Wish List...where to start!!

**MAWI** · 24-01-2014, 09:45 PM

Hi All

As my previous posts state, I am in the process of re starting minding, beginning of March. As you know I got rid of EVERYTHING!! After having all the resources I needed under the Sun!

Anyway, My lovely hubby has given me some cash to start up. So I have £300-£350 to get myself some resources before my first monthly pay. . What would you buy first? Been round and round in circles, EBay, ELC, Toys Rus and back again, lol.

Need everything and seems like so little money....

Dilemma!!

**cathtee** · 24-01-2014, 09:49 PM

You can't go wrong with happyland buildings and people, I get mine from Ebay also mats with roads and farms on, also cooking things and plastic food, wish I had some money to spend. Have fun spending it

**FloraDora** · 24-01-2014, 09:59 PM

Have you got clientel lined up?
I would start with that age group ......

Wooden bricks are at my Aldi at the moment, good for all ages, treasure baskets you can make yourself, You can get a lot from Ikea for not a lot and they are good quality and safe, ethnic dolls, train, cups plates etc..for home corner...

I would go for a few good quality things and build up. Toy library's are a good source too.

**MAWI** · 24-01-2014, 10:06 PM

Originally Posted by FloraDora

Have you got clientel lined up?
I would start with that age group ......

Wooden bricks are at my Aldi at the moment, good for all ages, treasure baskets you can make yourself, You can get a lot from Ikea for not a lot and they are good quality and safe, ethnic dolls, train, cups plates etc..for home corner...

I would go for a few good quality things and build up. Toy library's are a good source too.

Yes I have one parent signed up with a 9 month old and a 3.5 year old! Will look at Aldi website now along with Happyland on EBay. Think an Ikea visit is in the cards next week!

**blue bear** · 25-01-2014, 06:45 AM

Pram high hair travel cot (unless sleeping in pram) cosy toes or blankets

I'd be looking at natural resources as much as possible, collect pine cones, look in charity shops for mug tree and curtain rings, fluffy material, silky scarves, keep it open ended so that one thing can be used as as many things as the child's imagination let's it.

Use a very sturdy cardboard box to make a toy kitchen, use plaster of Paris in jelly moulds or cake cases to make pretend food that three year old can paint, then seal with pva,

Happy land for small world,put an appeal on Facebook as for cheap or free amazing what people will give away.

Keep your cardboard from ceral packets to draw on, I would buy good quality crayons and felt tips as its false economy to buy cheap ones.

Go to pound land buy some pans for your toy cooker and make a treasure basket with washing up brushes etc from there.

Make a list of absolute essentials followed by would like and then will save up for. Look uo ideas in catalogues then google a way to make it yourself at much less cost.

**shortstuff** · 25-01-2014, 07:07 AM

My suggestion would be to look in your local charity shops and car boot sales as your money will go so much further

**ja-lula-belli** · 25-01-2014, 08:07 AM

Idea is good for good and affordable resources x

Ja-Lula-Bell*****minding

**sing-low** · 25-01-2014, 10:11 AM

Also Nearly New Sales can be good places for bargains. Our local NCT one is very good. I got a travel cot for £5 last time I went! The other thing you could do is try and find groups where activities complement what you do at home. So if your local Toddlers has a kitchen & railway track for example then your LOs can play with them there and you could have other things at home. Also, if at groups there is one thing they particularly like, you can get a version for home once you know it will be played with. And don't forget that often children play with the boxes and wrapping at Christmas more than the toys! Fun things can be free/cheap. Mine adore playing with my saucepans and wooden spoons.

**miffy** · 25-01-2014, 05:13 PM

I'd ask the children's parents what they each like playing with and go from there

Miffy xx

**amylouise867** · 26-01-2014, 12:50 AM

Originally Posted by blue bear

Pram high hair travel cot (unless sleeping in pram) cosy toes or blankets I'd be looking at natural resources as much as possible, collect pine cones, look in charity shops for mug tree and curtain rings, fluffy material, silky scarves, keep it open ended so that one thing can be used as as many things as the child's imagination let's it. Use a very sturdy cardboard box to make a toy kitchen, use plaster of Paris in jelly moulds or cake cases to make pretend food that three year old can paint, then seal with pva, Happy land for small world,put an appeal on Facebook as for cheap or free amazing what people will give away. Keep your cardboard from ceral packets to draw on, I would buy good quality crayons and felt tips as its false economy to buy cheap ones. Go to pound land buy some pans for your toy cooker and make a treasure basket with washing up brushes etc from there. Make a list of absolute essentials followed by would like and then will save up for. Look uo ideas in catalogues then google a way to make it yourself at much less cost.

Hey there,

Totally agree with the natural resources.

I see you mention a mug tree and curtain rings. I've seen this mentioned before.

What do you do with them??

Children load the stems with the curtain rings?

Thanks - look forward to hearing your ideas

x

**Mouse** · 26-01-2014, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by amylouise867

Hey there,

Totally agree with the natural resources.

I see you mention a mug tree and curtain rings. I've seen this mentioned before.

What do you do with them??

Children load the stems with the curtain rings?

Thanks - look forward to hearing your ideas

x

I have a couple of wooden mug trees. With one I painted the arms different colours, then painted wooden curtain rings in matching colours. The children can match up the colours.

I have another one that I left plain and put that out with a basket of bangles. The children hang the bangles on it. Some just do it randomly, but some put all the same colours together, or all the wooden bangles together, all the plastic ones etc.

**blue bear** · 26-01-2014, 12:42 PM

I have bigger and smaller curtain rings for the mug tree for sorting and counting, one of our mug trees has eyes and is stick man. We have a variety of bangles, hair bobbles and scrunchies to hang on the mug tree as well as practices tiring with ribbons. (I like the colour matching I might pinch that idea)
I'm thinking of putting numbers on some of the curtain rings for putting on in order and naming numbers.

**loocyloo** · 26-01-2014, 02:50 PM

I have all sorts of rings/hoops/hair bobbles to go on my mug tree.

I like the idea of painting/colour coding ... Where did you get curtain rings from? All the ones I've found have the screws inn for hooking curtain to.

Also like the tying ribbons idea. :0)

**amylouise867** · 26-01-2014, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by Mouse

I have a couple of wooden mug trees. With one I painted the arms different colours, then painted wooden curtain rings in matching colours. The children can match up the colours. I have another one that I left plain and put that out with a basket of bangles. The children hang the bangles on it. Some just do it randomly, but some put all the same colours together, or all the wooden bangles together, all the plastic ones etc.

I'm going to try this - really like the sound of it!
See what my little ones think of it - what type of paint did you use?