Keeping mindees interested in your toys?

[Bitsy Beans]

I am worried that my mindees are getting a bit bored :o

I do have other resources stashed around the house (eg dressing up, happyland small world etc) and I have the main bulk freely available in storage so they can help themselves.

I just wondered what you all do to keep mindees interested in your existing resources? How do you present them in different ways? I feel at the moment my mind is drawing a blank on all thinks play/toy related and I could do with some inspiration from all you lovely peeps on here :D

[venus89]

I do find that some have more enduring interest to the children than others... here the favourites are Little People, the toy kitchen area, anything in the garden, and cars and trains..... Puzzles are also quite popular.

I used the mosaic approach: talking to the children about what they like and why and asking them to show it to me, noting down what they say> I tracked the children to see which spaces they used and which they didn't. Then I had a bit of ajiggle. If you move things around then even if you have exactly the same resources on show they'll choose different things. It's like th esupermarket moving the aisles. Drives me nuts, I end up wandering for ages, but new things do catch your eye.....

Also, next time you plan to buy more resources, invlove them in those plans if possible.... Find out what they have at home they'd like you to have here.....

[mushpea]

I store toys in a garden shed and only get a few boxes out each week and i also get different toys out each week so they are not always the same, this seems to keep the younger ones more interested,,, as for the over 5's , i do the same but at the moment the 6yrold does nothing but either sit on the chair singing really anoying tunes or rolls around the floor being silly so not really sure what to do with him.

[harrysgirl]

I just keep rotating toys - putting the boxes in different places each day. I have some stored away and rotate these. If we have a theme running I place all the 'themed' toys in a theme box... Anything to present them differently seems to work - even just tidying the toy boxes up - they can't wait to get everything out to play with messing them up again!!:laughing:

[Bitsy Beans]

Now I've tried asking my 2 mindees what they've got at home or what they like and they don't really give me much of an answer :rolleyes:
I do try and bring out different stuff each week but half the time they don't seem that bothered. Perhaps it's just me and the way I do things :eek: :o

[miffy]

I agree with Venus, the way toys are presented can make a big difference whether they're played with or not.

Try things like tipping bricks out into a tuf spot or large tray, adding natural materials like straw to the farm animals or even just putting toys on a different level like a train track on a table so they can stand to use it.

Experiment a bit and see if it makes a difference but if the children are occupied and happy in their play I'd say you've got it right anyway so stop worrying :)

Miffy xx

[venus89]

Now I've tried asking my 2 mindees what they've got at home or what they like and they don't really give me much of an answer :rolleyes:
I do try and bring out different stuff each week but half the time they don't seem that bothered. Perhaps it's just me and the way I do things :eek: :o

:blush: I have to admit that it doesn't always work.... I aksed the two 3 year olds what they like and don't like about my garden. They like the slide and trampoline. One doesn't dislike anything and the other said 'the dragons'.... That was very helpful :laughing: It ended up being a conversation about dragons hiding in the bush and trying to eat the children.....

[vickieford85]

I rotate my toys quiet a lo. I tend to have a week of Brio trains, then crafty week, then cars so on and so forth.

We are spending an awful lot of time out in the garden and making toys from what we find in the garden or walks i.e rain makers.

Try and have a week completely off toys, go to a local open space with another childminder with a parachute(sp?), some bubbles, balls etc that will waste a session.

Then have a different themed messy play a day, great in this weather you can do it outside all the mess none of the clear up.

HTH

Vickie

[Bitsy Beans]

Thanks for the replies. I will have another attempt to ask them what they'd like and have a look into changing how toys are presented.