MN Daycare Start

For Minnesota home daycare providers

Your whole month, planned.

A new activity every weekday for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, built around a weekly theme. Print one day, a whole week, or just the toddler pages.

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What a week looks like

Week 3 of September: Community Helpers. One activity per age, every day, each with materials, the activity, why it matters, and safety notes.

  1. Mon 14  · Meet Our Firefighters

    Infant Sounds of the Fire Truck

    Toddler Firefighter Rescue Hunt

    Preschool Fire Safety & Firefighter Dramatic Play

  2. Tue 15  · Doctors & Nurses

    Infant Gentle Check-Up Time

    Toddler Take Care of Teddy

    Preschool Doctor's Office & X-Ray Art

  3. Wed 16  · Mail Carriers

    Infant Mail Time Texture Basket

    Toddler Sort the Mail

    Preschool Write a Letter, Make an Envelope

  4. Thu 17  · Police & Safety Helpers

    Infant Watching for Police Cars

    Toddler Stop and Go Car Parade

    Preschool Traffic Signs & Street Safety

  5. Fri 18  · Thank You, Helpers!

    Infant Thank You, Helpers! Clapping Song

    Toddler Thank-You Handprint Card

    Preschool Our Community Helpers Book

1

Print only what you need

One activity, a whole week, or one age group's week. Pages are laid out for a home printer, in black and white.

2

Safety called out

Small parts, food and allergies, and anything that needs close supervision are named on every activity.

3

Materials you already have

Each week starts with a gather list, so there is no special trip to the craft store.

What's inside each month

  • Daily Activities: One for each age band, every weekday.
  • Weekly Themes: Like Apples & Fall Harvest or Community Helpers.
  • Safety Notes: Small parts, allergies, and supervision called out.
  • Planning Templates: Weekly lesson plan and daily activity log.
  • Compliance Tip of the Month: One Minnesota licensing rule, quoted, with a practical way to meet it.
  • Standards Mapping: Every activity tagged with the Minnesota early learning standards (ECIPs) it works on.

One simple plan

Every month arrives planned. Download it, print what you need, and spend your evenings on something else.

Monthly Curriculum

$9 / month

Daily plans mapped to Minnesota's early learning standards, plus a licensing tip every month.

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Free sample

A Compliance Tip of the Month

Each month, subscribers get one Minnesota family child care licensing requirement, quoted from the rule, with a practical way to meet it. Here's September's in full.

Read September's tip in full: Monthly Fire and Storm Drills

Compliance Tip of the Month: Monthly Fire and Storm Drills

Month: September 2026 Topic: Emergency preparedness for licensed family child care in Minnesota

What the rule says

Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.71, subdivision 3, paragraph (c) (this section was numbered 245A.51 until child care licensing moved to the Department of Children, Youth, and Families):

"The license holder must conduct drills according to the requirements in Minnesota Rules, part 9502.0435, subpart 8. The date and time of the drills must be documented."

Minnesota Rules, part 9502.0435, subpart 8, item F:

"The provider shall have a written fire escape plan and a log of monthly fire and storm drills on file in the residence."

The same statute also says your written emergency preparedness plan must be "updated at least annually" (subdivision 3, paragraph (a)), and that you "must train caregivers before the caregiver provides care and at least annually on the emergency preparedness plan and document completion of this training" (paragraph (b)).

A practical way to meet it

September is National Preparedness Month, and it's also when many programs have new children settling in. That makes it a good month to get your drill routine solid for the year.

  1. Put both drills on your calendar, every month. The rule asks for a fire drill and a storm drill each month. Pick two days now for the rest of the year, so they don't slip.
  2. Log the date and the time of day. The state's own log form (DHS-7748, "Storm and Fire Drill Log - Family Child Care") has a column for each. A drill that isn't written down is hard to show your licensor. Keep the log with your written plan, in the home.
  3. Tie the fire drill to what the children are learning. Community Helpers week opens on Monday, September 14 with a fire-themed activity for every age band (Sounds of the Fire Truck, Firefighter Rescue Hunt, and Fire Safety & Firefighter Dramatic Play). Run your fire drill that week, while the children are already talking about firefighters, and practice getting out and meeting at your outdoor spot.
  4. Practice how you'll move the littlest ones. Your plan has to include accommodations for infants and toddlers. Walk through how you'll actually carry or wheel each non-walker out, and time it.
  5. Check your storm spot while you're there. The rule also asks for a designated shelter area, an operable battery flashlight, and a portable radio or TV. Test the flashlight and radio batteries during the storm drill.
  6. Look at the date on your emergency plan. If it hasn't been updated in the last year, or you have a new helper or substitute who hasn't been trained on it, take care of both this month and write down the training date.

Check with your licensor. Your county licensor has the final word on how your drills, log, and plan should look. If anything here differs from what they've told you, follow them.

This is a practical reminder, not legal advice.

Sources (retrieved September 28, 2026)

Inspired by Minnesota Providers

This isn't a generic worksheet bundle from the internet. It was created with the help of years of home daycare experience and parent interactions, so every month fits how a home daycare really runs: activities use materials you already have, and each one is planned for its age band.

Every batch is reviewed before it's published, so you can spend your time with the kids.