Considering having a mega downsize of resources - anyone regretted this?

jumpinjen · 11-03-2012, 08:58 AM

Hi everyone,

I'm feeling constrained by all the stuff I have in storage in both my lounge and my garage (ten large trug crates of resources from baby toys all the way through to seasonal resources, then loads of craft things, and a whole bookshelf full of pussles and games to rotate) in the lounge I have 16-20 boxes/baskets out with things in. I am seriously thinking about selling loads of things and then being more spontaneous and creative again with what I have as often the things seem to be played with for very short times and my smallish house is being taken over by childminding even though I have just one mindee at present three days a week! My question is - has anyone done this and then regretted it? It has taken me four years to build up these resources from boot sales, ebay etc etc and once gone then they are gone!! I wanted to put the money raised towards a large set of community playthings unit blocks that would support lots of EYFS areas and lots of different play scenarios... things like my light panel get used so rarely it seems a waste to keep it really!

Any thoughts to help me out?

jen x

**Newbie1!** · 11-03-2012, 09:02 AM

I cant offer any advice hun but will read this with interest as I am exactly the same!! Ive reached a point where the playroom doesnt have a massive amount of room to play in due to all the stuff but on the other hand Im not sure what Id want to get rid of/put away etc. All the things in my garage and shed are very rarely touched and I had wondered about working on a theory that if they arent used for x amount of time then we dont need them but I tried this once with some baby things as I didnt have any babies and then had two baby enquiries within two months of getting rid of them!

I keep going through my boxes too (things such as boxes of cars etc) to see if I can make them smaller but never want to get rid of any of them as Child A likes that one and Child B prefers this one....it just goes on and on!!

Hope someone comes along with some good suggestions!!xx

**RainbowMum** · 11-03-2012, 09:06 AM

I have got rid of quite a lot this last year I want less plastic and have given away lots of the dolls, cars, noisy toys etc - I dont miss any off it and am considering having another clear out - only trouble is I am a bit of a resource addict and have bought a lot of wooden resources instead so I'm no better off space wise

**miss mopple** · 11-03-2012, 09:35 AM

Jen you are the queen of creative thinking! Whittle down and the kids will play in so much more imaginative ways with the resources you do have.

I culled loads when we moved and it really isn't missed. I kept the favourite ones of course, but it feels so good to have less in the house

**Bluebell** · 11-03-2012, 09:35 AM

I have tonnes of toys that are boy orientated as I have 2 sons. I got rid of most of my baby toys so when I started childminding had to build up again. Having said that the children I've had have mainly been in the 2 /3 year old range rather than infants. I rotate what I have too and recently had a clear out of less used items and duplicates. Like for some reason we had masses of airplanes and helicopters so I thinned them down to the favourites. We also had masses of trucks and cars so again I thinned them out. I then looked at what I didn't have and built on that. My DO had pointed out I lacked girls toys and diversity toy so I sourced them from charity shops.
My playhouse was dirty and a bit worse for wear so I bought a second hand one that I scrubbed up and then scrubbed up the old one and sold that on.
Maybe you could try just having a clear out of one thing - like plastic toys and aim to get rid of one box - you're not going completely gung-ho about the whole thing then and can reassess what you need to get rid of / invest in next. It will also be less of a time-consuming task too!

**sarah707** · 11-03-2012, 09:50 AM

I have been reading up on de-cluttering as part of something I am currently writing and it is a very interesting subject.

Some childminders have found themselves marked down by local authorities which use FCCERS and ECCERS to grade their service because they are not offering sufficient choice or duplicates etc.

However Ofsted are fine with it according to letter written by Liz Elsom on the Elizabeth Jarman site about communication friendly spaces (TM).

I have found from reading Ofsted reports that inspectors like to see toys children can easily access in labelled boxes - they don't have a problem with resources being rotated if the children have free choice (photo albums or choice books) of what they want out.

However there are some parts of provision (reading, mark making, music, dance, art etc) that should always be freely available to ensure you are linking learning with all the areas of learning and development.

You could make changes as part of an ongoing improvement project - audit your provision against the areas of learning of the Eyfs, show how you have involved parents and children, carry out obs to see what is currently being used, make decisions based on their comments and the spaces available etc.

Document it all with photos and put it in a file for Ofsted / parents etc to show your commitment to continuous professional development.

Hth

**Mouse** · 11-03-2012, 10:08 AM

I am in the process of a massive declutter and it's great! I haven't missed a single thing I've got rid of and neither have the children.

With my own children and childminding I have been building up resources for over 21 years. That's a lot of stuff.

I have made quite a lot of money so far which is mainly being used on re-vamping the outdoor play space.

**RedDragon** · 11-03-2012, 10:15 AM

Do you think it's the weather? lol Had exactly the same idea this week.

**catminder** · 11-03-2012, 11:19 AM

If the resources haven't been used for some time them you probably won't miss them. Maybe have a car-boot sale now the weather's picking up and see how you go with it. Good luck

**rickysmiths** · 11-03-2012, 12:38 PM

I am about to do the same. I have too much stuff. I will be culling over the next few weeks.

**mushpea** · 11-03-2012, 01:05 PM

i had a massive delcutter after christmas and got rid of quite a lot of stuff especialy the big happy street buildings and things like that, now all the toys I have are in the play room in 4 draw storage towers, one unit is filled with things like pine cones, plastic containers, loo rolls, peices of materials etc and the rest with toys such as building blocks, small world people, and construction toys.
the childrne are now far more creative and imagintive in their play using blocks to build the houses and the material to cover the wooden dolls house and make mats in it etc.
I only have a couple of battery musical toys now and have a lot m ore puzzles.
I am definatly glad i did it and they dont seem to miss the old stuff.

jumpinjen · 11-03-2012, 01:24 PM

Interesting replies - thanks everyone! maybe it is the weather LOL!

