33 Must-Have Daycare Supplies, Toys, & Essentials to Buy on Amazon
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I'll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.If you're a daycare or preschool owner or childcare center director, you know that it can be tough to keep your daycare stocked with all the furniture, equipment, supplies, and toys you need. That's why I've compiled this list of 33 of my favorite daycare must haves on Amazon!
These are all items that I have personally ordered on Amazon over the last two years for my childcare center absolutely recommend them for your childcare business.
Before we get started, if you're new here, my name is Dena, and I have been a center director for 21 years and love what I do, but it is WORK! My goal is to help other providers with their childcare programs and help relieve the stress that the daycare world brings.
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Let's be honest. Everyone loves Amazon's fast shipping, and their prices are great.
Amazon is a great choice if you're looking to stock up on some essential daycare toys, equipment, and supplies. Alright, so let's dive in!
Infant and Toddler Bibs
Invest in a good set of bibs to protect your little ones' clothes during mealtimes. Here are bibs I order on repeat that my teachers love.
2. Toy Storage and Organizer
I bought several of these to hold and organize toys and manipulatives in our classrooms. It includes 12 total bins that vary in size and color.
3. Bookcase/Book Organizer
This simple bookcase holds several books for your toddler and preschool classes. It’s not the absolute best quality available compared to a solid wood option, but it is a great alternative if you’re on a budget.
4. Electric Water Pump
This rechargeable water pump is a lifesaver for outside playtime. It allows our teachers to easily give water to the children whenever they ask for it or during water breaks. We use these small 3oz disposable cups for easy use and a 5-gallon water bottle.
5. Walkie Talkies
Our childcare center has “floaters” who move from class to class giving restroom breaks, helping teachers, and cleaning the center. We use walkie-talkies to easily locate and communicate with them, eliminating the need to call each room to track them down. This is a daycare must have for sure if you have floating staff.
6. Daycare Bottle Labels
Every infant bottle in daycares and childcare centers should be labeled with the child’s name and date. Although I require my parents to label the bottles at home before bringing them, they sometimes forget, so I like to have these labels on hand.
7. Clothing Labels
These labels are great for clothing! I always encourage my parent to label their child’s extra clothing with permanent markers, but I love these labels for jackets and coats. It makes identifying lost jackets a breeze, and the teachers love them.
8. Wall Mounting Putty
I love my walls clean and mark-free! With teachers constantly hanging decor and posting art projects, keeping the walls from being damaged has been nearly impossible. This is one of my favorite putties to use for hanging posters and decorations on the walls.
*Hint: I have a 1-year rule for my staff that looks like this… ”If what you’re hanging will not be there for one year on longer (the school year), don’t put it on the walls. Art projects and temporary decor can be posted on bulletin boards and project boards”.
9. Thermometer
I have tried many thermometers, and this one seems to be the most accurate and easy to use. It’s my favorite so far!
10. Stackable Daycare Cots
These daycare cots are a must if you have several toddlers. They stack easily in a corner and are very durable. We use fitted daycare cot sheets that are assigned individually to each child and washed weekly.
11. Sound Machine
Sound machines are great for your infant rooms. This is the one we use. We use the white noise setting.
12. Favorite Daycare Toys
Here are a few of my favorite toys that I bought and love for toddlers and preschoolers. For the record, you can’t really go wrong with anything made by Melissa and Doug. This brand makes quality, durable items that my teachers and children love!
13. Art, Dry-Erase & Chalk Easel
This art easel is great for children three years and up and includes a dry-erase board on one side and a chalkboard on the other side. It also has paper grips to hold paper for painting and two large plastic trays to hold art supplies.
14. Diaper Cream Spray
Most daycares and centers require parents to bring their own diaper cream to use for their child, but if you do happen to supply it or have backup diaper ointment, try Boogie Diaper Rash Spray. It’s the only diaper rash spray I have found, and it is SO EASY to use! It has great reviews, and we love it!
15. Art & Craft Supplies
Our childcare center has a supply closet full of arts and crafts supplies that teachers can pull from to use for their class projects. Because we purchase so many craft supplies on Amazon, it was hard only to list a few, but here are some favorites.
