To respond to this post, visit http://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/childcare/old-turned-into-new/

Malisa

Environment