Under 3's toys and activities

[mumofone]

What are your best or "go to" toys resources and activities for your under 3's? Just want to make sure I'm not missing anything!!

[kellib]

My under 3 LO loves the play kitchen and food right now as well as all the Octonauts toys we have!

[mumofone]

My under 3 LO loves the play kitchen and food right now as well as all the Octonauts toys we have!

How old are they kellib? My kitchen and food was popular when it was new but not sure it's holding their interest so much now

[Maza]

How old are they kellib? My kitchen and food was popular when it was new but not sure it's holding their interest so much now

I find this with pretty much all the toys - it's just more noticeable when it's the bigger or more expensive toys! Could you put it away somewhere for a while (not easy given the size) and I bet they'll love it if you bring it out in a month or two.

In terms of 'toys' my last lot of under threes (boys) were into the train track, remote control cars, any vehicle, Batman toys, construction - particularly the playmags.

A lot of childminders talk about Happyland toys, but none of mine have been too mad about it to be honest.

[mumofone]

I find this with pretty much all the toys - it's just more noticeable when it's the bigger or more expensive toys! Could you put it away somewhere for a while (not easy given the size) and I bet they'll love it if you bring it out in a month or two. In terms of 'toys' my last lot of under threes (boys) were into the train track, remote control cars, any vehicle, Batman toys, construction - particularly the playmags. A lot of childminders talk about Happyland toys, but none of mine have been too mad about it to be honest.

Thanks maza, yep I've not got into the habit of rotating toys yet but really must..

[loocyloo]

currently my under 3's are into duplo with duplo vehicles & animals, dolls and play kitchen,
a couple of weeks ago it was the train set and builders tools, balls & tubes.
before that it was the little people dolls house/fire station and garage plus vehicles/people/accessories

who knows next week?

most toys are always available if they want them, or play leads that way, but I usually something different every week or so, depending on how the play is going.

Always fascinated and engrossed in heuristic and natural objects, and being outside ( especially water play )

OH, and how could I forget playdough! :laughing:

[mumofone]

Thanks everyone and what about activities?

[loocyloo]

What do you mean by activities?

Walks in the woods, on the beach, feeding the ducks, playing in the park, playing in the garden ...

I don't have specific activities, I just follow the children's lead/stages of development and go from there.

[FloraDora]

I don't think it is about an age, I find it's more about the LO's interests when it comes to activities.
I go with what excites them, which is the unique thing we can do over larger nurseries.
Go with what they like, introduce their next next steps through where they take their play / talking and opportunity play...

I have LO's with diverse personal interests, one who is craft/ art motivated, another smallworld, another is only interested in dressing up as a Disney princess, one who is ball motivated and, to my DH delight, one who relishes anything to do with making, construction toys, screwing and fixing....
We have to go with their flow......it makes our job really interesting.....not pin point them in to a expected year group activity....they will get enough of that when they start our narrow curriculum and testing UK school life!

[mumofone]

Thanks everyone currently we do - playdough, drawing/making marks painting, sand and water play, mud play, garden - wheelbarrow, digging, watering etc, toys include books, happyland, remotes, musical instruments, soft toys, ict, as well as one school run, snacks mealtimes nappy changes but I wonder what I'm missing/whether it's enough?

[mumofone]

Thanks everyone currently we do - playdough, drawing/making marks painting, sand and water play, mud play, garden - wheelbarrow, digging, watering etc, toys include books, happyland, remotes, musical instruments, soft toys, ict, as well as one school run, snacks mealtimes nappy changes but I wonder what I'm missing/whether it's enough?

Oh I forgot lots of Duplo, role play - kitchen, food, dressing up, ride on toys, slide, puzzles...

[mumofone]

currently my under 3's are into duplo with duplo vehicles & animals, dolls and play kitchen, a couple of weeks ago it was the train set and builders tools, balls & tubes. before that it was the little people dolls house/fire station and garage plus vehicles/people/accessories who knows next week? most toys are always available if they want them, or play leads that way, but I usually something different every week or so, depending on how the play is going. Always fascinated and engrossed in heuristic and natural objects, and being outside ( especially water play ) OH, and how could I forget playdough! :laughing:

How old are they out of interest loocyloo?

[Maza]

It sounds like you have plenty. Try to think about whether your environment promotes curiosity, exploration, investigation, trial and error, hypothesising etc. I usually find that they love 'ramp' type of set ups, so maybe with your water tray, or dry sand tray or with cars, balls, cardboard tubes with pompoms. Depending on how you set up a ramp/tube activity, it could be developing gross motor skills or as with pompoms and tubes, fine motor skills.

Do you have any 'posting' resources or resources that allow the children to transport random objects in the different areas of your home?

