Naptime at daycare can become a chaotic affair if you’re not careful. When managing children aged two and up, you will face different temperaments, habits, and tantrums.
As a daycare provider, you must know how to stay calm and collected in these situations. Otherwise, you may wind up with many cranky children under your care.
If you’re looking for naptime tips for toddlers, we can help.
Before diving into a routine, let’s answer the main question…
The Basics: Why Is Nap Time Important?
Toddlers should sleep 12–14 hours daily, including naptime at daycare. According to John Hopkins All Children's Hospital, naps support healthy sleep patterns in young children. Due to this, daycare routines include time for napping when the enrolled children are young.
A study revealed that midday naps support learning in toddlers and preschoolers.
The benefits are as follows:
● It promotes mental development in early childhood
● Adequate sleep regulates a child’s mood
● Boosts memory development and retention
● It helps physical growth and development
That’s why most daycare facilities designate a special sleeping area for younger children enrolled in their center. It can include cots, sleeping mats, and relevant posters or signage to create the right environment for your children.
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The Plan: The Best Nap Time Tips for Toddlers at Your Daycare
Nap time at daycare requires a steady routine, a safe environment, and the right pace.
Here are some tips and tricks that can help you:
1. Plan a Mentally Stimulating and Physically Exhausting Day
Balance mentally stimulating activities and some physical play to tire the tiny tots. It can include learning activities, coloring, and arts and crafts. You should also ensure they move around indoors and outdoors so that they aren’t fully charged up during naptime at daycare.
Pretend play, stage performances, indoor obstacle courses, dance challenges, and a lap around the playground are ways to get kids moving.
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2. Schedule a Soothing Activity for Winding Down
The Verywell Family says consistency can be the key to napping during the day. Like at home, toddlers need rituals that cue their sleep mode at your facility. You may sing lullabies, do some yoga, or read them a storybook right before scheduled naptime.
Ensure midday naps are scheduled at the same time each day. A set routine helps build healthy habits and regulates your children’s sleep cycles.
3. Ensure You Have a Safe and Quiet Place for Naptime
Dimmed lights, white noise, comfy floor mats, or sleeping bags are some essentials for the nap area at your center. Among the best nap time tips for toddlers, many daycare providers recommend asking parents to send a cuddle buddy with the kids. It can be a teddy, blanket, or plushie the child sleeps with at night.
Familiarity helps promote a sense of security and safety in a new space. If you have the budget, you can splurge on these parent-approved sleep products for this area.
Pro Tip: Ask parents to fill out this “Know Your Child” form to learn each toddler’s likes and dislikes. That way, you can ensure your nap area has everything they need to settle down for their midday nap.
Bonus: What Should You Do with Defiant Non-Nappers?
Admittedly, resisting sleep isn’t uncommon in children this age. You may have some toddlers that have trouble drifting off to sleep during naptime. Being strict or forceful can cause them to throw a tantrum. Instead of coercing them to sleep, you can allow them to play quietly on their mat.
You may even designate a play area for these children. Allow them to color or play quietly while the others rest in the sleeping zone.
Pro Tip: Need toy ideas? Here is a list of age-appropriate toy suggestions to promote learning and motor skills.
Is Your Daycare Ready for Naptime?
Naptime at daycare has the potential to become more stressful rather than relaxing. A good routine and encouragement from you can help toddlers drift off to sleep without a fight. Toys and cuddles can ensure that they feel safe and loved in a new space.
If you’re ever in doubt, we can help you with our tips and invaluable information.
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