Parents ask the same questions every pickup: Did they eat? Did they nap? How was their mood? A clear preschool daily report answers those before the front desk phone rings.
This guide gives you a preschool daily report template you can print today, plus a checklist for moving reports into a parent portal when your centre is ready.
Start your free trial → to send digital daily reports from Classroom.
What is a preschool daily report?
A preschool daily report (or daycare daily sheet) is a short summary of a child's day: meals, naps, toilet/diaper changes, mood, activities, and any notes for home. Teachers complete it during the day; parents read it at pickup or on their phone.
Centres use daily reports to:
- Build trust with families
- Document health and behaviour patterns
- Reduce repetitive questions at handover
- Support billing and attendance records
Preschool daily report template (printable fields)
Copy this structure into a doc or PDF for your classrooms:
| Section | What to record | | --- | --- | | Child & date | Name, classroom, date, teacher initials | | Arrival | Time in, mood at drop-off, who dropped off | | Meals | Breakfast / lunch / snack — what they ate, how much | | Fluids | Water, milk, notes on appetite | | Nap | Start/end time, quality of rest | | Toilet / diaper | Times and notes (BM, wet, dry) | | Activities | Learning centres, outdoor play, special events | | Mood & behaviour | Happy, tired, fussy—objective notes only | | Photos / highlights | Optional: one line + link if using an app | | Notes for home | Reminders, incidents, tomorrow's needs | | Checkout | Time out, who picked up |
Tip: Keep language factual. "Ate half of lunch, requested more fruit" beats "was a picky eater today."
Sample daily report (filled in)
Maya · Butterflies class · 1 Jul
In 8:05 · Happy at drop-off (Dad)
Meals: Full breakfast; half lunch (rice + veg); full snack (apple)
Nap: 12:30–2:15, slept well
Diaper: 10:30 wet, 2:45 dry
Activities: Water play outside; colour sorting; story time
Note for home: Please pack spare clothes tomorrow—we had extra water play!
Out 5:10 (Mum)
Paper templates vs a parent portal app
Many centres start with paper or WhatsApp photos. That works for one class; it breaks when you add rooms, float staff, or multi-branch growth.
| Approach | Pros | Cons | | --- | --- | --- | | Paper sheet | No tech; familiar | Easy to lose; no photo history; hard to search | | WhatsApp | Fast photos | No audit trail; wrong groups; staff personal phones | | Parent portal app | One place for reports, billing, messages | Needs setup and teacher habit |
When you are ready to go digital, use preschool management software with daily reports built in. Classroom lets teachers log meals, naps, and photos once—parents see updates in the same parent portal they use for invoices.
Read our full guide on parent communication apps for preschools.
15 tips for better daily reports
- Log during the day, not after parents leave
- Use the same fields every day so parents know where to look
- One photo beats three paragraphs
- Note medical or allergy-related meals explicitly
- Flag incidents in a separate, factual line
- Train float staff on your template before they cover a room
- Review reports weekly for gaps (missing naps, empty meal fields)
- Ask parents what they care about most—adjust fields
- Link reports to attendance check-in times
- Avoid jargon; write for caregivers, not inspectors
- Keep a backup process when Wi‑Fi drops
- Standardize nap and meal windows per age group
- Celebrate milestones in the highlight line
- Archive reports for term-end parent meetings
- Move to digital when paper causes more admin than it saves
When to automate daily reports in software
Switch from templates to software when:
- Teachers re-type the same info into chat groups
- Directors cannot compare daily patterns across classes
- You need photos without blowing storage limits
- Billing or attendance should tie to the same child record
Classroom includes daily reports on every plan, with unlimited compressed photo storage on paid tiers. See pricing or explore childcare management software features.
Frequently asked questions
What should a preschool daily report include?
At minimum: arrival, meals, nap, toilet/diaper, activities, mood, and checkout. Add photos or learning highlights when you use a parent communication app.
Is there a free preschool daily report template?
Yes—use the table in this post as your printable template. Classroom also offers a free software plan for up to 15 enrolled children if you want digital reports in a parent portal.
How do parents receive daily reports on their phones?
With Classroom, families open a browser link (PWA)—no app store download. Teachers publish reports; parents get notifications based on your centre settings.
Next step: from template to daily habit
Start with the printable template this week. When WhatsApp and paper slow your team down, pilot digital reports in one classroom.
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