As an alternative to playdough, you could invest in some clay one day. It's not too expensive and mine have all loved it from being toddlers.

[loocyloo]

How old are they out of interest loocyloo?

I have one set one day who are 24-28 mths and another set (come another day altogether and then other days as well) who are 29-37 mths!

[hulahoops]

I think it sounds like you do loads!

I have completely revamped my playroom and I now have very few toys. I only cater for 0-4 though and prefer them to go to pre school the year before they start school.
I love heuristic play so what we have is loose parts. Things like boxes, straws, pegs, shells - they love it. I've got scarves, hats and accessories for dressing up. I hate dressing up clothes. I tried to think back to what I loved doing when I was younger - before it was commonplace to have mountains of toys and playrooms and that's what I've based my childcare practice on.
I loved sitting and my grandma's dressing table brushing my hair and trying on her different bits of jewellery so I have jewellery and brushes. We used to have a big tin of old coins so I have jars of bits such as curtain rings, thimbles and cotton reels. I made a pet dog out of an ice cream tub so I keep all my old cartons and tubs. We use our imagination loads.
One new parent recently told me that what swayed her to come to me was the lack of bought toys and the abundance of homemade toys. It made me feel so good!

[mumofone]

It sounds like you have plenty. Try to think about whether your environment promotes curiosity, exploration, investigation, trial and error, hypothesising etc. I usually find that they love 'ramp' type of set ups, so maybe with your water tray, or dry sand tray or with cars, balls, cardboard tubes with pompoms. Depending on how you set up a ramp/tube activity, it could be developing gross motor skills or as with pompoms and tubes, fine motor skills. Do you have any 'posting' resources or resources that allow the children to transport random objects in the different areas of your home? As an alternative to playdough, you could invest in some clay one day. It's not too expensive and mine have all loved it from being toddlers.

Thanks maza, sorry to sound stupid what dyou mean posting activities?
Ooh yes Weve used clay before tho I'm not sure of the difference between playdough and clay exactly!?
I will try some ramp things too, thank you :-)

[alex__17]

I find their interests change over time, so my lot have been mad on the wooden train tracks, toy kitchen, duplo, wedgits, peppa toys, garage and cars etc then suddenly no interest in it and onto the next thing.
We had to build a wooden train track each week and weren't allowed to dismantle or touch it ever (had to slide it around to hoover the carpet) but they've not wanted to play with it for weeks now.
I put bigger things like the car garage out of the way and get it out after a while and it's a like a new toy again!

[Maza]

Thanks maza, sorry to sound stupid what dyou mean posting activities?
Ooh yes Weve used clay before tho I'm not sure of the difference between playdough and clay exactly!?
I will try some ramp things too, thank you :-)

Posting activities could be anything from posting coins into a money box (VERY popular here with toddlers),posting matchsticks/lollipop sticks into a tub with slits in the lid, posting corks into a box with holes cut into the top, posting milk bottle lids, shape sorters etc. I find that some of the commercial shape sorters are too difficult for my young toddlers who are going through a 'posting' phase - they just want to post, not match the shapes o the holes and get them the right way up etc, so making your own very simple ones is often better. Ooooh, did you get rid of those plastic bottles? How about giving them some pompoms to post into those?

Clay - it's just another sensory/tactile experience for them, and totally natural. When mine have home made playdough (most weeks) they pretty much always end up making birthday cakes/cupcakes - which is fantastic and I vary the resources that I provide to keep it exciting - but they never make cakes with clay for some reason - maybe it's just my lot. You have to treat clay differently to playdough - adding just the right amount of water, etc. We use different tools with the clay, it dries differently, it moulds differently, it feels different etc. It also gives you something permanent, which playdough doesn't - unless you use salt dough of course.

[mumofone]

How much can be free play versus adult initiated at this age? I always worry about this, I generally let them get on with stuff apart from obvious parts of our routine we need to do and maybe a daily painting or playdough session...

[mumofone]

I don't think it is about an age, I find it's more about the LO's interests when it comes to activities. I go with what excites them, which is the unique thing we can do over larger nurseries. Go with what they like, introduce their next next steps through where they take their play / talking and opportunity play... I have LO's with diverse personal interests, one who is craft/ art motivated, another smallworld, another is only interested in dressing up as a Disney princess, one who is ball motivated and, to my DH delight, one who relishes anything to do with making, construction toys, screwing and fixing.... We have to go with their flow......it makes our job really interesting.....not pin point them in to a expected year group activity....they will get enough of that when they start our narrow curriculum and testing UK school life!

Thanks flora, I feel with the one I look after (ages 2) they don't have any set thing they like to do, every day they play with something different, it makes next steps and any kind of planning hard but I just feel they're too young but I guess this is what you're saying in going with the flow...