16. Puzzles
Puzzles are a must for every class. We ordered multiple puzzles to accommodate several children. Doug and Melissa have a great variety of knob puzzles.
17. Teething Tubes
These are great teething toys for infants and toddlers. They are flexible, easy to hold, and easy to clean.
18. Hour Glass Timers
These hourglass sand timers are great visual tools to help preschoolers grasp the concept of time and help them move through transitions better.
19. Table and Chair Sets
These are great daycare table and chairs for art & craft centers or small group play. We bought these tables for our 3 and 4-year-old classrooms. They are very durable and well-made.
20. Teacher’s Storage Cabinet
Our teachers love their storage space. We bought these steel cabinets with adjustable shelves & locking doors for our staff to store their teaching materials, personal items, and anything they want secured and inaccessible to children.
21. Dramatic Play Clothes
Playing dress-up is always a favorite activity of our kiddos, and Amazon has reasonable costumes that the children love. Here are a few of our favorites.
22. Play Clothes Closet Organizer
This dress-up costume organizer has a mirror on the side for the kiddos to look at themselves and drawers to store accessories. It does require assembly, but it’s not too complicated. Our K4 teachers love this closet for their dramatic play center.
23. Play Kitchen & Food
This is the only kitchen we have bought recently on Amazon. The children LOVE it! The stove makes sounds, and the oven lights up. It comes with a pot, frying pan, and a few veggies. The CUTEST part of this kitchen is that it has an icemaker that dispenses ice cubes. The children LOVE it!
I must mention that assembly is required, and it does require an hour or 2 of work, but it is worth it!
24. Rocking Chair Glider
Every infant room needs a rocking chair. Make sure you choose a glider to prevent squishing little fingers. This one is inexpensive and comfy! We don’t use the ottoman that comes with it, but the glider is a great deal even without it.
25. Prize Wheel
I use this prize wheel to treat my staff during Teacher Appreciation Week and throughout the year, but you could also use it in preschool class or during parent appreciation week for rewards and prizes.
It’s a dry-erase board, so you can write in the goodies you want to give away. To use the wheel, draw a name and spin the wheel, or have the winner spin the wheel.
Some prizes I have included in the past are a $25 visa card, $20 cash, a day off with pay, 4 PTO hours, five break room goodies, a $15 Starbucks gift card, etc. Everyone lights up when they see the prize wheel.
26. Shoe Covers
Our parents and staff must cover their shoes when entering our infant rooms. This helps keep the floor clean and protects our little ones.
We place these shoe covers in the “Please Cover or Remove Your shoes” container at the class entrance and place a small waste basket outside of the classroom door for easy disposal.
27. Musical Toys & Scarves
Our preschoolers love music time. This 22-piece instrument set is great for our K3 and K4 classes, and the toddlers love to dance around with the scarves.
28. Infant Bouncer
Bouncers are a must for every infant room. This bouncer or bouncy is one of the most reasonable ones I have found and is perfect for our center. We have at least 2 in each infant classroom.
29. Cleaning Spray Bottles
We use these spray bottles for our bleach and water solutions. Each class is assigned its own labeled spray bottle. The bottles are made fresh each morning by the opening teacher and then distributed throughout the center to each class.
30. ABC & Learning Area Circle Rug
Daycare rugs are a must have in your classrooms. We bought this bright and colorful rug for our K4 classes. It works great for circle time and doubles as a great learning tool.
31. Neosporin Spray
I love a good spray. This Neosporin spray is easy and convenient for all the boo-boos and ouchies that occur throughout the week.
32. Bulletin Board Paper
Amazon has a huge variety of bulletin board paper rolls. They offer many colors to coordinate with the different holidays and seasons. I order the 48” x 50’ rolls in various colors.
33. Riding Toys
The Radio Flyer Trike is a great outdoor riding toy. It’s one of the more durable riders we have bought compared to the cheaper plastic ones we have had in the past. It has an adjustable seat that easily adjusts for kids 2 - 5 years.
Other quick mentions:
Conclusion:
These are just a few of my favorites! Whether you're looking for some basic supplies or the latest toys, Amazon has it all. With its fast shipping and low prices, Amazon is the go-to spot for my childcare center.
What great items have you ordered on Amazon? Comment below. We’d love to hear from you!
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