Guides
Guides for equipping your facility
Materials lists, standards, care and room set-up: practical answers for daycares, nurseries and schools.
Which play materials do you need to open a daycare? The list by age group
To open a daycare, plan a basic set per age group and not a large assortment: objects to grasp and a movement area for babies, inset boards, stacking games and a ride-on for toddlers, a pretend play corner, puzzles and construction sets for older children.
Read the guideWhich standards apply to toys in a daycare in Switzerland?
In Switzerland, toys come under the Ordinance on Toy Safety (SR 817.044.1), which is aligned with the EU directive. A toy that complies with the EN 71 standards is presumed to meet its requirements. For a daycare, ask the supplier for the age range of each item and the conformity documents.
Read the guideHow do you clean and disinfect wooden toys in a daycare?
A wooden toy is cleaned with a damp cloth and a little mild soap, then left to air dry. It should not be soaked or put in the dishwasher or steriliser: the wood swells and cracks, and the paint flakes. Disinfection follows the facility’s hygiene plan, with a product suited to wood.
Read the guideWooden or plastic toys for a daycare?
Both have their place. Wood suits hands-on materials, pretend play and construction: it is stable, pleasant to hold and ages well. Plastic remains more practical for water and sand play and for objects that must be washed in water very often.
Read the guideHow do you set up a pretend play corner in a daycare?
A pretend play corner rests on four choices: a defined area, child-height furniture, few objects but several of each, and a theme that changes through the year. Start with the kitchen, because every child knows it, then add the doctor, the shop or the workshop.
Read the guideMontessori materials in a daycare: where do you start?
Start with five or six materials, not a whole room: an object permanence box and a knobbed inset for the youngest, then sorting with a spoon or tongs, a threading game and a first sensory material. How the object is presented matters as much as the object.
Read the guideWhich materials does a playgroup need?
A playgroup takes a small group for a few half-days a week, often in a shared room. The materials therefore have to cover six areas with few pieces and pack away quickly: pretend play, puzzles, fine motor skills, movement, creative work and music.
Read the guideWhich games for after-school care, ages 4 to 12?
In after-school care, children are aged 4 to 12, arrive tired from school and stay a short time. Choose games that can be explained in a minute, work across ages and survive being interrupted: classic board games, skill games, construction and a few quiet activities.
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