I decluttered plastic and electronic toys about three years ago and we have mainly wooden things but I have a garage, a kitchen, a doll house, a farm etc that are all wooden and they take up loads of space and when I looked back over learning journeys I realised that the children mainly use the hollow wooden blocks to build a garage, a kitchen , a doll house, a farm when they want it and the ready made ones are rarely used - the collection of baby doll things has gotten out of hand too! the light box isn't used if it stays out and so we use it for all of a few weeks every year - I saw some ideas for making a light box for exploration that was a temporary setup so could ustilise that and have some space back! They already play very open-endedly so I'm thinking of mainly keeping those things.

Sarah thanks for the inside nod on decluttering - I try and keep my local authority well out of my house if I can as i don't need their stressful way of approaching things and their negativity! I have labelled segrass baskets in ikea units for the children to access themselves, but don't have a photo book of all resources - is that really necessary or can I rotate things according to observed needs? involving parents is a good idea to make it a setting development thing - how would you suggest that is done? through a questionnaire? Newsletter? i only have one child at present and it all feels a little false doing letters etc - I've had the little girl since she was 4 months and they are like family!!!

I would spend any money raised on the community playthings blocks that I'll be playing with at the NEC on Friday!!!!

Thanks for the flattering comments Miss Mopple!

Jen x

**sarah707** · 11-03-2012, 02:02 PM

With involving parents I was thinking more about if you have quite a few children and you can do a questionnaire and gather comments and get different viewpoints.

I suppose if there's only one child you'd just have a chat and ask if s/he comments about what she plays with at your house... favourite resources at home... thoughts on what you have available etc and take it from there.

I got some fab big blocks with a grant from Cheshire and the children love them!

**blue bear** · 11-03-2012, 04:23 PM

I'm useless at de cluttering, I put 8 bin liners in the loft after Christmas and the only thing that's been asked for is the happy street train track. Everything else is heading for a car boot sale but dh will do the deed or I'll be getting it all back out again.

**Monkey1** · 11-03-2012, 04:57 PM

i am on first name terms with the bloke at the tip this month! although i am interested in buying your light box

Im doing a car boot sale in may with all the stuff we dont use/need anymore and im going to spend the proceeds on a weekend away with my family!

**loocyloo** · 11-03-2012, 05:33 PM

having moved 6 months ago, i have most of my toys in boxes upstairs and a selection downstairs, but i pretty much only have 2 yr olds, so what i have out suits them. i have lots of games etc for older children, plus masses of playmobil, that the older children have alwasy loved, its just not suitable currently.

i did sort through my cars and get rid of some, but sorted through the animals and only ended up identifying what animals i WANTED !!!

i do have a HUGE box of duplo, and only half of it out, and the same with the wooden train track. but every so often someone says they want something, and i go and rummage and get more out and i'm loathe to get rid of it! ( i did have a semi sort out before we moved, and again, as i unpacked! lots went to the school fair & charity shop, and i am amassing a pile to sell! )

i WILL declutter my toys! i have swapped all my dressing up for open ended fabric, hats etc, but the 'outfits; are soooo useful for school dress up days/plays/parties etc!

... see, i have a good excuse to keep everything!!!

jumpinjen · 11-03-2012, 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by Monkey1

i am on first name terms with the bloke at the tip this month! although i am interested in buying your light box

Im doing a car boot sale in may with all the stuff we dont use/need anymore and im going to spend the proceeds on a weekend away with my family!

Now THAT's a great idea!!!! Don't let the taxman read it though - technically don't the resources belong to 'the business'?? Well if so you'd better expense your holiday then too!!!!!!! I will get in touch if i decide on booting out the light box - probably will though!!

Jen x

**leeloo1** · 11-03-2012, 07:29 PM

Oh, I'm v tempted by the community playthings blocks - which set were you looking at? I've just bought one of their cosy space rooms and its v gorgeous!

I love the idea of decluttering... I've just tidied up what I have, but don't know where to start with decluttering and as my own kids, and the ones I mind are getting older then we're getting more toys (proper lego etc) - not less. But I still have 1 tiny and 1 of my big kids is leaving, so I'll need to get a new 1 yr old - so I can't get rid of baby toys either (ARGH!). I'm not helping am I? Sorry.

jumpinjen · 11-03-2012, 07:35 PM

No, you aren't LOL!!! My problem is that I carefully picked all the toys I kept after decluttering before - they all have clear cause and effect, many are wooden and most don't sing and dance so they are hard to pick through again as probably I would never find them again if I wanted them and changed my mind!! I think it's the quarter school set that I want - it is about £450 though so I need to sell a LOT of stuff to save that much!!

Jen x

**Monkey1** · 11-03-2012, 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by jumpinjen

Now THAT's a great idea!!!! Don't let the taxman read it though - technically don't the resources belong to 'the business'?? Well if so you'd better expense your holiday then too!!!!!!! I will get in touch if i decide on booting out the light box - probably will though!!

Jen x

Oh no hunny, i wouldnt want to upset the tax man (and certain members who may jump down my throat !) im talking about things that my children have outgrown, not resources for childminding!