Starting a play group or micro-playschool from home can be an extremely rewarding experience. As a small business owner, you have the benefit of better work-life balance along with the gratification that comes with teaching and shaping little minds.  In this blog, we share our essential checklist of everything you need to consider to run a successful play school from home.  

The right space  

Working from home is a great way to generate income from one of your biggest assets. You will need a space that is at least 3m X 4m, and it could be inside the home (lounge, dining or sunroom) or outside the living space in a cottage or converted garage. Remember that the space itself doesn’t need to be very fancy or even entirely dedicated to your play group – just make sure it’s big and easy enough to move furniture out of the way if that is what you plan on doing every day.  

If you don’t have adequate space in your own home, consider running your playschool from the home of one of the parents who attend your group. It’s a great way to keep overheads low and creates a warm, nurturing environment where little ones can safely play and learn.  

Safety first  

Keeping everyone safe is of utmost importance and gives you peace of mind so that you can be in the moment with the children in your care. Consider practical safety measures for the physical space such as controlled access, pool covers and fencing, animals in the home, stairs, and food allergies.  

But safety is a broad heading that encompasses insurance and legal cover, as well as meeting criteria and protocols set out by government. These can be complicated to navigate so it is a good idea to enlist the help of an experienced individual or a business such as Play Sense who take care of insurance, legal and government compliance for you.  

The great outdoors  

Play schools need room to play! And children inherently love nature and the outdoors. You will need an outside space that is safe, secure, and spacious. It doesn’t have to be a huge garden but enough to comfortably accommodate up to 6 little ones and play equipment such as a jungle gym.  

Play gyms are a great addition to any play group – not only do they ignite the imagination in children, it’s also a great way to encourage the development of essential gross motor skills, spatial awareness and movement in children. Be sure to include a play gym in your garden space for little ones to explore and enjoy.  

Must-have equipment  

Speaking of play gyms, every play group needs toys for little ones to play with and various supplies for activities. Make a list of essential equipment, think about things like books, blocks, musical instruments, quality toys, supplies for sensory play and art activities and more. Think about the program and what you will be teaching every day – what are the different types of play and themes you will need to plan for? Children love to dress up – how can you incorporate imaginary play into your program and what do you need for a dress up box?  

At Play Sense, we provide all the equipment (complete with jungle gym!) you need to create a rich, stimulating environment for little ones to play and learn. The equipment is carefully selected to compliment the play-based curriculum, so you have everything you need, including lesson plans, to prep for the day/week without any fuss. It’s another way that having an experienced partner in your business can help you open your play group doors quicker, and without onerous planning, purchasing and/or waste.  

Marketing  

Happy children coming to play group every day is an important mark of a successful play group. Do you have a plan in place to reach moms and dads of little ones and invite them to join your group? Have you thought about branding, advertising, networking, and everything else that comes with running a profitable business?  

As a Play Sense teacher, you have full marketing and business admin support from an experienced team who wants to help you succeed. Not only do we provide training, equipment, and operational support, we market your business so you can fill your group and get on with doing more of what you love – teaching!  

At Play Sense we believe that we are offering the best of both worlds to qualified ECD teachers and professionals who want to start their own play schools. We provide the structure and 360° support that you need for your business to thrive so that you can reap the rewards of better earnings, better work-life balance, and more gratification as an exceptional teacher. Whether you want to start a play group or have an existing play group, our proven franchise model fast tracks your success as a business owner. Over 50 teachers and ECD professionals have started their own micro-playschools with Play Sense without looking back. 

For more information, watch our recent webinar about how Play Sense is re-imagining Early Childhood Development and Education.