Wot do u do with ur toys??

[Wendy Woo]

i have all my toys in the cupboard under the stairs and bring out what the children want wen they ask as i dont have a specific playroom but i was wonderin shoud i bring everythin out so they can help themselves?
I dont do it this way as i feel that the little ones would have everythin out at once and cause havoc!!! They still get there choice as they can see into the cupboard!
Was just wonderin wot u all did to c if i am doing this right???

[crazybones]

I am lucky as I have a playroom. At the moment it is designated for the older ones after school but all the toys are in there in clear boxes. The lo's pick a box (or I do depending on my mood )then we bring it into the lounge. This way I dont have to worry about the older ones leaving lego and stuff out and once the box has been picked I lock the door.

[chez1373]

I have two large shelfing units in my living room the children can get what they want from it or ask if too high.
I dont let them get everything out as it would make more mess and hazards etc plus things would get thrown about in my mad house...

I wouldnt get everything out for them if they want something new you can get it for them and make sure they put it back its a nightmare running around after 8 and 9 year olds when they dont put things away yet the 2 and 3 year olds can do it with out asking......

[foxy lady]

hi i have mine in the cupboaed under the stairs tooo
i have taken photos of all my toys and stuck them i a book
i have written next to them what they are and also what they incourage ect
the children look at the pictures and choose what they want to get out then i fetch it for them.
my ofsted inspector was very impressed

[sutherland]

Hi,

I have a toybox under my stairs with 9 boxes all labelled with whats in them (books, vehicles, baby toys, puzzles, dressing up etc) the children are allowed to help themselves during free play to a box, when they have finished playing with a particular box they have to tidy it up put it back and then get another box out.......or yes u land up with everything out and complete havoc!!! The only things I have out already are the bigger toys that do not fit in the boxes like ride on pony, dolls house etc, but have their designated places in my living room...and the children know that once they have finished playing with them they also have to be put back before they get something else.

[Wendy Woo]

hi i have mine in the cupboaed under the stairs tooo
i have taken photos of all my toys and stuck them i a book
i have written next to them what they are and also what they incourage ect
the children look at the pictures and choose what they want to get out then i fetch it for them.
my ofsted inspector was very impressed

i like that i was thinkin bout picture on the door of whats in there but a book can be put away at the end of the day
Thanx foxy

[foxy lady]

HA HA
sometimes the children spend agaes looking at the book they dont want any of the toys out they just like looking (ha ha children a so funny sometimes)

[Wendy Woo]

HA HA
sometimes the children spend agaes looking at the book they dont want any of the toys out they just like looking (ha ha children a so funny sometimes)

even better less mess

[Rubybubbles]

I have a 4x4 unit from ikea with all the toys in, in the lounge, but am soon to be moving it, I hate having it in the room (I have lounge/diner) and boxes never getting put away, I think it was angel I remember saying had the photo book idea ages ago, and foxy you reminded me of this

[fionamal]

I have the same unit as you rubes. Its hidden behind the couch so anyone coming into the room cant see it unless you walk past the couch.

Id love a playroom but not got the room for one so this has to do. At least the majority of the toys can be put away in the storage boxes in it and I have another large Toy Box/Seat thing that the trains and bigger stuff is in.

[katickles]

Thay are everywhere in my house

My main area for minding is the conservatory so they are in there in storage unit that has bright boxes like drawers, they also have a big frog toy box. In my living room I have a large seagrass hamper which has all my daughters toys in that we share, then large toys scattered about - again my daughters. Then my dining room has another toy box. You wouldn't know it was a toy box as its supposed to be a child free zone! Anyway that has special toys of my DD.

[donnahay0]

I have been such a bad childminder this week (so far anyway). I am feeling sorry for myself as I have been suffering with a stinking cold. Anyway I only have one before/afterschooler this week so yesterday I went to another childminders home so he could play there.

Today I asked him what he wanted to do and he was happy with his Nintendo DS which he sometimes brings along with him. That was fine by me. Anyway, after a while he got fed up with that so I asked him what he would like to do and rattled off a few things (like playdough, dolls house etc). He looked blankly at me and said he didn't know. Well the honest truth was I didn't feel much like getting loads of stuff out so I quickly suggested he played the kitten's (well not so kitten anymore) favourite game. He jumped at this and was charging all round the house with the cat happily chasing it's fluffy string toy.

Anyway, I have a couple of photograph albums with all the toys, games etc in and they can choose what they want (some of it gets stored outside in one of those large green garden storage sheds which works really well). They love to look through it and sometimes they come accross a new photo of a toy I have just purchased and they didn't know about it.

The other thing I have is a box file for each child which contains colouring pencils, ruler, colouring books, sticker books, puzzle books etc. Each child can sit quietly with this if they like and from time to time I put specific colouring pages in for Easter, Christmas etc. This works really well and each child has to take responsibility of their own stuff.

[Trouble]

i have my toys out most of them all the time

but i find they pick something then you get the mats out to match etc, but after 4 mins they want something else out really bugs me

does this happen to anyone else??

[Hannahlg]

we have a plaroom where we do the childmindering too we have 2 big uintes abd the toys are in each boxes and there get what there wont.

[karenjoy]

We have a big lounge so half has the computer anys in it the other half Setees and tv. We have a dining kithcen for messy play etc

[Tily Bud]

I have toys in my hallway ( dead end type ) in storage units and boxes, a plastic garde store full, 2 kitchen cupboards full, a unit in the living room and some are even in my caravan Me thinks maybe i have too many , only problem is that i cant stop spending

[avril]

I still have x2 young children so they have toys out most of the time and I rotate them bringing different toys down from upstairs, or ask the children what they want to play with, or even hire toys from the toy libary hubby always says haven't we got enough without hiring more! But hey variety is the spice of life

[Michelle M]

I have my toys on shelving units, in stoarge boxes, its kept in a seperate toy/play room and I also have a lot in the garage in boxes, as well as all the outside toys, hubby moans that he cant get in the garage

[FizzysFriends]

I was thinking big toy box (like a blanket box) so I can lock the lid open and then rotate the toys every week.

I dont have a play room and I didn't really want toys all over the house at the end of the day.

[hbomb1]

I use my conservatory and family/dining room for childminding. Toys for older children i.e. puzzles, games like hungry hippos etc are in a cupboard in the conservartory and I tie the knob handles together with this foam bendy thing my hubby gave me to use - it looks like one of those old hair curler things. The older children i.e 4 years and over, are able to take this tie off themselves whereas the younger ones cannot so it stops them from accessing these toys. All other toys, cars, dolls, action figures etc are stored in the conservatory in an ikea storage unit. I also have a child size table and chairs in there too. In the family area I have a sofa facing a TV (of course ) and next to the sofa is the book shelving unit with hundreds of books on it. I also have tubs of toys scattered around the edges of the room/conservatory with stickle bricks, lego, wooden bricks, cars, train sets in etc. They are transparent so that the children can see what is in them, etc.

I have just invested in one of those carpet car mats which is down on the floor at the moment which doubles as a rug. It was only £10 from B&Q and kids love it.