Free Child Care Templates & Printables

Child Development & Programming

Shadows & Light: Explore, Create, Build Activity Guide

An 11-page Learning Lab guide from Krystal Churcher of The Churcher Group

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Family Engagement

Stand Out, Get Noticed, Fill Your Center: Lunch & Learn Resources

Two PDFs from the November 4, 2026 Lunch & Learn on filling your center

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Administration

Accident / Incident Form

A one-page accident and incident report to complete in ink: what happened, where, how many children were in the room, where staff were, first aid given and follow-up, with lines for parent notification and director and parent signatures.

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Staff Management

Alberta Child Care PD Directory (Sorted by Topic)

A four-page directory of professional development options for Alberta child care operators and educators

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Administration

Alberta Child Care Mock Licensing Inspection & Self-Audit Checklist

A ten-page self-audit binder for licensed Alberta child care centers

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Staff Management

Annual Performance Self-Evaluation Form

A three-page self-evaluation educators complete before the annual review: they score themselves from 1 to 4 across three categories, add comments, and answer seven discussion questions to talk through with the director.

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Administration

Bathroom Health & Cleaning Checklist

A monthly bathroom cleaning record: five weekly pages of daily tasks with a Monday-to-Friday check column for each, plus a page of weekly deep-clean tasks tracked across weeks 1 to 5.

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Child Development & Programming

Inclusion Without Burnout: Behaviour Support Guides

A set of three downloads on supporting children with additional support needs: a four-page Participant Takeaway Guide covering prevention, a 4-step de-escalation model, post-incident steps, ABC documentation and family communication; a three-page set of De-Escalation Scripts for toddlers and preschoolers; and a one-page image of a Director-Only Leadership Toolkit.

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Family Engagement

Center Newsletter Template

A one-page newsletter design you edit in Canva, with blocks for this month’s learning, news, important dates, a photo and reminders

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Staff Management

Child Care Educator Job Posting Template

A one-page child care educator job posting you edit in Canva, with placeholders for your center and program name, a candidate description, key responsibilities, benefits and how to apply

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Child Development & Programming

Circle Time Planner

A seven-page preschool circle time planner: a suggested 20–35 minute daily flow, a Monday-to-Friday activity planner, song and calendar routines, a weather and feelings check-in, and a bank of literacy, math, science, creative and SEL activities to rotate through.

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Staff Management

The Clear, Consistent, Confident Leadership Guide

A one-page Lunch & Learn checklist for leaders, in three blocks

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Administration

Common Area Cleaning Checklist

A one-month cleaning tracker for shared spaces, with daily, weekly and monthly task rows in a check-off grid and a box for maintenance needs and comments

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Child Development & Programming

Community Helpers Learning Lab Guide

An 18-page participant guide from the Community Helpers Learning Lab

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Family Engagement

Daily Communication Checklist

A one-page tick-box checklist that helps educators communicate consistently with families: what to review before the day starts, what to capture during the day, and how to handle the conversation at pickup.

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Administration

Dayhome Action Plan Worksheet

A two-page worksheet that turns a training session into three actions for the month, each with a deadline and an accountability partner

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Child Development & Programming

Meet the Developmental Needs of the Children Policy Template

A three-page sample policy describing how a child care center meets children’s social, physical, intellectual, creative, emotional and spiritual or self-concept needs, with a short bulleted list of practices under each heading.

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Staff Management

Difficult Conversation Planner

A two-page Lunch & Learn worksheet for preparing a hard conversation

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Staff Management

Director / Assistant Director Job Posting Template

An editable Canva job posting for an Assistant Director / Director role

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Staff Management

Daycare Director Observation Form

A five-page room observation record for directors: 39 numbered monthly checks, 32 lettered weekly checks with four observation columns, and three pages of dated notes

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Child Development & Programming

Educator Prompt Cards: Explore, Create, Build

Three one-page prompt cards

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Administration

Emergency Drill Log

A four-page emergency evacuation and disaster drill log: facility details, a typical drill schedule, an annual tracker for monthly fire drills, severe weather and lockdown drills, and a drill record page to copy for every drill.

