What Do you Need for the First Day of Daycare?

The first day of daycare is an important family event, and being prepared with the supplies you need to deliver to the daycare centre will help you and the daycare representatives provide the best care for your child.

Providing Quality Childcare Since 2012 • Infants, Toddlers & Preschool • Daycare Centre

Whether you are taking your only child to daycare for the first time or have already done this with your older children, the first day of daycare always needs proper planning and execution. Being organised ensures that you and your child feel as comfortable as possible during this experience, and this article will tell you what you need to prepare and do for the first day of daycare.

Ask the daycare centre what you need to bring with you

Many centres provide the supplies children need for their activities during the day. Things like pencils, watercolours, white and coloured paper, crayons, glue, markers, and modelling clay are waiting for children at the centres, so you will not need to worry about them.

However, personal essentials are required, and daycare centres usually provide a list of these items.

Label all the items you send to the centre

The daycare centres deal with tens of children, and labelling all the items you send will prevent your child’s belongings from getting mixed up or confused with those of other children. You can use a permanent marker to write your child’s name on diaper boxes or plastic bags, masking tape for bottles and iron-on clothing labels for clothes, bed sheets and blankets.

Prepare a daily bag and a weekly one

For a smooth first day of daycare, prepare a bag holding the child’s essentials for everyday use and one you can refill weekly or as needed.

You will bring the daily bag each morning to the daycare and take it home with you every evening or afternoon, taking the weekly bag home from the centre each Friday.

This system will help you provide the child with everything required at the centre.

Nappies

If your child uses nappies, put a large container in the weekly bag. Count eight to ten nappies for each day at the centre and check after the first week if they were enough or if you need to add more. Put a few nappies in the daily bag in case the weekly stock runs out and you cannot refill it from one day to the next. If you use cloth nappies, make sure to include in the weekly bag a re-sealable plastic bag for storing the dirty nappies, as the sooner you wash them, the better they will clean.

Wipes

Put in the weekly bag a container with wipes that work well for your baby and check if they are enough. The daily bag should contain a smaller package of wipes in case the weekly stock runs out.

For diapers and wipes, you can build the habit of checking every evening if you need to add more to the bag for the next day. Or you can check by phone with the centre’s representatives how many of these consumables have been used per day and write that number down so you can adjust the number of diapers and wipes in the weekly bag.

Cream that prevents or treats nappy rash

Babies are different, and so are their skin and reaction to diaper rash. That is why it’s imperative to include in the luggage for the first day of daycare whatever cream or ointment you know it’s effective in preventing or treating a potential diaper rash.

Bedding sheets and blankets

If your child’s daycare asks to provide bedding sheets and blankets, pack a set in the bag you take to the centre on the first day and include an extra set in the weekly bag. The set in the weekly bag can stay at the daycare centre and contain a blanket to keep your child warm. Make sure that all bedding sets fit the size of the mattress at the centre. If your child is an infant going for the first time at the daycare and you are worried he might have trouble sleeping, you can pack bedding sheets, blankets and sleeping sack imprinted with your scent. Smelling your scent will soothe the baby and help him sleep better.

Extra clothing

Since you know your baby best, you know how many outfits he uses every day, and that is what you should pack for the first day of daycare.

The weekly bag should contain at least two extra sets of clothing (including socks and hats) that caregivers will use in case accidents happen. In the daily bag, you should also put re-sealable plastic bags for the dirty clothes you will take home at the end of the day. Keep in mind that your child will do a lot of exploration and playing in the most fun ways, and that can have an impact on the clothes, so be sure not to use for daycare clothes that you cannot replace once they get stained by coloured pencils, crayons, watercolours or food.

Pacifiers

If your baby still uses pacifiers, you must include them in the luggage for the first day of daycare. They can smooth the child’s transition from the family environment to the daycare setting. Extra pacifiers should also be packed in the weekly bag in case any of them gets misplaced. The pacifiers should be labelled with your child’s name, especially if your little one is crawling or walking.

Bibs

Bibs are heavily-used items, especially if the baby is teething or happens to burp after every feeding. Your first day of daycare luggage should include small and large bibs to cover all situations that may occur and a plastic bag that the caregivers can use for storing the dirty bibs. Your weekly bag should include some extra bibs in case they are needed.

A favourite stuffed toy

The first day of daycare will surely be exciting for your child, especially if he is a baby, and a cuddly stuffed toy can help him navigate easier this experience more. Check with the daycare if they allow toys from home before putting them in the daily luggage.

Bottles, breast milk and formula

If your child is still on formula or breast milk, check with the daycare representatives how this food should be packed and sent to them. Some daycare centres have cooling storing units to preserve breast milk in proper conditions until used. Others require the pre-measured formula and bottles and prepare it on the spot.

If your baby is already on solid food, the daycare will most likely provide you with a guideline regarding how the children are fed, what their meals are and if there are any other items you must bring to the centre (such as bowls or cups).

Clarifying all these topics will ensure you are well informed about the child’s feeding at the daycare centre.

