PDA

View Full Version : Going toyless.



Glitter
20-02-2013, 01:47 PM
Hi, one of the other threads mentioned going toyless. This is something I would love to do as I have very limited storage.
What do Ofsted, parents and mindees think of this idea?
I would love to here from anyone who has done this and find out what resources they offer insted.
Thanks.

nipper
20-02-2013, 01:51 PM
Pegs and coloured/textured material/indoor washing line
Boxes, baskets and tins with lids
Jewellery for over ones (big bead necklaces) and chunky bracelets. Selection of dress up hats & a child-proof mirror
Treasure boxes according to age

Maza
20-02-2013, 02:36 PM
Sorry, I read your thread as 'going topless'! Not sure where my mind was! Not sure Ofsted would approve!

I have scaled down my toys but not sure I could get rid of them all. I have kepts cars/trains as current mindee is obsessed with them. Cooking toys and dinosaurs get used lots too. 'Non toy' items which get used a lot in different contexts are pine cones, shells, art and craft bits and bobs, nesting boxes, playdough, different containers, messy play, long cardboard tubes etc. x

phoenix2010
20-02-2013, 04:01 PM
I considered this , but I think its ok if you only have one or 2 children , you are out alot and prepared to do lots of craft , baking , sculpture etc

I ended up scaling all my stuff down and everything now fits neatly in 16 boxs of various sizes from a large dressing up box down to a tiny box with insects it

It not only made me get rid of lots of random stuff that they never really play with but made me focus on getting in new things but ensuring I had a broad range of stuff that covers all the areas

Im sure it can be done but there are just times when you want to let them free play and if they do not have good imaginations they can struggle

Having said that I did recently have a really fun afternoon with 2 x 3yr olds and a load of cardboard boxes, but sometimes they do need toys , just not sheds full

If you do decide to do it Id love to hear how you get on

mushpea
20-02-2013, 04:27 PM
I once had what i called 'box week' i took all the toys out of the play room and just put in cardboard boxes, plastic containers, pompoms, glass stones and bottle tops, staws and a few other random bits I found,,, at first they were very confused at where they toys went and for a while just sort of stared at the stuf then slowly they started examingin the items and playing with them, well , in the end it was the best thing I did and it carried over in to the next week because they enjoyed it so much, it was the summer and there were toys outside still so they did have the garden as a distraction aswell but they loved box week and I would love to do this as a permanent thing but am a little nervous about getting rid of all the toys and also how perspective parents would view this no toy zone.
i am trying to scale down and get rid of things like peppa pig and garages and stuff that they dont need to use their imagination with and replace them with building blocks tubes and guttering to use as ramps, having just people and animals and veichals then using random bits to play with them , I am going to see how it goes and see how much they miss the other stuff and if they dont mis it then I will start to get rid of bits slowly rather than do it all in one go so its more of a gradualy process.

mama2three
20-02-2013, 04:34 PM
I am gradually trying to replace my resources with natural and open ended items etc...
Dont think though that it helps with your limited storage,,,I need even more room now to store everything from pine cones to cardboard tubes!

jillplum
20-02-2013, 04:52 PM
I have found over the years that I have less toys and more things to play with iykwim. Less ready made stuff and more open ended items. My best buy was some lengths of fabric that are used for everything by all ages.

tori4
20-02-2013, 06:03 PM
Hi I'm might sound really dumb but can some one clarfy 'open-ended' - I have an idea but never been 100% sure

I cut down toys last yr but DH has just added some more storage to the room cause i was worried ofsted would not like rotation.

The LOs play much better with less.

I and the LO are really into sensory tubs at the mo - are these 'open-ended' ?

What abt the mud kitchen ?

See I think cars could be if there isn't a track n direction to go ? But then I think is it using blocks or boxes as a car ???

phoenix2010
20-02-2013, 06:09 PM
ha ha i dont really know what open ended means either

then again Im confused by sensory tubs and mud kitchen :D

loocyloo
20-02-2013, 06:18 PM
I am gradually trying to replace my resources with natural and open ended items etc...
Dont think though that it helps with your limited storage,,,I need even more room now to store everything from pine cones to cardboard tubes!

Lol! That is my problem exactly!

I was thinking about what stuff the LO didnt use ... It's the garage, dolls house etc...but probably only because it's away! This week we are obsessed by pebbles & stones , with baskets, wooden trays, wicker lidded pots to sort them into. I also have a metal colander which they are threading with pipe cleaners.
Lots of story telling with puppets & dolls.

jillplum
20-02-2013, 06:21 PM
The way I see it is open ended means you can play with it lots of ways, there is now set way for it to be used. For example, a police uniform is just that, you put it on and pretend to be a policeman. Lenghs of fabric, odd hats and scarves etc can be sed to dress up as anything you can imagine or material can be used to make a den or wrap up a parcel or keep a doll warm etc.

Sensory bottles are just plastic bottles with different stuff in them eg coloured water with glitter and plastic fish. Littlies like to move them around and watch what happens.

Mud kitchen is an area in the garden where they make mud pies eg old pots and pans and a wooden shelf as a stove and lots of mud!

VeggieSausage
20-02-2013, 06:32 PM
I think open ended resources mean that they do not have a specific purpose such as wooden blocks that can be turned into anything a child wants or wooden cotton reels that could be used by a child for a multitude of things, using their imagine to turn them into what they want.....rather than toy cars which are by their very existence toy cars etc (I have just talked round in a circle I think lol!)

I am gradually replacing 'toys' with open ended resources although in my last inspection said to me that we must have toys as well - she didn't get it I don't think!

I have a kitchen and felt food - this gets played with a lot
Books
bricks
Sensory tray and things to go in it
Some toys - have got rid of anything that makes a noise as it drives me crazy
Cars
Brio
Wooden bits - like pegs, spoons, reels, wooden discs etc
Dressing up and fabric bits
Have a wooden frame that is used for dolls house/fire station/garage/anything they want
Craft stuff
Dolls

Actually I have quite a lot more than I thought lol!!! maybe I haven't slimmed down the toys that much.....I want to though....

mushpea
20-02-2013, 08:15 PM
for those of you unsure what open ended resources are heres a link about them
Child-initiated learning (http://www.teachingexpertise.com/e-bulletins/child-initiated-learning-7522)