What to Pack for Your Child’s First Day of Daycare in Carver
The first day is a big one, for you and for your child. Having a bag packed the night before makes the morning calmer. This list is based on what Bright Beginnings already asks families to send. Please label everything with your child’s name — it is the simplest way to send the right cup or sweater back home.
For every child
A few things are useful in every classroom, from infants through Pre-K:
- A lunch box with an ice pack. Families pack a morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack each day. We can reheat food, but we do not cook meals at the center. Please do not send lunch in a plastic bag alone.
- A separate water bottle or cup, labeled with your child’s name.
- Clothes for the weather, including a jacket, hat, or boots when needed. Children go on with the day, including outdoor time when the weather allows, so send them ready to play. Avoid clothing with long strings, which can be a safety hazard.
- Extra clothes in a bag labeled with your child’s name. Please send two changes of clothes for infants. For toddlers and preschoolers, send a change of clothes — and multiple sets if your child is learning to use the toilet, including socks and an extra pair of shoes.
In warmer months, children over six months also need sunscreen. Parents apply it before arrival, and staff reapply after water play or on very hot afternoons, with your written permission.
If your child is in Infant Care (8 weeks to 15 months)
The infant room follows your baby’s rhythm, so the bag is a little more personal. Please keep a supply of your child’s own disposable diapers, wipes, and any creams at the center. We check and change diapers every two hours, and whenever they are wet or soiled, using your wipes. We use disposable diapers only.
For sleep, do not pack a crib blanket, pillow, bumper, or stuffed toy for the crib. Massachusetts safe-sleep rules do not allow those items. You are welcome to send a sleep sack. You can read the full policy on our Safe Sleep and Infant Care pages.
Please send formula or breast milk, and bottles or sippy cups labeled with your child’s name. Formula should be prepared as directed on the can unless you have documented other instructions, or you may send it already prepared. Bottles cannot be warmed in a microwave, bottle warmer, or crockpot; a container of warm water may be used instead. Please also pack bibs, baby food, a pacifier if needed, and any topical creams.
If your child is a toddler (15 months to 2 years 9 months)
Toddlers still need diapers and wipes until they are ready for toilet learning. When your child is at least two, is showing signs of readiness, and you have started toilet learning at home for a week, our teachers will keep it going at school in a relaxed way. Pack a few extra changes of clothes during that stretch.
Every child in care for more than four hours has a rest period, as Massachusetts requires. Please send a crib-size sheet and a blanket, or a sleeping bag. A favorite stuffed animal is welcome. Rest time is generally between 1 and 3 p.m., and a drawstring nap bag goes home at the end of the week for washing. See our Toddler Program and Rest Time pages.
If your child is in Preschool or Pre-K
Preschoolers (2 years 9 months to 4 years) and Pre-K children (4 years to 5+ years) also rest on their own mat if they are in care more than four hours. Pack a crib-size sheet and blanket, plus a comfort item if your child likes one. Children who do not fall asleep after 20 minutes, or who wake early, are given quiet activities that will not disturb other sleeping children.
Children over two who are in care more than four hours and eat a meal at the center take part in supervised tooth brushing after lunch, unless you opt out with the Oral Health form in the enrollment packet.
See Preschool and Pre-K for a fuller picture of the day.
Paperwork matters as much as the bag
On or before the first day, we need a completed Enrollment Packet: forms, a physical from the past year, immunizations or an exemption, lead screening documentation if your child is 12 months or older, the yearly registration fee, and the first week’s tuition. Without those documents, we cannot care for your child. The full list is on our Enrollment page.
After that first morning, check your child’s cubby and folders every day. Teachers use cubbies for forms, announcements, your child’s work, supply reminders, and monthly curriculum plans. Your child’s daily report — including eating, sleeping, and toileting — is in the Procare app.
You do not have to get every detail perfect
If you forget a water bottle or pack the wrong size sheet, tell us. We are open 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and we are now enrolling infants through Pre-K on a space-available basis. If you have not toured yet, start there.
Schedule a tour · Call (508) 465-1215 · Email brightbeginningscarver@gmail.com
Bright Beginnings Early Learning Center · 5 Green St, Carver, MA 02330