starting up toys?????

[ziggy]

I gave up minding earlier this year to work in a day nursery. Wont go into boring details but plan to return to minding in next few months. Stupidly sold/gave away all my toys and so need to start again.

Just wondered what toys/equipment other minders have found best value for money, by that I mean ones that children enjoy and play with. I would like to keep plastic noisy toys to a minimum.

Thank you

[Maza]

It's hard isn't it because you don't know what ages you will have. With babies maybe just rely on treasure basket items that you will already have around your home for now. Generally, I would say some sort of construction, a tea set, a few cars or trains. I'm sure many children could not live without a doll/baby but I can honestly say they don't get used in my house, but I think we're really unusual. Art and craft materials. Books - but you can borrow them from the library. If you ask about a childminder's card you will be able to borrow loads - enough to fill up your reading area/book box. x

[Kiddleywinks]

Ikea train set is a big hit here for all ages, and at £8 per expansion pack, great value too. They also have a great wooden toys range

[Ellisha]

My LOs all play with Happyland stuff, the cars and garage, and bricks like Duplo. They love books, play food and baby dolls. They love all the crafty stuff too - we get through loads of paper and paint but you can buy that stuff once you know the ages of the kids you will look after?

Hope your starting back up goes well.

[ziggy]

Ikea train set is a big hit here for all ages, and at £8 per expansion pack, great value too. They also have a great wooden toys range

thanks, just looked at Ikea toys, good value and we have a store nearby

[Mouse]

You need to get yourself up early on a Sunday morning and scour the carboot sales!

I'd suggest:

treasure basket - children of all ages use it
construction - building blocks, lego, duplo, stickle bricks, popoids
role play - dolls, pots & pans
dressing up - hats, scarves, bags
small world play - happyland, farm animals
vehicles - wooden train set, cars
puzzles - jigsaws, shape sorters, stacking rings
investigation - magnifying glasses, binoculars, mirrors, light up toys
musical instruments
threading - beads, lacing boards & toys
books
craft stuff


Then you can make resources yourself - glitter, shaker bottles, gloopy bags (hair gel, paint, glitter and sequins in sealed food bags), wooden bangles to hang on a mug tree etc

I know if I was to start over again I would definitely think about it a lot more rather than just buy everything I saw!

[ziggy]

My LOs all play with Happyland stuff, the cars and garage, and bricks like Duplo. They love books, play food and baby dolls. They love all the crafty stuff too - we get through loads of paper and paint but you can buy that stuff once you know the ages of the kids you will look after?

Hope your starting back up goes well.

thanks, I had lots of Happyland things and it was out everyday, wish I hadnt sold it but never mind. I am looking on Ebay and Gumtree.

[ziggy]

You need to get yourself up early on a Sunday morning and scour the carboot sales!

I'd suggest:

treasure basket - children of all ages use it
construction - building blocks, lego, duplo, stickle bricks, popoids
role play - dolls, pots & pans
dressing up - hats, scarves, bags
small world play - happyland, farm animals
vehicles - wooden train set, cars
puzzles - jigsaws, shape sorters, stacking rings
investigation - magnifying glasses, binoculars, mirrors, light up toys
musical instruments
threading - beads, lacing boards & toys
books
craft stuff


Then you can make resources yourself - glitter, shaker bottles, gloopy bags (hair gel, paint, glitter and sequins in sealed food bags), wooden bangles to hang on a mug tree etc

I know if I was to start over again I would definitely think about it a lot more rather than just buy everything I saw!

Thanks Mouse, yes I had alot of toys etc that never got played with including a very expensive wooden kitchen (although they loved hiding their socks in it lol) Sadly there arent many car boots in this area but I will try it. I enjoyed making up sensory boxes and found that was like a new toy everyday

[loocyloo]

Mine are all about 18mth-3yr ... currently obsessed by conkers, fir cones and sticks. Plus baskets and boxes to put them all in/wooden ramps to roll them down ....

When I was moving I had a 'capsule' of toys with me, with the rest in storage. It was plenty for the first couple of months ....I had a small box of vehicles, a small box of wooden trains/track, a small box duplo, a small box of little people/accessories/animals, small box of tea set & food, 3 small baby dolls/bottles, a box of paper/craft/pens/glue etc and a basket of natural/found objects.
I borrowed books from the library and actually we spent alot of time outside, so I then bought/recycled pots/buckets/spades etc and used an under the bed box as a sandpit/water tray.
Anything else we wanted/needed we made out of empty boxes.

If I could bring myself to do it, I'd almost go back to it, but the resources I have now, have been collected over many years and although I don't use all of them that often, it's good to have them when that's the direction play goes in. I have loads of puzzles, but haven't had any puzzle fiends for ages. I know if I get rid of them, then everyone will become obsessed by puzzles!

