Daycare Going Out of Business - Need Home School Ideas

Try to follow the day care's schedule at home. Have a craft time, readign time, worksbook time, if appropriate. My kids loved reading time and writing time, they all learned to read before kindergarten. Make sure there is free play and nap time.
Have a math time for manipulatives. These don't have ot be long maybe 15 minutes at most but repeated exposure to numbers and letters lets them absorb more.
Hoep you find a great day care soon but in the meantime I think sis will do great.

I don't know why you are worried about him not being in an academic environment. How about letting your sister take him to fun places, and have some good play time? He will be in an academic environment soon enough. Throughout history children have not been in an academic environment at the age of three. If you want something structured, look for a play based nursery school with short days so that he can learn the basic social skills. These are the most important.

Most children are put in preschool more for the social impact than for the educational one. You really don't need any special "tools", you proably already have everything in your home. You can use any type of plastic containers to teach concepts like in and out, or small and big.

I'm sure you have books that you can use for story time, or better yet make weekly trips to the library. The library should also have programs that will help him to interact with other children.

One of the things my kids get in preshcool was to cover the tables with a table cloth and dot with shaving cream. Draw letters, numbers and shapes in the shaving cream.

Create a small corner in your home for "educational" time. Write his name in big letters. One concept he should learn is how to recognize his name, and possibly write it.

There are tons of software available. I always liked the "Jump Start" series. Not that he should be spending lots of time on the computer, but 15 minutes a day, or 30 minutes every other day.

And don't forget about recess. Take him to the playground. This too can be a fun way to teach. Climb UP the lader, go DOWN the slide, crawl THROUGH the tunnel. He'll also have the opportunity to play with other children.

Join a playgoup.

I agree with Margie. Stick to a similar schedule that the daycare had. That'll make it easier on your sister, who knows the schedule, AND your son, who is into the rhythm of it already too.

Even if you don't have top-of-the-line toys and manipulatives, you can make your own. Get magnetic letters for alphabet time. Magnetic numbers too. Make your own math manipulatives out of milk lids and straws and blocks. Crafts can me made out of all sorts of things (old magazines, homemade playdough, old clothes, strips of paper for weaving, etc).

Go to the library to get some new books each week. Maybe get an educational DVD too from the library. Schedule a weekly 'field trip' to the library during pre-school story-time.

This could be a great time for your sister too. She's had the experience watching and assisting. NOW she'll get the hands-on experience DOING it too, something she can add to her resume when she tries to find a new job.

And the Internet has LOADS of kids websites that your son could play on too. pbskids.org for fun, starfall.com for alphabet/reading.

Good luck

He's 3. Seriously. Let the child be a child. They don't *need* daycare. They just need to be able to play. Read to him, let him do simple puzzles, play outside. Kids learn best by just playing and living. They don't need anything formal at 3. I don't understand how our society has fallen for the lies we are told about education. If we feel guilted into daycare, then they make money off of us. Kids don't need daycare/preschool. They need mommies to love them and nurture them.

Hello S., I am going to give my 2 cents worth of thought and will give you my experiance. I am the mother of 5, the grandmother of several and have run a Day Care outof my home. I am also a CNA.
I have at any one time 2-5 children the ages of 2-4y/o on a daily basis. I am very serious in my saying that it is all about the parent teaching the child at that age not what your day care teaches that the child will really learn from but from the parens themselves.
I really hope that you are going to pay your sister well for her services in your behalf as a Nanny and Home School Teacher not just as a babysitter since you are expecting this from her.
I have to say that 3 y/os are not ready to be tied to one set of things for a long amount of time. I have things set up in one area that is set up directly for the children both inside and out for learning. We have a daily color,shape,theme and word of the day. Everything is set up around this. I have even done lunch and snacks around the theme. It is all easy enough to do but must be best organized by you since it is your child, your home and enviroment. It needs to be flexible which is how 3 yos learn best. I start the day with one thing and build upon it as the day goes along. I also use the Veggie Tales eduational videos becasue they really are good and teach values as well.
I wish you , your child, and your sister the best.