Make-It Topic: Spring Cleaning

Imaginative:

• Place out mini brooms, dust pans, spray bottles, mops, little gloves, and buckets for cleanup fun 
• Place out different clothes for folding and baskets

Language:

• Read the book “ How do dinosaurs clean their room” 
• Read “Maisy cleans up"
•  Read “Curious George cleans up” 
• Sing 5 little mops dusting all around 
• Make a flannel board story about cleaning 
• Make a flannel board using Whmis symbols explain why they are dangerous

Art

• Paint with soap: draw a picture with soap first and paint over it 
• Use shaving cream, glue, and food coloring to paint with 
• Paint with sponges 
• Paint outside using spray bottles 
• Place out large pieces of paper, step in mud and walk across, clean the feet in water at the end 
• Make a collage of cleaning materials 
• Place out a large sheet of paper and a paint tray of water color, give the children brooms to paint with

Water/Sand

• Place soap and sponges in the water table 
• Make clean mud in the water table (toilet tissue and ivory soap mixed with water) 
• Place out small brooms and dust pans in the sand table 
• Place out spray bottles in the water table

Gross Motor

• Place a small vacuum on the floor for the children to vacuum 
• Place out a large bucket of soapy water and sponges have the children wash the toys outside 
• Place out shapes on the floor with brooms, have the children sweep to the shape 
• Have a bean bag toss into a laundry basket 
• Place sponges on the children’s feet, have faces on the floor

Science/Curiosity

• Bubbles 
• Bottles with oil water and glitter 
• Make soap
  Large bowl, 3 cups ivory snow 1 to 11/2 cups water, vegetable oil, essential oils.
  Mix soap flakes with water until feels like play dough, add oil, form into, dry overnight

 Blocks

• Place out small boxes from soap to build with 
• Use sponges of different sizes and shapes to build with

Conceptual/Table top/Fine motor

• Sequence game with different size sponges 
• Cut up pool noodles, place out with kitchen tongs for picking up 
• Lace brooms 
• Use dusters to make a matching game 
• Memory game of cleaning materials 
• Match the hazard signs 
• Make a sorting bin of smaller type toys 
• Make a sequence story of how dinosaurs clean their room 
• Match the cleaning gloves 
• Lace gloves

Music:

• Clean up, clean up, everybody, everywhere clean up, clean up, everybody do your share 
• Make music shakers out of spray bottles 
• Use corn brooms to make music 
• Clean to the drum beat

Quiet

• Make pom-poms using them for cuddle dust bunnies

Field trip

• Go to the store, see the types of cleaning supplies they have 
• Everyone can put on gloves with a brown paper bag, go around the block collecting litter to clean the neighbor hood

 Extensions from the activities

• Sorting toys from the play room 
• Make a cleaning routine for the day home

Year 30 of Supporting Families and Providers!

We would like to share some of the wonderful feedback from parents and providers sent in on our 2013 yearly surveys:

What Day Home Providers have to say about Hemel House!

"When I have required help someone has come quickly and helped. I never feel that support is not out there and I would call if I needed anything. Office staff friendly and has good interpersonal skills."

"I always feel supported. Office staff have been great in helping find back up care, care searches, and on information regarding professional development."

 "I have been able to talk directly to one of you via phone or email whenever I've had a question or concern. The on call Child Care Consultant can also be reached at the drop of a hat whenever I need a sick day."

"Seriously, can we clone you ladies"

What parents have to say about Hemel House and their Providers!

"My child loves being at the day home. She works with my child and knows how to turn any negative happening into positive experiences. She works with the children at there individual levels of learning and understands that each kid is an individual. She keeps the kids active and allows them choices that allow them to feel more independent. She also encourages interaction between all the kids no matter what ages they are so everyone is included."

"My provider only ever takes time off to take care of herself when needed. I appreciate that she takes time when she needs it, yet makes sure that substitute care is provided for my child with no added stress for myself or my child. I am grateful to the Hemel House being supportive of their providers taking time off when required."

"Hemel House offers evening appointments and they use email to communicate, which is helpful."

"My provider loves his provider and she is so nurturing. She treats him as if he is her own and adapts her programs to his needs."

"When my provider is sick I appreciate the early calls and organization to find another place for my son to go to. That is a main reason I went with a licensed dayhome."

"I like when I see my provider being visited by office staff I REALLY appreciate back up coverage!"

"When we see the things our child is learning in her care we are truly amazed. She is learning more from her provider than she would learn in preschool."

"I am always made aware of things that happen at dayhome when he is there. She lets me know of any concerns she has and makes a point of telling me milestones he has reached. She cares for my child there is no doubt to that, you can tell it is more than just a job to her. He loves his provider and even gets upset when he cannot go to her house on weekends."

"Daily we are informed of what activities he has done, what he did feel, what some of his struggles might have been. She also tells us what he ate, how much and also how much he drank."

 "I always get quick responses to my emails from office staff."

"During our care search, it took us a while to find the right match, we were never pressured and always felt that Hemel was working hard to support us in finding the right care provider. Being first time parents it was nice to know that we had support and answers to questions."

"I feel the staff are very friendly and approachable. I have just started with Hemel House, but I have no problem with ever approaching them with comments or questions."