Setting up the best circle time daycare space to engage little learners.

Today’s blog post is all about setting up a circle time daycare space. Are you a childcare provider who feels overwhelmed when it comes to circle time? Do you feel like this time is wasted because the children are not even engaged or listening?

Today I’m sharing my circle time daycare setup that has worked successfully in my home daycare for over fifteen years. Circle time is my favorite time of day for engaged learning, let’s make it yours also!

Circle Time Seating Ideas

Having a seating plan during circle time will help curb behavior and help your little ones to focus. I use a variety of different circle time seating ideas for each age group that I care for.

Infant Seating Ideas

My favorite circle time seating for an infant is a highchair. I love the ANTILOP high chairs from IKEA because they stack and can be placed in a corner or closet when not in use. They are also very lightweight so you can lift and move them around your classroom very easily. I have linked some other options below that would also work well.

My second favorite is a Fisher Price Sit Me Up Floor Seat. These are great to use if your other little learners sit on the floor during circle time. A con to these is infants grow out of them quickly and you will need something else.

Toddler Seating Ideas

So let’s talk about toddler circle time seating ideas. During the toddler years, I find a physical chair works best for circle time. The ones I linked are the chairs I use in my home daycare. During circle time we just bring them over from our classroom table and place them around the circle time area.

I have found when toddlers have a mat or carpet square they have a hard time understanding that you want them to stay in this area. A physical chair gives them an area to focus their bodies allowing their brains to expand their attention span.

Preschool Seating Ideas

When your little learners are getting into the 3-5 year range, their little bodies can handle sitting on a carpet or square. This is the age group I use carpet spots for. These are quick and easy to place down on the floor right before circle time and gather up when done.

Circle Time Board

A circle time board is a set of visuals used to help keep little learners engaged. A classroom circle time board usually contains goals and learning objectives in a form of pictures. You and your students point to and use these visuals during circle time.

The image below is a picture of my July circle time board. Our learning objectives for this month are:

Who’s Here Today (creates a welcoming, inclusive environment)
Shape Review
Counting to Ten
Vocabulary- Summer Words
Counting to #10
Weather Observation
Music and Movement

Circle Time Routines

The key to a successful circle time is sticking to a routine. The structure of your circle time routine should remain the same each day. Check out Amazing Toddler Circle Time Ideas for a much more detailed circle time routine that I use in my classroom. For a quick recap, circle time lasts about 8-10 minutes at the beginning and end of each daycare day.

What does a Morning Circle Time Routine Look Like?

Good Morning Song
Welcome To School Song
Weather Observation
Color Activity
Shape Activity
Counting Activity
Letter Activity
Music and Movement

What does an Afternoon Circle Time Routine Look Like?

Good Day Song
Word of the Day
Review Flashcards
Favorite Things
Music and Movement
Good-Bye Song
High Fives

Fidget Toys Benefits

There are many benefits of allowing children to play with a fidget toy during circle time. A fidget is a small toy that is manipulated in your hand while listening. Fidgets keep the body active, helping children to better engage in listening and participation.

In my classroom, I have a small basket of fidget toys that children can choose from during circle time. The only rule I have is that they have to stay in their hands and cannot touch anyone else.

My favorite place to snag fidget toys for toddlers and preschoolers is Dollar Tree! They have a great assortment of squish toys and bubble poppers that are perfect for this age group. For infants, I usually place a couple of small plush toys on the highchair trays.

Do you want more blog posts on how to structure and schedule circle time into your daycare day? Check out my main circle time page full of circle time tips, circle time favorites, and help all from an experienced childcare provider who has been there and tried it all!

We can all learn so much from each other, click on these circle time resources from other amazing providers!

Preschool Circle Time Set-Up by Lovely Commotion

Toddler Classroom Circle Time Setup Youtube Video

Circle Time Printables