A small childcare centre (around 40 children) can expect their monthly consumable supply order to look something like the worked example below, once admin, cleaning, first aid and craft stock are all covered. This example comes to $391.85 inc GST, using real Mega Office Supplies prices, so you can see exactly where that money goes and adjust the quantities to your own centre's size.
A worked example: one small centre's monthly order
This is not a generic shopping list — it's a real order built from products we stock, priced inc GST.
Admin stationery — $52.79
| Item | Qty | Price inc GST | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reflex A4 Copy Paper 80gsm White Ream, 500 Sheets | 2 reams | $12.01 | $24.02 |
| Post-it Notes Canary Yellow 76 x 76mm, 100 Sheets, Pack of 12 | 1 pack | $28.77 | $28.77 |
Enrolment forms, daily sign-in sheets and incident notes all run through paper and sticky notes faster in a centre than in a typical office, since every room usually keeps its own supply.
Cleaning and hygiene — $183.37
| Item | Qty | Price inc GST | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tork Green Light Cleaning Cloth, 25 Cloths Folded, Carton of 6 | 1 carton | $63.25 | $63.25 |
| Tork Soft Jumbo Toilet Roll 2 Ply Advanced T1, Carton of 6 | 1 carton | $93.06 | $93.06 |
| Italplast EaziWipes Antibacterial Disposable Wipes, Tub of 60 | 3 tubs | $9.02 | $27.06 |
This is the line that varies most by centre, since nappy-change rooms, kitchens and bathrooms all draw on it daily. A centre running two or more rooms often doubles the wipe and cloth quantities.
First aid — $108.55
| Item | Qty | Price inc GST | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|
| AeroPlast Plastic Standard Strip 7.2 x 1.9cm, Box/100, Pack of 12 Boxes | 1 pack | $87.12 | $87.12 |
| Aerofix Non-Woven Island Dressing 9x15cm, Box of 20 | 1 box | $21.43 | $21.43 |
These are restocking quantities, topping up an existing kit rather than building one from scratch. A full kit is a separate, larger one-off purchase.
Craft and activity supplies — $47.14
| Item | Qty | Price inc GST | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zart Popsticks Coloured Pack of 500 | 1 pack | $19.80 | $19.80 |
| Educational Colours Tempera Powder Paint 450g | 2 tubs | $13.67 | $27.34 |
Powder paint goes further than it looks since it's mixed with water on the day, which is why two 450g tubs covers a month of group activities rather than one.
This example's total
| Category | Cost inc GST |
|---|---|
| Admin stationery | $52.79 |
| Cleaning and hygiene | $183.37 |
| First aid | $108.55 |
| Craft and activity | $47.14 |
| Total | $391.85 |
Cleaning and hygiene is the largest line in this example, as it usually is for a childcare centre. If your centre is smaller, start by scaling back the cleaning and craft lines first — admin and first aid stay closer to fixed costs regardless of room count.
What changes this example for your centre
- Room count: a two-room centre roughly doubles cleaning cloths, wipes and toilet paper, since each room tends to keep its own stock rather than sharing.
- Age groups: nurseries go through more wipes and dressings; pre-school rooms use more craft and paper stock.
- Bulk buying: ordering a two-month supply of toilet paper and wipes in one go cuts down on how often someone has to place an order.
Standard orders over $149 inc GST ship free (excludes bulky items and regional or remote areas). Mega Office Supplies has been family owned and operated since 2008. Setting this up as a recurring monthly order, once the first one is right, saves reordering each category separately.