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Child Development & Programming

Emotion Flashcards: Kids’ Feelings & Faces

Three A4 pages of printable photo flashcards

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Child Development & Programming

Emotion Regulation Thermometer

A one-page ‘feelings thermometer’ poster with four colour zones

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Child Development & Programming

Emotion Zones Chart for Kids

A one-page colour-coded chart that gives children a shared language for how they feel

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Family Engagement

Family Communication Kit for Child Care Centers

A 12-page kit that introduces three sets of editable templates for writing to families

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Administration

Fee Policies Template

A two-page sample fee policy for a daycare, covering the payment schedule and late fees, part-time care, pre-authorized debit, notice for withdrawal and fee increases, vacation, failed payments, late pick-up and summer out-of-school care

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Staff Management

First 30 Days: New Staff Resources

Three Lunch & Learn PDFs for a new hire’s first month: a 30-Day New Employee Roadmap with a weekly checklist for each of four weeks, a Daily Check-In Coaching Card with five questions for a five-minute conversation, and a New Employee Survival Guide to hand to the new staff member.

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Administration

Food Delivery Checklist

A one-page receiving checklist for food deliveries

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Administration

Guiding Children’s Behaviour Policy Template

A three-page sample child guidance policy built on a positive, non-punitive approach: the objective and philosophy, the environment, ten prevention strategies, sixteen intervention strategies with example phrases, caregivers’ responsibilities and a list of prohibited practices.

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Child Development & Programming

High-Quality Mealtime Documentation

A two-page Lunch & Learn resource on writing mealtime notes that say more than “ate lunch”

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Administration

Individual Child Sign-In & Out Sheet Template

A simple sign-in and sign-out log with columns for date, student name, time in, time out, total hours and initials

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Administration

Individual Staff Hours Log

A one-page hours log for a single employee: date, start time, lunch, finish time, regular and other hours for each day, with total hours, rate per hour and total pay at the bottom.

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Child Development & Programming

Learning Lab Educator Guide – Session 1

An 11-page educator guide to three play-based classroom experiences: Scoop, Pour & Explore (sensory play and early math), Paint, Roll & Create (process art) and The Sticky Art Wall (fine motor and visual planning)

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Child Development & Programming

Lesson Plan Template

A one-page lesson plan with boxes for grade, subject, date and lesson title, then objective, skills, materials, activities, assessment and references

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Child Development & Programming

Quick Interpretation Guide for Mealtime Observations

A three-page Lunch & Learn resource that walks through seven common mealtime behaviours

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Staff Management

Micro-Leadership Roles Resource

A two-page Lunch & Learn worksheet, subtitled ‘Building Ownership Within Your Team’, that walks a child care leader through four steps: finding work that could be shared, matching it to a staff member’s strengths, defining the role and planning the support and check-ins.

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Family Engagement

Monthly Class Update Template

An editable one-page Canva design for a monthly update to parents from your classroom: a title and date, one large photo, a highlights blurb, four small photos and two caption blocks

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Child Development & Programming

Movement, Music & Whole-Body Learning Guide

A 14-page Learning Lab guide for three movement activities: Sound & Movement Exploration, Ribbon & Movement Art and Obstacle Course Builders

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Child Development & Programming

Wild & Wonder: Nature-Based Learning Quick Start Guide

A five-page educator guide titled “Wild & Wonder: Exploring, Creating and Building with Nature”

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Child Development & Programming

Learning Lab Educator Guide – Session 3: Nature & Outdoor-Inspired Play

A seven-page educator guide to three nature-themed activities: Nature Discovery Bins (Explore), Nature Mark Making (Create) and Loose Parts Nature Construction (Build)

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Child Development & Programming

Nutrition, Brain Development & Behaviour

A two-page quick reference for educators from the ChildFriendly Lunch & Learn series

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Child Development & Programming

Observation & Documentation Cheat Sheet

A two-page quick reference for writing observations of children’s learning

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Staff Management

Office Administrator Interview Questions

Twenty interview questions for hiring a child care office administrator, with lines under each one for your notes

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Administration

Operator Resource Guide

A short guide for owners and directors on elevating child care environments

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Administration

Outdoor Health & Safety Checklist

A month of playground checks in one printable set: a daily Monday-to-Friday checklist for each of five weeks, plus weekly and monthly responsibilities and a list of general safety reminders.

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Administration

Parent Contract & Handbook Implementation Checklist

A short tick-box checklist for putting your parent contract and family handbook into practice: what to do at enrollment, at the annual update, and in staff training.