[Maza]

My LOs all play with Happyland stuff, the cars and garage, and bricks like Duplo. They love books, play food and baby dolls. They love all the crafty stuff too - we get through loads of paper and paint but you can buy that stuff once you know the ages of the kids you will look after?

Hope your starting back up goes well.

Mine weren't bothered by Happyland stuff either (well, maybe the rocket got played with occasionally). We must have been a strange but lovely bunch!

[hectors house]

I couldn't do without my Fisher price garage, they obviously love playing with cars with it but also like rolling small balls down the ramps - I did look at wooden ones but the reviews were never very good and at least with a plastic one I can let them play with it in the garden (posting dirt & gravel in and down it) and just hose pipe it off at the end of the day - also if it gets left out in the rain it's not the end of the world.

My daughter had one many years ago and when I gave up minding I sold it for £3 at a car boot sale and then 5 years later when I started again had to buy a new one at full price in Argos!

[loocyloo]

I couldn't do without my Fisher price garage, they obviously love playing with cars with it but also like rolling small balls down the ramps - I did look at wooden ones but the reviews were never very good and at least with a plastic one I can let them play with it in the garden (posting dirt & gravel in and down it) and just hose pipe it off at the end of the day - also if it gets left out in the rain it's not the end of the world.

My daughter had one many years ago and when I gave up minding I sold it for £3 at a car boot sale and then 5 years later when I started again had to buy a new one at full price in Argos!

DD saw an advert for a HUGE fisherprice garage/rampy thing Buy Fisher-Price Little People Wheelies Stand 'N' Play Rampway at Argos.co.uk - Your Online Shop for Toy cars, vehicles and sets, Activity toys. and wants to get it for me for Christmas ( how well does she know her mother? I'd much rather something like that, than anything else! ) but DH has said no!

[BallyH]

DD saw an advert for a HUGE fisherprice garage/rampy thing Buy Fisher-Price Little People Wheelies Stand 'N' Play Rampway at Argos.co.uk - Your Online Shop for Toy cars, vehicles and sets, Activity toys. and wants to get it for me for Christmas ( how well does she know her mother? I'd much rather something like that, than anything else! ) but DH has said no!

Ah DH & Dd should have got you it for you as a surprise and videoed you opening the hugh parcel on Christmas morning then posted your happy/victory dance on you tube under heading ' one happy mum on Christmas morning with her toy garage'. Imagine how many views you would get. If you showed real surprise and happines JL might sign you up for their Xmas advert next year! And a new career begins.

[blue bear]

Lidl have wooden toys on Monday 19th but that's England not sure about Ireland.

[hectors house]

DD saw an advert for a HUGE fisherprice garage/rampy thing Buy Fisher-Price Little People Wheelies Stand 'N' Play Rampway at Argos.co.uk - Your Online Shop for Toy cars, vehicles and sets, Activity toys. and wants to get it for me for Christmas ( how well does she know her mother? I'd much rather something like that, than anything else! ) but DH has said no!

I bought mine for myself as a Xmas present! And I liked it so much that I bought my grandson one last year for his 2nd Xmas.

[loocyloo]

I bought mine for myself as a Xmas present! And I liked it so much that I bought my grandson one last year for his 2nd Xmas.

I'm bound to get some Christmas money .....

does it fold away or is it something that is always out?

I DOOOOOOO want one! but I'm not allowed to put toys on my Christmas wish list! apparently I'm too old for toys !!! HA that's what they think - why else would I do this job? !!!!

[alex__17]

Oh my little boy would love that gigantic garage...but we have a small wooden one and far too much big stuff already...! I'm still very tempted but my husband would kill me and the wooden garage was a gift so can't really sell it and replace it, and I do prefer the look of the wooden one...

Our most played with things are wooden train track, cars and other vehicles, a couple of big fire engines and a rubbish truck (wow toys ones), wooden kitchen from ikea, music box and the people from the happy land.
Also arts and crafts bits, but we do go out every day for most of the morning and often lunch so find we don't need masses as we're not at home all day ever, even though I feel we have masses of stuff!

I need to do a clear out before Xmas...said that last year but they started playing with everything we were going to get rid of and I didn't have the heart to get rid!

[BallyH]

Mine are very into balance bikes at the moment. But it all depends on the Ages of the children.

[Kerry30]

Duplo is very popular in my house

[mumofone]

Happyland very popular here too, ive bought all mine second hand on eBay.
I find on top of that soft toys and open ended items such as hats and scarves are most popular :-)