Toy box labels

[mumofone]

I wondered how you all label up your toy boxes? By that I mean what are yours called? I keep toys stored and then bring them out on the day (generally) but I'm unsure how to do divide up the toys and label them? Not sure this makes sense?!

[FussyElmo]

I wondered how you all label up your toy boxes? By that I mean what are yours called? I keep toys stored and then bring them out on the day (generally) but I'm unsure how to do divide up the toys and label them? Not sure this makes sense?!

Are you stuck on a certain set of toys?

I think I have puzzles, dolls, happyland, cars, teddies, cooking, mirrors, scarves, superheroes, fishing game, magnets, blocks, paint, paper, etc

[TinyTinker]

I don't have labels as everything is either in open storage, on shelves or in clear boxes with lids (so contents can be seen).

[FloraDora]

Like Tiny tinker I have open storage on shelves or I put out small baskets - they can see what is in them so no need to label unless you want to show words and labels in the environment...also shows children there is a reason for words ...not just in stories, they help you too.

I despair of the ikea big square storage boxes that everyone I visit seems to have - they fit nicely into the cube storage and look good but are too big and so lots of things end up together then it's too heavy for the children to tidy away independently. They are fine for you to keep things in, but not LO's. If they have to keep asking for things it hinders free play and extended play.
The shallow drawers are much better, you can seperate things out more and the children can access them much better - a bit like the school trays, you only need the deep boxes for bigger things.
I personally favour the Montessori style of fewer, specific resources on shelves that are accessible to children, but I know that lots of the playrooms I see are chockablock plastic toys everywhere, often big toy boxes full of different things, most of which just gets emptied out and then the children move on....

Open baskets, loose materials don't need any labels.

I think the way you organise and group just comes naturally as the children play e.g all my small world are in little baskets on shelves now as the children often want to get animals to go with the fairies or more people for the Pirates or butterflies when the play in the garden, they have their favourite people set and use them in all sorts of settings...they add wood slices to the train set or shells as food when they play in the kitchen....so smallworld is easy instant access.
If you are stuck though just browse through an early years catalogue/ website and note the catagories...Cosy, TTs, Hope..even the ELC gives you ideas of putting toys into sets.
Exciting times though, sorting your resources...I love doing this!

[Pixie dust]

Like Tiny tinker I have open storage on shelves or I put out small baskets - they can see what is in them so no need to label unless you want to show words and labels in the environment...also shows children there is a reason for words ...not just in stories, they help you too.

I despair of the ikea big square storage boxes that everyone I visit seems to have - they fit nicely into the cube storage and look good but are too big and so lots of things end up together then it's too heavy for the children to tidy away independently. They are fine for you to keep things in, but not LO's. If they have to keep asking for things it hinders free play and extended play.
The shallow drawers are much better, you can seperate things out more and the children can access them much better - a bit like the school trays, you only need the deep boxes for bigger things.
I personally favour the Montessori style of fewer, specific resources on shelves that are accessible to children, but I know that lots of the playrooms I see are chockablock plastic toys everywhere, often big toy boxes full of different things, most of which just gets emptied out and then the children move on....

Open baskets, loose materials don't need any labels.

I think the way you organise and group just comes naturally as the children play e.g all my small world are in little baskets on shelves now as the children often want to get animals to go with the fairies or more people for the Pirates or butterflies when the play in the garden, they have their favourite people set and use them in all sorts of settings...they add wood slices to the train set or shells as food when they play in the kitchen....so smallworld is easy instant access.
If you are stuck though just browse through an early years catalogue/ website and note the catagories...Cosy, TTs, Hope..even the ELC gives you ideas of putting toys into sets.
Exciting times though, sorting your resources...I love doing this!

Your set up sounds like how I dream my playroom will look like but in reality it is turning more and more in to a plastic nightmare!! I think I need to have a good sort out, to be honest I don't have that many resources it is just the storage which is the issue. The hardest is my dressing up resources they just gets stuffed into a pop up storage cube totally uninviting .

[FloraDora]

Your set up sounds like how I dream my playroom will look like but in reality it is turning more and more in to a plastic nightmare!! I think I need to have a good sort out, to be honest I don't have that many resources it is just the storage which is the issue. The hardest is my dressing up resources they just gets stuffed into a pop up storage cube totally uninviting .

I use my loft a lot and rotate or go up there on request in my efforts to keep easy access and more minimal, but often things build up and I have a sort out. Friends have stopped offering me toys now ! I have nothing against the colourful plastic toys and I do have some but I think the children have lots of this at home so I try to offer something different . My favourite plastic is Duplo and lego - no wooden bricks can generate the fun and play value it offers!
I use a freestanding towel rail with a shelf under for my dressing up clothes. Just the right height for little ones though it becomes a little wobbly at times ( which was why I abandoned it to the loft many years ago) but the children love to get a screw driver and tighten it up, so an added activity now and then. I keep an accessory basket under on the shelf. They get in real pickles sometimes putting the clothes back on hangers, but then it's another life skill to practise. I noticed our local wilkinsons has one similar for £7.99 the other day.
My problem is where to keep it, I don't have a play room downstairs, just a den upstairs - I bring the rail down - but it lives really in the music room, so dressing up here tends to go with making music unless it takes their fancy and they fetch something, not ideal though and is on my list to review.
I have made some tutu's this summer and they do not store well! Currently they just hang from a hook on the side!

[Mouse]

I have various cube style storage units, similar to the Ikea ones. The lower cubes have storage boxes in them, but they are low enough that the children can pull them out and push them back in themselves. On the higher cubes I have either baskets, big wooden bowls or loose toys.

I don't have labels on the toy boxes as the children know what's in them. I do think it's good for them to see words though, so I have laminated pictures & words in the boxes. In one of the boxes I've got a lot of wooden puzzles - stacking rings, shape puzzles etc. They're all mixed in together, so I have taken photos and made laminated pictures showing what each one should look like. That way the children can follow the photos to fit them together.
IN other boxes I've got picture & photo cards that I've made. For example, in the car box I have laminated cards for the bus, the taxi, racing car, Mini etc. The children know the names of the vehicles, so can see how it's written. Some cards ate typed and some are hand written.

If you do decide to have labels on your boxes, think why. Will it benefit the children, or is it purely to please Ofsted? If you think it will seeing labels will benefit the children, so they need to be on the boxes?