Mention the topic of using themes or crafts to a group of family daycare providers and what do you get? An immediate and varied reaction. There are those that believe themes and crafts are essential and get excited about sharing ideas and projects. Then there are those that think it’s a good idea, but don’t think they have the skills, inclination, or supplies to do it. Others believe they are too busy and couldn’t possibly fit in planning for a theme or craft on top of everything else they do in daycare.

Using themes or doing a craft doesn’t have to be a lot of extra work, and you’re probably applying a theme whether you realize it or not! Do you take walks with the kids and point out special birds, plants, or trees? Do you discuss traffic safety when crossing the street? Do you remind the kids to share the playground equipment at the park? Then you are instituting a theme with explanations and activity to go along with it - without even trying.

Most daycare providers provide opportunities for coloring or painting. If you’ve just gotten home from a walk where you’ve discussed traffic safety, why not have the kids color or paint a traffic light or a stop sign? It’s easy to reinforce the ideas you’ve talked about. Or dig some paper plates out of the cupboard and have them color one each of red, yellow and green. Punch holes in them and hang them together with a bit of string. Instant traffic light. Take it one step further and point out that the yellow in the traffic light matches the color of the banana served at lunchtime. Traffic and colors all in one day, with little effort on your part.

Crafts don’t have to be elaborate or use lots of special materials. Most often the kids’ skills aren’t that developed yet. They can be just as happy with simpler things. How many of us have seen a cute craft in a magazine or book but ended up doing most of it ourselves because it was too complicated for the kids? Also, don’t have the expectation that the children’s masterpieces will look anything like the picture. More often than not they resemble the project, but aren’t near as cute or “professional” looking as the picture. It’s the process that counts – not the finished product.

Granted, there are some providers that sit down once a week and plan a theme with a craft, activity, story, or meal to go along with it each day. Kudos to these people for being so organized. Or take this theory and simplify it to fit your daycare. Plan a theme, but each day do something different that relates to that theme. One day read an appropriate story, the next day do a craft, etc. This way it doesn’t take as much time and the kids look forward to something different each day.

For those of you who think it is still too hard to come up with ideas or don’t have time shop for materials, there are several places to turn for help. Programs that supply you with the themes PLUS all the supplies for a fee each month are: Mother Goose, High Reach, Carol’s Affordable Curriculum, and Fun Learning, just to name a few.

Others that provide ideas but not the materials are Everyday TLC (which includes a parent’s newsletter) and has a website www.everydaydaytlc.com , a booklet entitled Ready, Set, Grow (available from Redleaf Press), and Scholastic www.scholastic.com , which in addition to books, has sets of themes such as activity booklets and maps for learning about each state, or their Top Secret package which explores different countries by solving puzzles and doing activities.

The internet has a wealth of sites with printable coloring sheets, ideas, and crafts, such as Activity Village, www.ActivityVillage.co.uk , Making Friends www.makingfriends.com , plus any number of regular crafting stores which have children’s sections such as Hobby Lobby – www.hobbylobby.com , and Michael’s Crafts www.michaels.com . Even Martha Stewart helps out with a children’s section on her website www.marthastewart.com . The list is endless.

Of course, don’t forget your local free source of information at the library. Our library has oodles of craft books and reprintable patterns, plus they have flannelboard stories, book tapes for kids, puzzles, toys, etc. available for checking out. Sometimes they don’t publicize what’s available; so make it a point to ask what materials they have for teachers and they are usually glad to show you.

If you’re still skeptical that doing crafts or incorporating a theme will work for you – then don’t start with planning. Start by talking. Lunchtime is a good time to discuss nutrition, colors, shapes, textures, cultures, how things grow, etc. Next is outdoor time? Point out the flowers or plants growing in your garden or around your house. Reinforce an idea brought up at lunch. Time to color? Choose a color you’ve talked about. Before you know it, you will be coming up with dozens of ideas that take little time. As it gets easier, you might be surprised to find that you start looking for ideas or projects and are ready to take it one step further.

Doing a theme or craft gives kids something to focus on. They will be learning in a fun way, the parents will be happy, and you might be surprised what YOU learn along the way. Why not give it a try?