Does anyone NOT have a grimms rainbow ...

[Maza]

I don't have a grimms rainbow. I'm most probably not going to ever buy one either.

I do think they look lovely and everyone on fb/instagram seems to have one. Are they really as great as they are made out to be? Do the children really love them? I got a very cheap imitation from somewhere a while ago and the children never touched it. Admittedly it could only lie down, it wouldn't balance so they couldn't stack it.

So, am I the only childminder without one?
If you do have one, do the children absolutely love it?

No point to this post really, just curious!

[Mouse]

I've got a 12 piece Grimms rainbow and it is played with quite a lot. Having said that, I really don't think the children would miss it if it wasn't there and it's definitely not a necessity.

I've had a few different ones over the years and it does need to be a stacking rainbow to get the most out of it. What I like about the Grimms one is that it's stained wood, not painted, so doesn't chip. I did have a smaller, cheaper one (might have been from Sainsbury's), but it was painted and chipped as soon as it was played with. It didn't take long for it to look really tatty.

The big Grimms one sits on a higher shelf until the children ask for it, but I do have a smaller one from Amazon that they have free access to. It's very well played with but hasn't chipped at all and still looks as good as new.

I bought my Grimms rainbow with some funding I had. Now I've experienced it in use, I can honestly say I wouldn't spend my own money on one and would happily stick to the smaller one.

[loocyloo]

I have one .. it was my 40th birthday present from my mum!

The children enjoy playing with it, but it only comes down for play under supervision! It makes great bridges and tunnels and rockers for small world toys and cars, sometimes we just use it to make sculptures and patterns and other times, just a few colours to add to play.

I have several small wooden houses/ etc that stack together that may be grimms ... i can't remember! The children enjoy those. Myriad is a good website for ideas and do have good deals on things. I also keep an eye out on ebay/amazon and etsy for other bits and pieces of that ilk!

[Dragonfly]

I’ve got a imitation grimms rainbow and it’s never played with. It has been the most waste of money toy.

[SYLVIA]

Maza I don’t have one either. I have looked many times and managed to keep my finger away from the “add to basket “ button. We have managed without up till now so I don’t think I will buy one now

[Dragonfly]

No don’t Sylvia.

[mumofone]

This thread is funny Maza! I just recently thought I really needed a Grimms rainbow but wasn't even sure why I thought I did. I don't think I'll be buying one. As you say, I've managed this long without one, I don't think I need one now! I'm trying generally to spend less on resources. I always feel pressured to buy certain toys but to be honest the children don't really have favourites and just play with whatever is out I guess.
I've just bought some nice wooden sensory tubes as they seem to be the latest thing for babies to look at small objects in but know the babies I have currently will hurl them across the floor causing the lids to pop off so i'm wondering now why I bothered!!!

[Mouse]

Yesterday I saw a photo of a beautiful set up a childminder had. It was an Ikea Kallax until full of lovely wooden Grimm's type toys. It looked wonderful, but I did wonder how many of these set ups are really for the children and how many are for the adults! It makes a lovely display, but how much do the children actually play with it?

I did have a lot of Grimm's stuff but most of it was hardly touched by the children. It looked lovely on the shelf, but wasn't really used so I sold the majority of it. I now have baskets of conkers, pine cones, corks etc and they get played with so much more.

[Maza]

Yes Mouse, I've been thinking the same about some of these instagram worthy set ups - who are they for? Having said that, I would have absolutely loved some of the set ups as a child, I was such a fantasy world dreamer.

Mumofone, I don't know if you did the wanderlust training on the hygge in the early years website, a few of us did the online course when it was £5 - I think it might be on offer again actually. It is lovely, but it does make you think you need to get loads of new books and resources. My latest thing that I think I need is a battery operated pillar candle. They are so lovely and do make a display/areas look cosy, but you would be forever replacing the batteries. I almost bought one today, having resisted several times recently, but DH was with me so I couldn't.

[Pixie dust]

Yes Mouse, I've been thinking the same about some of these instagram worthy set ups - who are they for? Having said that, I would have absolutely loved some of the set ups as a child, I was such a fantasy world dreamer.

Mumofone, I don't know if you did the wanderlust training on the hygge in the early years website, a few of us did the online course when it was £5 - I think it might be on offer again actually. It is lovely, but it does make you think you need to get loads of new books and resources..


There are some amazing setups on Instagram but I know in my setting they wouldn't stay like that for 5 minutes :laughing:

I have seen some lovely setups in linked to the Wanderlust training too but I don't know where everyone stores all their resources as mine are taking over the house and I actually don't have that much but I do have a Grimms rainbow :laughing: which my current children actually love and it gets used every week.