The first day of daycare is an important family event, and organising the supplies you need to deliver to the daycare centre will help you and the daycare representatives provide the best care for your child, which is ultimately the most important thing.

We've put together some helpful articles about childcare and daycare in New Zealand

Meet the Team: An Interview with Lu Li, Toddler Room Team Leader

Meet Lu Li, the passionate Toddler Room Team Leader at Bright Beginnings Mount Roskill. In this Q&A interview, she shares her teaching philosophy, favourite activities, and what makes the toddler room a joyful, nurturing space for every child

Helping Your Toddler Adjust to a New Sibling

Toddler adjusting to a new sibling? Get practical, research-backed tips on preparing your older child for the new baby and managing jealousy with love.

Meet the Team: A chat with Sudha Sharma, Mount Roskill

Get to know the amazing "kaiako" who make Bright Beginnings feel like a home away from home. In this story, we chat with Sudha Sharma from our Mount Roskill centre about her love for teaching and guiding tamariki

Natural Materials in Early Childhood Education at BBELC

Using natural materials in ECE nurtures imagination, joy, and resilience | Discover how nature helps tamariki grow through play, discovery, and connection

20 Hours ECE NZ: How the Childcare Subsidy Works for Parents in Auckland

How the 20 Hours ECE NZ and the WINZ Childcare Subsidy can help your family get the full support available | Bright Beginnings Early Learning Centres in Howick, Mount Roskill, and Panmure

Quick, healthy meals that kiwi kids will actually eat

Discover quick healthy meals that kiwi kids will actually eat with joy every day even the fussiest eaters will ask for seconds

Our Early Learning Centres

Our early childhood centre environments strongly reflects our inspiration – The Reggio Emilia philosophy, from Reggio Emilia, Italy.

We provide a creative and open ended environment that encourages infinite learning for the children and strong relationships between teachers, children and families.

The day’s routines are flexible. At the same time, care is taken to recognise and respect each child’s needs.

Why Choose a Bright Beginnings Early Learning Centre?

Encouraging the use of natural materials
A strong transition into school
Teaching team inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach supports your child’s creative potential.
Healthy, tasty hot meals cooked fresh on site
20 ECE hours available/free sessions for 3 year olds
A boutique, homely feel to our centres
Strong connections between teachers and whanau.

Here's what our parents say about our childcare centres

We are so happy that our son is a part of the Bright Beginnings family. The staff have been so welcoming and caring since the day he joined here. He has the freedom to explore and experiment as he learns about the world around him. With each passing day, he is growing into a confident and independent young boy, while building friendships and learning important life skills. We are also especially happy that he gets nutritious meals everyday, an important concern for us as parents. Most importantly, he loves it so much here that he can't wait to be back at the Centre every morning! As parents, we can go about our day with the assurance that our son is in good hands within a safe environment. Thank you to the entire BBELC team for that, Devika.

Bright Beginnings has and is a second home to both my son and now my daughter. Amber loves coming to the centre everyday and to see the relationship she has with the teachers is very special. We love everything Bright Beginnings embodies and are thankful to have found this centre. - Best price - Best service. From Jade Tavita

I was absolutely blown away by the presentation and the effort that went into the parent teacher interviews. I have not seen anything like it before and it made me feel very comfortable and welcome as a parent. From Darren Masters

Super duper loving, caring teachers. Awesome environment where our boy can flourish everyday. Thank you, Brad and Joanna.

Dillon absolutely loves his new big boy class. He even asks us if he can go on a Saturday and Sunday. Thanks all for making going to school so easy for us. Thanks, Anika.

I love and enjoy watching April develop and grow, I am so happy and grateful that she is in an amazing environment filled with people who care and look out for each other. Beautiful Daycare. Thank you all.- Best price from Zara. - Best service

Cherry: Our family is very grateful that we found BBELC. So far it is the best daycare we have seen. We are glad to enrol our kids here. Having peace of mind that our kids are safe, well fed, looked after and enjoy activities with the teachers and other kids is PRICELESS!!! THANK YOU for helping my kids explore new things. You are all amazing. Like what I always say to the teacher, I don't know how you all do it but the teachers here at BBELC are SUPERHEROES! As parents we feel your passion, dedication and love.

Come and visit one of our childcare centres and see for yourself why your child will love it

Talk to the Centre Manager, meet the team, see the natural outdoor play areas and educational rooms, learn about how we develop our programs and find out more about our unique approach to partnering with our families.

Our latest parent reviews from Google

What are the Different Types of Early Childhood Centres?

Selecting the right Early Childhood Centre for your child is very important. As they will spend a lot of their time in these learning spaces, feeling comfortable here is paramount. Read our article to ensure you choose the right one for you and your child.

What are the Core Values of the Reggio Emilia Approach?

The Reggio Emilia Approach sees children as valuable members of communities where they are encouraged to explore, wonder, question and learn to understand the world around them and reach their full potential in the first five years of life.