What are your views on how many toys children need?

[buzzy bee]

Thinking more as a parent than a childminder... I flit between not wanting my children to have very many toys, so that they appreciate things and aren't "over stimualted" (and not wanting my tiny house to be crammed full of toys!) and then thinking that they don't have enough toys and wanting to have loads and loads!

Just wondered what other peoples views are?

[Mouse]

I don't think children needs lots of toys, but they do need lots of opportunities.

I like play resources that aren't toys, so a mug tree and wooden bangles, wooden bowls & natural objects (pine cones, conkers etc) for sorting, boxes & bags, fabric pieces for dress up and general play.

I think you can be really selective, so that children have a good range of resources without having hundreds of toys.

But then I'm hardly one to talk when I have enough toys to stock a branch of Toys R Us!!

[amyp]

I am the same I hate 'toys' but have loads if other stuff for my own child! Including drum kit dried beans shredded paper boxes of flour/ playdough, pine cones I could go on! I'm just not really a plastic person!

[loocyloo]

I don't think children needs lots of toys, but they do need lots of opportunities.

I like play resources that aren't toys, so a mug tree and wooden bangles, wooden bowls & natural objects (pine cones, conkers etc) for sorting, boxes & bags, fabric pieces for dress up and general play.

I think you can be really selective, so that children have a good range of resources without having hundreds of toys.

But then I'm hardly one to talk when I have enough toys to stock a branch of Toys R Us!!

I could have written the same thing! I have a wide variety and quantity of toys but currently only use a very small amount and mostly the heuristic and sensory stuff is accessible to the children.

[Smiley]

Seems like quite a few of us are moving away from plastic manufactured toys

[clareelizabeth1]

Depends what you mean by to many toys. My mother says my son is spoilt but compared to his friends he has very little. The only thing he has been bought for him is his playmobil and his train table.

The toys in my childminding room are three boxes with duplo, brio train track and megablocks(duplo and brio are mine from 30 years ago)

Toy kitchen wood blocks for pretend food cooking implements, doll with cot.

A book shelf over flowing with books

A book shelf with handmade toys, an abacas. Stacking toys, puzzles and really simple games. The dolls for doll house which stands next to it.

A little self system with 9 boxes most are filled with things like pegs. Pinecones. Corks shells as well as a box of cars, shape sorters.

That is all they toys I currently have out. In all honestly it's the sensory and art play the children like the most and that is what I have way to much off.

[Dragonfly]

my playroom is like toys r us .my own grown up children had no where near as many toys which are in this house at present. That is why i think some children don't know how to play and use their imagine, toy overload.Maybe I should have a clear out

[Simona]

Rather than the 'number' of toys I prefer the 'quality' ....making sure they are of interest to the children which in turn will extend their learning and pleasure for a long time


Plastic I am not fond of ...in fact I could say I hate it....so I prefer natural materials, real mirrors and large pieces of materials, shells, wood, stones and ...last but not least ....cardboard boxes...heaven for opportunities especially those long ones where flowers are shipped from the continent...

put a couple of those in the garden and watch the children turning them into a boat, a house, a bed etc etc!!! opportunity galore
if they break...the shop will be too happy to replace...oh and they can be recycled too!!

[munch149]

I have too much. Would quite like to minimise my toys but just can't bring myself to do it. My building toys alone include wooden blocks, duplo, sticklebricks, interstars, megablocks, magnetic blocks, real look wood blocks, popoids, marble run And more im sure

[loocyloo]

I have too much. Would quite like to minimise my toys but just can't bring myself to do it. My building toys alone include wooden blocks, duplo, sticklebricks, interstars, megablocks, magnetic blocks, real look wood blocks, popoids, marble run And more im sure

I'm like that ... as if you have a child who is into a particular thing I like to be able to extend and give variety. So I won't get rid of anything I currently have and am very cautious about buying anything new.