those of you who have naturaly or small 'loose parts'

[mushpea]

Ok so i am another one who wants to go toy free :laughing: but my only worry is those children who eat things! at the moment my loose parts indoors consist of things like pasta, glass beads, buttons, fir cones amongst other things , these are fine at the moment as I dont have a moving baby who will eat things but pretty soon the baby will start crawling and so I would like so ideas on how other people deal with this? Normally I try and teach them from early on not to put things in their mouths but obvously they have to learn this .

[jillplum]

Some of the small items only come out when baby is asleep. Other things like pasta I sit baby on my knees on the floor so I can quickly intervene.

[nipper]

Loose buttons in tins, my absolute favourite...not to eat though

[mushpea]

Loose buttons in tins, my absolute favourite...not to eat though
I used to love my mums button tin when I was a kid, she had a big assortment of differnt ones and i loved sorting through it.

[VeggieSausage]

Yes I only have small things out when little ones are asleep or out on the table away from lo's. Ooooh I agree I do love a tin of buttons.....

[Maza]

It is a pain. My DD, 4, loves things like buttons and beads at the moment but sometimes I limit them to days when the baby is not here. Even then though I worry that one might have rolled somewhere and I missed it. The only answer is to constantly monitor the baby, even more rigidly than you would anyway. I only relax once he is strapped in his highchair or in his travel cot!

[mushpea]

Baby sleeps for only 40mins and is here on the same days as another child age 3 is normally here so I really wanted to keep the stuff out all the time, gonna have to have eyes like a hawk lol

[nipper]

I used to love my mums button tin when I was a kid, she had a big assortment of differnt ones and i loved sorting through it.

My mum had an old Quality Street tin with loads in. I can't remember exactly what I used to play, but just remember rummaging through. I can still remember what some of them looked like and it has to be about 35 years ago.

I recently looked on ebay for some tins of buttons and they were going for silly money. My dd (6) likes using our little selection for her maths work, she uses them for counters.

[nipper]

Those dragon drops (glass beads) you put in vases are lovely too. They come in all different colours as well.

[Maza]

My mum had an old Quality Street tin with loads in. I can't remember exactly what I used to play, but just remember rummaging through. I can still remember what some of them looked like and it has to be about 35 years ago.

I recently looked on ebay for some tins of buttons and they were going for silly money. My dd (6) likes using our little selection for her maths work, she uses them for counters.

I cut buttons off clothes that are too tatty for the charity shop. They soon mount up! It gives me great pleasure when I find a cute button!

[mushpea]

i got mine of a free site on face book, why not join freecycle and ask on there, I get loads of good stuff of freecycle, I have the beads you put in a vase, they do them in our local pound shop so i got 4 or 5 different colours, the kids love them, they fill and empty pots, cook with them, run their hands through them and of course the older ones fight over them !
and funnily enough my buttons are in a quality street tin too! these only come out occasionaly though but the glass 'vase' stones and tuby pasta are now a permanant fixture, I want it to be safe but dont want to keep taking stuff away as the older children love them so need to find a balance I guess, this job is a constant learning experiance lol

[freckleonear]

I have four baskets of natural loose parts that stay out all the time - pine cones, driftwood, stones and large shells. Other things like glass beads only come out for older children.

[Mouse]

I put really small things like beads, buttons and glass beads in clear plastic bottles. That way the babies can still look at the and shake them around, but can't eat them.

The older children enjoy helping to fill the bottles and they enjoy playing with them. They can use them as shakers, they roll them, hold them up to the light etc. Then when the babies are asleep they can tip everything put to play with.

[jillplum]

I loved my Mums button tin too and my children played with it as they got older. Right thats my mission now. I am going to start collecting buttons :D

[FussyElmo]

I loved my Mums button tin too and my children played with it as they got older. Right thats my mission now. I am going to start collecting buttons :D

I didnt know until a couple of weeks ago just how much I needed a button tin, my children are always in it :thumbsup:

[rachelle]

you can get a big bag of assorrted buttons on crafty crocodiles for about £4 - my lot love them :D

[jillplum]

Off to look at crafty crocodiles :D

[FussyElmo]

Mixed Buttons Arts and Crafts 100g / 200g / 500g / 1kg | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mixed-Buttons-Arts-and-Crafts-100g-200g-500g-1kg-/150800924592?pt=UK_Crafts_Buttons_EH&var=450075126856&hash=item231c6f7fb0)

I brought these 1500 buttons for £6 :thumbsup:

[jillplum]

That looks great thanks. I have loads of empty chocolate tins too. Well I can soon empty them lol.

[mama2three]

those of you who have naturaly or small 'loose parts'

Id love some naturally small parts. All mine are very much on the large side.
Some do appear to be coming loose though....teeth , marbles.....
:blush:

[migimoo]

Am I the only one who read the title of this post and thought Mushpea was telling us something very personal??!:blush:

[jillplum]

Well some of mine used to be small but they are a bit loose now :D

[mushpea]

Am I the only one who read the title of this post and thought Mushpea was telling us something very personal??!:blush:

LOL oh dear didnt think of it like that till now , Now i have the giggles !
I wouldnt minde but I did all this to inspire the nearly 3yrold Ihave to play independantly and it hasnt worked,