Daycares, like schools, are treasured parts of our society.
They provide one of the most important services that exist: childcare.
Without them, working parents’ lives would be in shambles, or at least a lot more difficult.
But there’s another side to the story, too.
Working at a daycare is the dream job for many people who love kids. What better way to earn a living than by providing the nurture and structure little tykes desperately need while their parents are away?
It’s a very fulfilling role, to know you are sculpting the future one young mind at a time.
Things aren’t nearly as dire in The Sims. Let’s be honest, we’ve all let our toddler’s needs go into the red without much worry since that kind of thing won’t traumatize them like real children.
That’s the bliss of this series, cutting corners without consequences!
Still, it can be really fun to take on the task of multiple toddlers.
Those cuties, needy and loud as they may be, do still require lots of care. It takes quite a Sim (and a few mods) to make it happen on a larger scale.
And with the great daycare content featured here, you’ll be able to live out your simulated child-rearing dreams easier and more realistically than ever before.
Simmers can do some really amazing things with career mods.
And this one from ItsKatato is a perfect example.
This isn’t just a rabbit hole career, something you can select to give your Sim the job in theory and then forget about. While that is an option, this actually will enable your Sim to run a daycare from their own home.
You’ll be able to invite over 2-5 toddlers and then the job works like an event.
Goals will pop up for you to complete, like taking attendance, eating lunch, playing games, and much more.
It’s the authentic daycare experience without the real-life pressure of not messing up the impressionable mind of a little kid.
Just like any other event, the rewards and pay you receive will be based off the Bronze, Medal, and Gold ranks.
This series has actually seen an official Daycare career before, and boy was it a doozy.
I know there are plenty of players who have never played any other game besides Sims 4, so I’ll just say… we are so lucky to have the multitasking and smoother animations that we do now.
Running a daycare was nightmarish with how laggy The Sims 4 could be, bless it.
The career itself was similar to the mod above, where you were responsible for the tots around town for a few hours a day from the safety of your own home.
But it was rough.
Imagine how difficult it is to feed a toddler in a high chair in The Sims 4, but every interaction is like that.
Yeah… I told you. Nightmarish.
I guess that’s why, as much as I played that career, I never made it far enough to get the Daycare Van.
Apparently, that was a perk you received for reaching the highest level of the career.
It’s pretty cute, honestly. And now in The Sims 4 you can just use this as a decoration outside of your Sim’s home or daycare without the torture of actually earning it.
The van is just an old school vehicle. But the art of kids, sunny scenery, and clouds really set the tone for a childcare facility.
Whether you plan on running a daycare out of your Sim’s home or building a special lot dedicated to the job, you’ll need some new furniture.
Sure, I suppose you could make do with the stuff we already have.
But it’ll be a lot more fun to use things that will be just for daycare.
It’s a little weird if the same toys and furniture are used for every kid at every place in their lives. If they have outdoor furniture then they probably already have the same things they see when they go to the park, there’s no need to make their lives even more mundane.
This fanmade stuff pack contains pretty much everything you could want. Even though the creator officially dedicated it to preschool, everything is very fitting (if not necessary) for daycares as well.
Let’s talk about toys first, since that just might be my favorite part.
Playing is obviously a huge part of development for kids, especially in The Sims 4 where stacking blocks for a few hours can teach a toddler to climb stairs.
Beyond functionality, it’s just nice to see some new stuff.
The decorative items here include some classics like wooden blocks, globes, and school supplies.
There’s even more that your toddlers can actually interact with, and it’s all brand new.
Puzzles, boxes of cards, an abacus, and five new dollhouses (among other things) should definitely be enough to keep them out of your hair.
The new furniture will also be a blessing if you’d like to build a dedicated daycare room or building.
It just looks a lot more “professional” than the things we have now that are obviously meant for homes.
While the previous pack offered plenty of toys and furniture, this one will be everything you need for decor and really making your daycare look… daycare-y.
The Freezer Bunny is just one of those random Sims things that has popped up here and there throughout the series.
That makes it perfect to act as the face of a Sims daycare!
Creator Simsdoughnut includes plenty of things in this pack to make any space as cute, welcoming, and child-friendly as you wish. It includes several different Freezer Bunny wall stickers, new little shelves, recolored furniture, play rugs, and more.
Even the clutter here has Freezer Bunny.
I love it when you can make a running theme for builds like this, and Simsdoughnut just made it very easy.
Why it’s another daycare career for your Sims from ItsKatato!
Simmers really like having this as a job option, obviously.
And this one might just be one of the most in-depth. It requires the Get to Work Expansion Pack which will enable it as a fully active career.
We have to get into the new venue type that comes with this mod first. It’s pretty mindblowing.
ItsKatato made it so you can officially designate a lot as a Daycare. No more building under the “park” venue type or whatever else you could find that came closest.
Your Sim will be able to actually go from their home to the venue for work!
And not just that, but even if they don’t work there, Sims can visit it with their own toddlers.
I’m not sure if real daycares work like that, but for The Sims 4, it will sure as heck beat going to house to house to meet new people so your toddler can make friends.
Now, onto the career itself.
It’s just as impressive as the new venue type. Your Sim will be able to fully work their way to the top of the Daycare Teacher career, with a full range of promotions and raises.
The Sims 3’s playpens were very helpful during the Daycare career, and now they can be again.
It’s a much more ethical way of containing the toddlers than locking them in a room. Which I definitely don’t recommend… it’s a little too easy to forget about them that way.
This is an item that is fairly simple but also incredibly useful.
You can move them to and from your inventory, and that is exactly how they are functional.
To put the toddlers in the playpen, just get them where you want them, then put the playpen over them.
To release them, just slip it back into your inventory. It really is that easy!
It’s available in three different designs.
First, there’s the plastic style one, the same as it was in its original form in The Sims 3. Then there’s also a wooden one and a mesh net design too.
You’ll need all the cutesy furniture you can get in order to build your own daycare, and this set is perfect.
It’s owl-themed, and nothing says “innocence” and “wholesome” more than an owl!
This set is also geared a little more towards babies, which is important since they attend daycares as well.
There is a small dresser and an equally small mattress you can use together to create a sort of changing area.
The owl crib is adorable as well, and can even be functional if you get the “baby without crib” mod (which is linked near the downloads section at the link above).
Then for the kiddos who are a little older and can participate in activities, there’s a brand new desk and chair set.
Both also have owls. Aww!
Everything comes in a variety of swatches and they don’t just affect the color.
Depending on which you choose, the expression of the owl will be different as well.
Although daycare is different from school, there’s a lot of overlap.
Little kids are still learning rules, boundaries, and the basics of life.
What’s better to really drill in the message than some educational posters?
This CC set has a ton of great ones you can use to make your daycare look more professional.
Everything here is in Simlish, so you can go by the imagery to use them for whatever you want.
Are they the daycare rules? A reminder for the kids to keep their hands to themselves? Simple encouraging messages?
It’s all up to you.
They’re very colorful too, and will definitely brighten any room. Plus there are a few that aren’t traditional posters, but clocks and fingerpaint handprints, which also work great.