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Family Engagement

The Parent Handbook Template

A 12-page parent handbook template in Canva: a cover, a contents page, a welcome letter, eight numbered policy sections and a closing acknowledgment page

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Staff Management

PD Day Planning Toolkit (Child Care Programs)

An eight-page toolkit, subtitled the “Setting Educators Up for Success” Toolkit, for planning an annual professional development day and the follow-up after it

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Child Development & Programming

Pre-School and Pre-K Progress Report

A two-page progress report for preschool and pre-kindergarten children

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Administration

Protecting Your Child Care Business: Operator Toolkit

A 12-page Lunch & Learn toolkit on ‘Risk, Compliance & Regulatory Best Practices’ with eight numbered tools for owners and directors: a Monthly Compliance Self-Audit, an Incident & Complaint Response Flow, a Leadership Risk Review, a training-gap check, a coaching card, a responsibility matrix, a 90-day action plan and a documentation self-check, plus a ‘Your Next 30 Days’ checklist

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Administration

Regular Medication Form

A three-page medication form titled “General Medication Administration”: a parent/guardian section covering the medication, dosage, dates and previous use, a sign-off page with times, purpose and instructions, and a staff log for each dose given.

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Administration

Regulation Support Template

Three pages of short daily compliance tools for child care leaders and staff: an active supervision self-audit, an attendance accuracy checklist, a “2-Minute Walkthrough” script for supervisors and a “Red Flag Radar” list of risks to watch for each day.

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Staff Management

Room Educator Interview Questions Template

Twenty interview questions for hiring room educators, with lined space for your notes

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Administration

Room Health & Cleaning Checklist

A monthly cleaning and safety checklist for one room, with a box for each week (1–5) beside every task

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Administration

Scenarios & Scripts for Dayhome Providers

Five common but tricky situations with families

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Child Development & Programming

Sensory Bin Safety Checklist

A nine-page preschool sensory bin planner and material safety checklist: plan the bin, check fillers for choking, allergen, toxicity and hygiene risks, link play to learning metrics, record each child’s progress and sign off at cleanup.

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Staff Management

Spring Reset Action Plan

A two-page Lunch & Learn worksheet headed ‘Your 30-Day Spring Reset Plan’

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Staff Management

Staff Concerns Form Template

A one-page Employee Concern/Complaint Form: the employee describes the concern, how it has affected their work and what the company could do about it, and the office records the date received, the action plan and the director’s signature.

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Staff Management

Staff Wellness Checklist Template

A one-page checklist of 11 practical things a center can do for staff wellness, grouped under micro-moments of rest, a team gratitude board, professional growth plans and additional tips.

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Child Development & Programming

Storytelling, Imagination & Dramatic Play

Two PDFs from the Storytelling, Imagination & Dramatic Play Learning Lab

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Staff Management

The TRUST Communication Check

A one-page Lunch & Learn sheet for leaders to read ‘Before Sending The Email, Holding The Meeting, or Having The Conversation’

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Child Development & Programming

Water, Weather & Wonder Activity Pack

Nine pages of water and weather activities built on Explore, Create and Build: a Weather Investigation Station, a Water & Weather Art Studio and a Water Works Challenge

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Family Engagement

Family Connection: Water, Weather & Wonder at Home

A two-page handout to send home during a water and weather theme

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Child Development & Programming

Weekly Meal Plan Template

Plan a week of breakfasts, lunches and snacks on one page, with a highlighted column for each day’s vegetarian option, so the kitchen, the classroom and the families all see the same menu.

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Staff Management

Weekly Staff Check-In Support Guide

A three-page Lunch & Learn guide, subtitled ‘How to Make 10 Minutes Actually Work’, with scripts for short weekly coaching conversations: how to open, surface challenges, coach without taking over, build independence, set one weekly focus and close, plus common mistakes and a worked example.

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Staff Management

Weekly Staff Check-In Tool

A one-page Lunch & Learn sheet, subtitled ‘Simple Coaching Conversations That Build Confidence’, for recording a short weekly conversation with one staff member

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Family Engagement

Welcome Letter Template

An editable Canva welcome letter for new families, with a welcome message about your program, what happens on the first day and what to bring

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Free Child Care Templates

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