Tips to Make Your Boston Daycare a Healthy Environment

Creating a healthy environment for your Boston daycare is vital to children’s happiness, health and education. In addition to offering a cleaner, greener care center, surrounding children with healthy and environmentally safe options can be a great learning experience, teaching them about a healthy lifestyle while they’re still learning and growing. Instilling healthy values early on makes it more likely that kids will maintain that way of living as they get older. Here are a few tips to help make your Boston daycare a super healthy place to learn:

Take off shoes before entering the playroom

Did you know that we track 85% of the dirt in our homes and offices in from outside? The dirt outside is filled with germs, bugs and potential allergy inducers like dust mites or pollen. It’s important to eliminate these whenever possible, especially in a place with little kids, where every other item finds its way into a little mouth. Requiring shoes come off in the playroom could save toys and kids contamination with mites and mud.

Buy healthy snacks in bulk for your Boston daycare

Even though it’s important to eat healthy, it can be tough to afford more expensive, organic foods. Since you probably have quite a few mouths to feed in your daycare anyways, consider buying in bulk. This way, you can more easily afford to offer your children more organic food options. Buying organic helps avoid nasty growth hormones added to our fruits, veggies and even meat.

Clean with nontoxic products

Cleaning up with nontoxic products is a great way to keep your Boston daycare safe and hygienic. Consider using white distilled vinegar to clean wooden surfaces, lemon juice as a polisher, baking soda and washing soda for bathroom and kitchen cleaning and borax to bust mold.

Choose play mats carefully

Play mats are essential to playtime with little ones who love to crawl. That’s why it’s so important to make sure that the mats you’re using are totally safe. Look for foam mats that are made from natural materials, like natural latex. Natural rubber yoga mats are a good alternative for a quick, safe play mat option.

Keep active

One of the keys to a healthy lifestyle is physical activity. Make sure children at your Boston daycare get plenty of it. Play outside whenever weather allows, and make sure you have engaging, indoor activities that still get heart rates up, as outdoor alternatives. Teaching children about the importance of staying active now can inspire them to make healthier choices throughout their lives.

Sources:
-Healthy Child
-Eco-Healthy Child Care
-“Alternative Childcare Opens Door to More Choices” Examiner
-Boston Public Health Commission: Boston Healthy Childcare Initiative