I am going to have my first inspection next week and asked my Co-ordinator to do a pre-inspection as I was a bag of nerves, she said my paperwork was good and gave me some advice, which I will follow, her main concern was that I have too many toys, they are all in clear boxes and are for mixed age groups (5 years, 4 years, 2 years, 20 months and 15 months) she has advised me to put a lot of them away and to only leave a few for each age group. Can you have too many toys?

I think you can have too many toys.
And I guess too much of anything is a bad thing.

I read somewhere that it has a negative effect on kids if too many toys are out ...they said they will concentrate less on one thing but instead just jump from on to the next to the next....

I think the best thing is probably to rotate the toys. Make up a few boxes with toys for each age group. Some will be out for them to play and the rest stored away. And then after say 2 weeks you move one box into storage and bring a new one out. That way you can still have all your toys, but limit how much they have out to play with

I think you can. I think if you have too many, children just get them out and dont play with them(scatter them about) and it is all a bit over whelming. A few and a child will take alot more intrest in the toy they pick out and may play or explore for ages.
I have always thought we are asked to provide much to many, and like myself most childminders have toys coming out their ears! (not literally!)and half or more dont get much use, give children a box and they are happy!!!!!!!!!

Well i have lots of toys. The children choose what they want to play with, when they have finished, they have to tidy away before they have anything else out.
They can pick and choose when they want but they have to tidy away first.:)

I think you can have too many toys out at one time too.

I have all mine in boxes and rotate the boxes - children are free to choose specific toys they like though.

Miffy xx

If the toys are in boxes and stacked away then in my opinion its not an issue as they children choose what they want out and its then your rules to get a box out at a time and put it away before getting something else. I do this, I have lots of labelled boxes for the children to choose but only one out at a time. I then have more in my children's bedrooms that I rotate.

i too have lots of toys ....24yrs worth...I have never got rid of anything unless it is broken:) they are all in labelled boxes and the children have free choice as to what they would like to play with. However there are a few basic rules....if you get it out / if you have played with it /if you have finished playing with it......you put it away before choosing something else.

If they want something else out which enhances or compliments their play thats fine but I keep an eye to make sure that everything is not just piled out onto the floor:panic:

I've got heaps of toys and other resources. The children are encouraged to put away what they are playing with before they take out something else unless the other toy(s) extend the game which they are playing in some way (for example they often have the tea sets stuff out in the sand...)

My inspector was really pleased with the amount of toys etc I have and said the following in my report:

"Children are extremely enthusiastic learners who confidently take a lead role in developing their play, making very good use of the excellent range of resources available to them."

So I'm guessing that you cannot have too many toys as long as they're not all over the floor at the same time, lol! ;)

I have too many toys, alot are out for use and many more are in my children's bedrooms, Irotate them when needed but keeping my childrens toys seperate to cm toys too.

I have them all at child level where possible too, and love the way the little ones get the construction bits out - drill spanner etc to help them build the duplo ... one used the hammer a few day abo to fix the roof on the dolls house as it had a leak!

I've found the more I have available the more imaginative the children are (and the more jumbled up the boxes get lol) but as others have said, i only throw away broken toys and I do a swap of toys with another cm too, she has younger children than me right now so she hassome of my younger bits and I have her older childrens bits.

when I have my prereg i didnt have many toys out and the inspector wanted to see all of my resources so had to show her my spare room and childrens rooms to show i was well equiped.

I have too many toys, alot are out for use and many more are in my children's bedrooms, Irotate them when needed but keeping my childrens toys seperate to cm toys too.

I have them all at child level where possible too, and love the way the little ones get the construction bits out - drill spanner etc to help them build the duplo ... one used the hammer a few day abo to fix the roof on the dolls house as it had a leak!
I've found the more I have available the more imaginative the children are (and the more jumbled up the boxes get lol) but as others have said, i only throw away broken toys and I do a swap of toys with another cm too, she has younger children than me right now so she hassome of my younger bits and I have her older childrens bits.

when I have my prereg i didnt have many toys out and the inspector wanted to see all of my resources so had to show her my spare room and childrens rooms to show i was well equiped.


i love it when they do things like that:)

I have heaps of toys and they are in the playroom where the children play

So I can hardly remove some of them

Children know that they play with one set of toys at a time then put them away before moving onto the next toy

They have a whole range of different things and I personally do not think think it hurts having a good selection

You can never do right or wrong with some things can you so I would do whatever you feel comfortable with

Angel xx

You can never do right or wrong with some things can you so I would do whatever you feel comfortable with

Angel xx

well said:clapping:

well said:clapping:

Are you creeping by any chance ?

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

xxxx

Are you creeping by any chance ?

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

xxxx

how could you even think such a thing:blush:

how could you even think such a thing:blush:

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Thank you to everyone who has replied
I am going to have a major sort out this weekend and store some in my sons bedroom until after inspection, then I like the idea of rotating the boxes to give them some different toys each week. Going to buy some new boxes tomorrow to make the job easier (Don't tell my dh I'm going to spend more of my wages on toy boxes lol)

I don't have anywhere that I can have all the boxes available to see so I am working on photographing all my toys as then making a catalogue of them so that the children can choose. I do have a small amount out each day which the children can access in the wardrobe though and this is rotated.

I don't have anywhere that I can have all the boxes available to see so I am working on photographing all my toys as then making a catalogue of them so that the children can choose. I do have a small amount out each day which the children can access in the wardrobe though and this is rotated.

Thanks that's a fantastic idea, it will then be child led!! Mrs Ofsted will like that.

Well i have lots of toys. The children choose what they want to play with, when they have finished, they have to tidy away before they have anything else out.
They can pick and choose when they want but they have to tidy away first.:)

me too i have a play room full of toys for all age groups but not everything is out all of the time and yes children have to tidy up b4 we get out the next set of toys;
we have morning play/// lunch///afternoon activities and then toys//school runs etc/// later afternoon toys /// etc etc etc
rotate around the children on role and personal needs and likes

i dont think it matters how much you have it sounds like your well organised and if the toys have lables on the boxes etc its then giving the children choices which is what ofsted is looking for xxx