The kinds of materials I have found most engaging to the children I serve are puzzles, block and certain toys that make music etc. Blocks and other manipulatives are quite a hit and allow for hours of engagement that include but are not limited to stacking, sorting, counting . I keep these materials stored in clear bins and they are all all labeled and housed in a storage cubby where the children can access easily. This allows for a child to switch out to another bin of choice when they are done. Having a place to store all age appropriate materials helps with the clean up at the end of each day and provides on-going organization so once the day ends I am free to transition into my family space without clutter or overflow from the day care.
I also have a dedicated office within my space which is completely separate from the immediate daycare/family area. A two drawer file cabinet houses all child care files which are separate from my personal family files.