What makes a good daycare blanket (and how to stop it going missing)
Our daughter went to daycare when she was little, and like most parents we packed that first bag like we were sending her to Antarctica. Spare clothes, spare spare clothes, hat, drink bottle, comforter, blanket.
Her centre ended up ordering a set of our blankets for the kids, so we've seen a fair few of them go through a daycare room. Here's what we've learnt.
Check what your centre wants first
Every centre does rest time a bit differently. Some supply sheets and just want a blanket or comforter from home. Some ask for a sleeping bag for the little ones. Some have rules about size, or about what's allowed in cots for babies under 12 months. Ask before you buy anything, because the answer for the babies' room is often different to the toddlers' room.
Size: bigger than you think, smaller than a bed
You want something big enough to cover a toddler on a rest mat, but not so big it drags on the floor or doesn't fit in their bag. Our blankets are 100 × 75 cm, which covers most toddlers on a daycare stretcher and still rolls up into a backpack. A cot-sized throw is usually overkill.
Fabric: soft, and not too warm
Daycare rooms can be pretty warm, especially in winter, and Queensland centres in summer are a whole other thing. A heavy doona-style blanket can be too much. A soft, lighter blanket like minky or cotton gives them something to snuggle without cooking them. If your kid kicks everything off in their sleep anyway (most do), it's more of a comfort thing than a warmth thing.
It has to survive the wash
Daycare blankets come home grubby. Food, paint, the occasional nappy situation. They get washed a lot, so whatever you buy needs to handle that. Minky washes well on a cold, gentle cycle, and dries quickly on the line. There's more detail in our washing guide.
Label it properly (properly)
This is the big one. A lot of things go missing at daycare simply because three kids have the same grey blanket from the same big-box store, and a little iron-on label on the corner washes off or gets missed.
The fix is to make it impossible to mix up. A blanket with the name printed all over it is about as clear as it gets. Educators can see whose it is from across the room, and so can your kid, which matters more than you'd think when they're two and a bit unsettled in a new place.
The comfort factor
The first few weeks of daycare are hard. For them and for you. Having something familiar from home that smells like home and has their name on it can really help with settling. Pick something they already know, or give it to them a couple of weeks before they start so it's "theirs" by day one.
Ours
We make personalised daycare name blankets with the child's name repeated across the front and in big letters on the back. Two different designs, one on each side. They're printed and sewn to order in Australia, so allow 3 to 4 weeks.
If you're a centre looking to order for a whole room, get in touch. We've done it before and we're happy to help.
