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View Full Version : Toys Boxes to choose from.



button68
14-01-2008, 11:03 PM
I don't have enough room to store all my toys in the playroom so have planned to have the stuff kids want day-in day-out always there and then rotate the other things.

What do you consider day-in day-out stuff? I was thinking, Dolls, Cars & Car Mat, Duplo, Train Track, Dolls House, Garage erm...... mind is blank.

Also do you have stuff like Play-dough, Pencils, Paints and other craft things available for them to chose to do themselves? If they can 'help themselves to some of that stuff it's going to get seriously messy:eek: Or do you do things like that more as an organised activity for those who want to take part?

I will be dealing with pre-schoolers aged 2-4.

chez1373
15-01-2008, 12:41 AM
Im in the same situation, I dont have enough room for all the toys so ive ended up leaving toys down stairs and then most up stairs but i care for age 5 and 11 so they tend to know what they want,
Craft is always organised even if its 5 mins before all craft stuff i keep out of everyones way as little hands tend to want to play with it this is the only thing i have boxed away and they know not to touch it.
I know ive not helped much sorry hope someone else can help
cheryl

oakie dokie
15-01-2008, 06:18 AM
all my messy craft activities are always organised , and i have a big green waterproof storage box outside to store all my other toys, i have ten boxes of toys in my livingroom. there are toys everywhere! i have to ask the children what they would like to play with because they are not easily accessable to the children. wish i had a play room, anybody got onei can have!

hazelx:laughing:

button68
15-01-2008, 09:23 AM
Un-ashamedly bumpity, bumping this ;)

angeldelight
15-01-2008, 09:26 AM
Ofsted like the children to be able to go and pick their own toys to play with

When I had to keep my toys all upstairs obviously it was easier to go and get them my self

So I did a book - sort of like a scrap book with pics of the toys on each new page

Then each day the children could still pick themselves what toys they wanted by looking in the book

Angel xx

sarah707
15-01-2008, 09:27 AM
Now someone else on the old forum - it wasn't me! - had a wonderful idea... they store their toys in boxes, some in the cupboard under the stairs if I remember, so because of space, they're not easily accessible, so....

.... they made a photo book with the children, with a pic of the toy and the name of the toy on each page (some photos, some collage, some drawings) and children could look through that (rather like an Argos catalogue!) and choose what they want, then the cminder would get it out from the labelled toy boxes.

If memory serves, Ofsted loved it! :D

angeldelight
15-01-2008, 09:30 AM
Yes I was one of the members that did this !!

Angel xx

carolinel
15-01-2008, 09:31 AM
all of my craft supplies are kept well out of reach of little fingers. I get the stuff out just before we do activity. I do however leave out a pad of paper and a few pencils, so the children can do some drawing as and when they want to, or write a shopping list for role play etc etc.

Regards rotating toys, I would agree with your suggestion of rotating. my children tend to play with cars & garage, dolls & prams, duplo/megabloks, and toy kitchen everyday. and look at books. that's probably because they are all easily accesible to them. other toys such as train set, farm, happy land, dressing up, character toys, jigsaws, and games can all be seen by the children in labelled boxes so they just ask if they want to play with it.

button68
15-01-2008, 09:51 AM
Thanks ladies.

I have a huge basket with lots and lots of books to choose from and I have one off those wooden 'step' storage systems with all the sliding boxes in from Ikea so I will be able to have a fair few toys on display. All games and boxed jigsaws are piled up ontop of that.

Just thought wooden puzzles they are a main staple too!!

Have decided to keep craft stuff separate and I will get that out as and when it's needed.

Banana
15-01-2008, 11:00 AM
because of the layout of our playroom the kids have access to everything all the time (excluding crafty things as these are organised activities and stored away).

Good idea about rotating the toys!

xx

Hopscotch
15-01-2008, 11:09 PM
I did the book too i think it was called a choice book.
Bev X

Rubybubbles
16-01-2008, 02:47 PM
Even though the kids get good access to the toys here, I love the idea of the book, the children would love to makeing one good idea:clapping:

Spangles
16-01-2008, 02:57 PM
The scrap book with pictures is a great idea! I just wish I had more time to do everything I want to do as I'm getting very stressed indeed!

donnagwynne
16-01-2008, 10:38 PM
I really like the ikea step drawers too, I keep dinosaurs, jigsaws, ICT stuff, craft stuff, cars etc in them, they are easy for the children to access. And don't forget that they are quite easy stick labels onto as well. I have just seen some good basic ones on the Sparkle Box website under Classroom labels, and I think that they were free to print out. Otherwise I just take a photograph of the contents and stick that on!!