I used to have my own daycare and still have up to 4 or 5 grandkids at a time now.
Here are some of my favorite things to do
Paint
Blow out eggs and lay out paint and paint brushes Let the kids decorate the eggs with faces or squiggles or dots or draw on a picture etc I love this and have the kids do this every year for my collection and I send some home with them
Paint Blots are so fun to make and look at! have the child put dots or blobs of color on one half of a white sheet of paper. fold in half and rub all over the closed side. Open and see what you get! Like looking at clouds you can see things in the picture sometimes.
Put paint on a piece of cardboard like using a paint pallet. Have the child use their thumb and or long part of finger and print dots and lines on the paper to make a picture. You can use the side of your palm too.
Clear contact paper
Cut a length of contact paper I usually use about a 12" square and turn it sticky side up and tape to the table.
Give them cataloques or other pictures they can cut up and have them find pictures of things they like to eat or find pictures of toys they would love to buy etc and have them make a collage. It takes a long time for these to dry out but they will eventually dry out. You can hang them on the wall to look at while they dry out. May take days to dry.
Just remember once it is on it is stuck! I have given them buttons and ribbons and fabric to cut up to make pictures and anything you can think of that will stick to the paper is fair game! If you have feathers or cut up straws etc.
I posted a homemade playdough recipe in Recipes section
I also have a recipe for glarch which the kids love and it keeps in the fridge. It is slimy but pliable and the kids think it is so cool! It is basically glue and starch.
There are edible playdough recipes too. I think I have a peanut butter one.
Take a water bottle or pop bottle and fill it with equal amts of water and oil(cooking). Add little things that will float in this mix. Sparkles and little tiny toys -has to be really tiny tho- and any interesting little bits you can find. Leave a little bit of air at the top. Replace cap and seal it so it is watertight. You can glue on the lid with watertight glue and then tape around that. This will make an interesting water toy!
Water play for the little ones. Fill a tub or small swimming pool half way with water. Give them measuring cups and pitchers and bowls to measure with. Teaspoons and Tablespoons too.
I used rice to make a sensory tub. I bought a huge bag of rice and filled a large tub with it. they can run cars in it poke holes with straws in it and basically do anything you would do in a sand box. I spread a sheet under the tub as the rice will wander as they play!!
Pinatas and bowls
Blow up a balloon. Cut strips of newspaper. Mix up plaster of paris. Dredge the newspaper through the plaster of paris and apply to the balloon. Let it dry when you have added all you want to. Usually over night. Then poke a hole in the balloon and pull it out. You will have a pinata!
For the bowl use flour and water instead of plaster of paris and use string (yarn) instead of newspaper. Space the strings for a lacy effect. After you remove the balloon and the yarn is dry you should be able to trim the strings to the shape you want.
Sorry it got so long. I have lots of them!!