What to pack for childcare (and what to leave at home)
A room-by-room packing checklist, what Meraki already supplies, and the items best left at home.
🎒 Starting childcare · 4 min read
Key facts
- Meals, nappies, wipes and SPF 50+ sunscreen are supplied and included in the daily fee at both Meraki centres.
- A SunSmart broad-brimmed, bucket or legionnaire hat is required — caps do not protect ears and neck.
- Everything, including hats, bottles and drink bottles, needs to be clearly named.
- Services must keep an up-to-date immunisation history statement for every enrolled child under Victoria's No Jab, No Play law.
Every child, every day
- Named SunSmart hat (broad-brimmed, bucket or legionnaire)
- Named drink bottle
- At least two full changes of clothes, more if toilet learning
- A comfort item for rest time — dummy, comforter or small soft toy
- Weather-appropriate layers and closed shoes for outdoor play
Babies and nursery
- Expressed breast milk or formula, labelled with name and date
- Bottles and teats, named
- Any specific sleep comforter or wrap you use at home
- Your written routine for sleeps, feeds and settling
Kindergarten children
- A backpack they can open and carry themselves
- Named jumper or raincoat
- Spare underwear and socks
Please leave at home
Food and drink other than infant milk, medication that has not been handed to an educator with written authorisation, jewellery, coins and small toys with detachable parts, and anything precious that would be devastating to lose. These are safety and allergy requirements, not preferences — both Meraki centres cater for children with anaphylaxis.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to pack lunch for childcare?+
Not at Meraki. Breakfast, morning tea, a hot chef-cooked lunch, afternoon tea and a late snack are prepared on site each day and included in the daily fee, with allergy, cultural and dietary needs catered for.
Why can't my child wear a cap?+
Caps leave ears, cheeks and the neck exposed. SunSmart guidance, which Australian early learning services follow, requires broad-brimmed, bucket or legionnaire hats during sun protection times.
Can my child bring a comfort toy?+
Yes. A named comforter for rest time is welcome and often helps children settle. We just ask that other toys stay at home to avoid loss and disputes.
Keep reading
Settling your child into childcare: a week-by-week guide
Orientation, drop-off tears and the four-week rhythm most children settle into — plus what to do when it takes longer.
A day in the life: routines, sleep, nappies and screen time
An hour-by-hour picture of a long day care day, plus how sleep, rest, nappies and screens are handled.
Want to talk it through in person?
Book a tour of our Bayswater or Mooroolbark centre and ask us anything.