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Please can you advise how you all manage transporting of toys around your settings?

 

We fully understand the need to move things around, playdough in the home corner, etc. but have had lots of problems recently with toys damaged or broken by using them in the sandpit (now clogged up with sand and no amount of drying out seems to help) or plunging battery operated toy into water.

 

I don't want to spoil anyone's play but we can't afford to keep up with the damage occurring at present!

 

Thank you!

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we have the same issues .....sand in everything! we only manage by watching closely! and having a few "tidy up" sessions during the morning....just before free flow starts, before snack is set up, and then the big one at tidy up time. It is hard as you say, transporting resources around is usually part of play. We try to put something exciting in the indoor sand pit to stop all the other bits being put in, and have a member of staff supervising so that they can fend off the more expensive items being trashed in the sand.

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We have this too at the moment. We have given the children lots of opportunities and resources that may be transported wherever they wish, but stand firm on items that must not. Children do eventually get the idea, but it does take time.

If children do transport an item we wish to stay in its designated place then we use the phrase" ooh could you please take that back for me so it doesn't get lost, broken etc".

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We used to have some areas set up that were not to be transported or moved to others. Children soon learnt which ones they could move and those that had to stay in a set place..

 

Must admit we did not allow any transporting of items to sand and water or transporting of either of these.. unless they asked permission to use it there.. this gave us the control over the items that could be used in these area and did stop the destruction of a lot of toys/items. They did have a big selection of items to use in these areas and did find that they were happy with what was provided..

Edited by Inge
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Well Sunnyday- I was just going to say whatever happened to a good old fashioned "no, playdough is not allowed in the book corner, or books dont go in water" You took the words out of my mouth!

I think along with other things, it doesnt hurt for children to learn some respect for other peoples things.

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It wouldn't hurt to show them something that is beyond repair at a whole group time and explain what has happened to it and why it now has to be thrown away sadly - . Vigilant staff and a kindly, we do not want ............... because............. please put it back on the/in the........ mantra usually works

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It wouldn't hurt to show them something that is beyond repair at a whole group time and explain what has happened to it and why it now has to be thrown away sadly - .

absolutely - and you should be wearing your very best 'sad face' when you deliver this news! :D

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I have done all of that - sad face, upset face etc, etc, and one child said "throw it away and buy another one" !!! :o :angry:

V

:o Whoa! That says it all really :( Is this the message we are giving our children nowadays.......

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I think this is one of those issues that you have to fit around your current cohort. Some groups seem to be able to move things around in a 'sensible' manner but other's don't!

This year we have a little boy who likes nothing more than tipping the construction and/or small world items into the sink well of the kitchen unit (calling it bin). I have attempted to provide other similar activities to go along with the scheme/interest, for example, setting up recycling bins and putting him in charge but in the end we had to stop this as there was nothing left in the areas for other children to play with and he often missed some of group time tidying it up. We also have a group a girls who fill the role-play bags with things from the home-corner, often transport it elsewhere in the setting and eventually just leave it. We now look in these bags first if we have lost anything! So again, we have to put limits on what can be taken away from an area due to it effecting other children's play.

In all situations like this, I think back to home "what would I allow in my own house?" I there certainly would be toys that wouldn't be allowed in the sand! I know that I've have become quite anxious over rule-setting especially those that prevent children from following their ideas but rules are important and OK to have.

Green Hippo x

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I have done all of that - sad face, upset face etc, etc, and one child said "throw it away and buy another one" !!! :o :angry:

V

Yep, I get that a lot too

I know the children understand I've got a sad face but they honestly think it's funny!

A couple of weeks ago I overheard a conversation between child and mother on their way out

Mum - have you had a good day

Child - yes, but xxx was sad with us

Mum - why was she sad?

Child - because we broke the tambourines

Mum - never mind they'll get some new ones won't they!!

 

One child had bashed so hard the beater broke through the skin and another child stood on one!!

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there seems to be a general lack of respect for our resources, its a tough one, I too have had the " I am sad because" conversation with some of our older children. One child went on a purposeful book ripping spree! the children were asked what happens if you ruin the books? they replied, put them in the bin and get more!

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there seems to be a general lack of respect for our resources, its a tough one, I too have had the " I am sad because" conversation with some of our older children. One child went on a purposeful book ripping spree! the children were asked what happens if you ruin the books? they replied, put them in the bin and get more!

Having read a few of the posts like this one, i.e., "buy more" type answers from the children, it is still worth the conversation nonetheless, if parents are not getting the message through to their children to look after what they have, then more importantly we must try - if they have broken the musical instruments, then a few days later it may be worth backing up what you are saying by having a musical activity for which you need tambourines for instance and you haven't got any - and we haven't got the pennies to go out and buy more, we must look after what we have.

Parents may see breakages as collateral damage - we should expect damage because children are playing with toys and that's just what happens and they pay enough in fees for us to have huge bank balances to pay for more - they may not at home, but surely we must! Some breakages I can take on the chin as many of us do, - others i.e., wanton destruction NO!

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I have done all of that - sad face, upset face etc, etc, and one child said "throw it away and buy another one" !!! :o :angry:

V

We had "never mind, we can ask Fr Christmas for another one"

 

I like that idea Thumperabbit. I've often wondered what the children would think to coming in to just table and chairs one morning (which we threatened them with the other day)

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I think it is a great idea to demonstrate the consequences of their actions. We close areas that are prone to things being left on the floor, we collect all the broken items and show the children and we generally don't replace items straight away.

One of my pet hates are lids left off felt tip pens but I also think it is very important for children have felt pens available so have just replaced them as soon as financially able. However, from today, I have decided that I am not replacing any felt pens that have run out and when they ask where they are, I will tell them!

I have also had to remind staff about reminding and modelling tidying-up and looking after resources. E.g. the writing table is often so full of paper and writing media that they children can no longer find a space to put their paper down in! I have had to remind the staff a few times to do a quick tidy-up with language to model "I'll just put these lids on so they don't run out...and I'll pop this paper away...I'll just pick up these from the floor so no-one stands on them!" I have also stopped play (gosh!) and asked children to tidy around themselves before continuing.

Green Hippo x

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I think it is a great idea to demonstrate the consequences of their actions. We close areas that are prone to things being left on the floor, we collect all the broken items and show the children and we generally don't replace items straight away.

One of my pet hates are lids left off felt tip pens but I also think it is very important for children have felt pens available so have just replaced them as soon as financially able. However, from today, I have decided that I am not replacing any felt pens that have run out and when they ask where they are, I will tell them!

 

You might want to have a look here for a solution to the pen issue...been meaning to make the pen holder for a while...just add it to my list............

http://www.playbasedlearning.com.au/2012/05/let-them-draw-with-more/

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You might want to have a look here for a solution to the pen issue...been meaning to make the pen holder for a while...just add it to my list............

http://www.playbasedlearning.com.au/2012/05/let-them-draw-with-more/

 

Can't get to the website link FM - what's it say and does it also apply to glue sticks too?! fed up of glue drying up on day 1 <_<

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It's quite good, they've put all the lids in air dry clay so that the pens slot back in to them and stand ends up :)

 

When your felt pens appear to have dried up, colour group them and put tips down into an inch of so of water, amazing how much ink is left in them and great for colouring mixing experiments or putting in sound bottles....saw it on Pinterest :)

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