clearing out toys and equipment

[terrydoo73]

I have been trying over the past few months to get rid of some of my toys and equipment. Took a notion at the beginning of the week to get rid of my larger items - kitchen, baby sorting table, large dinosaur and double buggy. I have had most of these items since I started childminding 8 years ago and they take up so much floor area that I just got fed up looking at them. Lately the twins I mind have just been pulling them to pieces and breaking things off them so I advertised them on my freegle site and by tomorrow evening they should all be gone. The double buggy was bought for £1 at a church auction and I haven't had it in use for over a year now. It just got in the road every time I went into the playroom with tripping over it etc.

Problem is now I am scared I have done too much!! I have still got 4 fold up cots and a high chair and I only really use 2 of the cots and have changed to seats which attach to the ordinary chairs in the kitchen - so much easier. The high chair was my daughters and she is now 9 years of age. I know I have had pictures of most of my mindees in this chair but it is just so bulky and the room could be filled with just such items and very rarely out - the mindees insist of pulling them apart etc and I am frightened for them that they will have an accident one of these days.

Has anyone else ever culled a lot of their equipment, regretted it afterwards and what did you do? My reckoning was that if it hasn't been used in over a year why keep it. I have loads of crafts and stuff that I know will eventually be used but it is just sitting there at present. I am embarressed if anyone ever happens to walk into my playroom as it looks cluttered but I do use a lot of the toys and they are in the Argos cubby hole system with only like a playhouse, a garage etc on top for easy access and because they don't fit into the holes!

[miffy]

I know I've got way too much stuff - I've been threatening a clear out for ages.

The children tend to play with much the same things anyway and even if I get other things out they still ask for their favourites.

I didn't have half the things I have now when I first started minding and the kids were perfectly happy.

Miffy xx

[sarah707]

I have open shelving and regularly change things round and get rid of things.

I have also gone from high chairs which are bulky to seats that go on my dining chairs and tuck away.

I think it's important to keep things fresh and if I need to replace things I think well at least this time I really need them.

I can get the latest and most up to date and research what I'm buying with the benefit of experience.

Enjoy your de-cluttering! :D

[Chatterbox Childcare]

It doesn't matter what I clear out - I always need it again with 2 weeks of throwing it so I don't throw anything anymore!

[AnnieM]

When I lost my 3 mindees last year (2 sisters and a brother who moved down south) I decided I was giving up with the little ones and feecycled almost everything..... :panic: Since then I have had the inevitable change of heart and decided that I wanted to carry on. I have had to re-purchase just about everything. :rolleyes: I am just buying things as I need them though, so bought a buggy and if I get a baby I will get a highchair and travel cot.
My toys were all rather old fashioned, but as I had so many I couldn't really justify buying new stuff, I have since purchased almost the full collection of Happyland, n:laughing: ew meccano, jigsaws, games, outdoor toys, character toys, books etc., etc., etc.....

[singingcactus]

In my move I have culled all my kit. I rarely got out the big stuff I had so I was planning on getting rid of it all anyway - I mean, who needs 3 different farmyards etc anyway!
I have kept some of the favourite things but gotten rid of the rest. I don't regret it. There are enough car boot sales and charity shops that I can quickly replace anything I have gotten rid of. I have even got rid of all my prams and pushchairs and have one buggy/pram in mid to buy if a child comes along who requires one.
It's always good to have a clear out so that we can re-assess our provision.

[Daftbat]

I put things i don't use, or have a duplicate of in the loft - in my experience you may end up needing it again at some point in the future and i always think its best to have spare buggies and high chairs just in case of a breakdown of equipment. I do sort out toys regularly though and try to up date from car boots, lots of times i am really lcky and my customers donate all sorts of things to me from toys to car seats!

[miffy]

I've been clearing out games and jigsaws this morning.

I've found it quite therapeutic. I now have one very tidy shelf with all the games and puzzles I'm keeping neatly stacked. The only trouble is the rest of the unit looks a mess :rolleyes:

I'm taking the ones I'm getting rid of to the charity shop tomorrow so hopefully someone else will enjoy them.

Miffy xx

[terrydoo73]

I have managed to get rid of a kitchen, a baby's fisher price table with sorting blocks, a large ELC snakes and ladders game, a dinosaur baby toy with balls you can put in and see them rolling down a slide - so much difference to the floor area in my playroom! I have still got a lot of stuff but at least the floor is clear now so that children could go in and play there if they wanted too.

However I do not open this room to my 2 mindees - twins who just literally go in and empty every box of toy out into the centre of the floor and walk away and start trying to climb up the empty cubby holes to get higher and higher!! I know that at my last inspection they recommended I should open the room to the children more and I did try it but it did my head in trying to put everything away again as well as constantly trying to haul children down from the holes etc. At least I can say when they come back this autumn that I have tried it and these are the problems I experienced etc etc and if they come up with solutions I will listen to them and give them some thought. I just hate having stuff that is inaccessible but I have to think of safety and also the development needs of the children I care for - I mean how can you really see what they enjoy and benefit from if they are just messing everything out and trying then to pull other stuff down?

[mama2three]

I've been clearing out games and jigsaws this morning.

I've found it quite therapeutic. I now have one very tidy shelf with all the games and puzzles I'm keeping neatly stacked. The only trouble is the rest of the unit looks a mess :rolleyes:

I'm taking the ones I'm getting rid of to the charity shop tomorrow so hopefully someone else will enjoy them.

Miffy xx

wher did you take them miffy , may have to have a look!!!:D

[PixiePetal]

I had a good sort out when I moved but still have loads.

I find as the ages of mindees change I need different toys and equipment.

Last year I had a lot of 2-3yr olds, now I have 18m and just 2, after Christmas I am losing them and having a 1yr old and 7 month old so different stuff needed out again.

I box some things up and put in loft - the baby box has been there for a while but will make a reappearance and dressing up will be sorted and only keep appropriate age stuff out. High chairs will be out again and travel cot at the ready :thumbsup:

Might go through my puzzles and get rid of a few as I am bored of seeing some of them - my DD is 16 and some were hers:blush:

[patevans]

I had a massive clear out 2 weeks ago as I had a new boiler and had to clear the whole room, I put everything back one by one checking all pieces/parts were presents checked everything worked with batteries and took a photo of every single item for my equipment catalogue, never seen the room so neat and tidy :D

[miffy]

wher did you take them miffy , may have to have a look!!!:D

pm'd you!

Miffy xx