Home Corner

[Guest terrydoo73]

Our room is very very small and we are limited in what we can do. So let me describe what we have so far!

 

In the back corner we have a 6 deep shelve unit which we use for bowls saucepans etc. Then in front of that and facing into the room from one end is the larder cupboard, sink, cooker, washing machine all in wood and good quality. We have a table to one side with 2 chairs. We usually put out saucepan and frying pan with pretend potatoes and veg as well as meat then in the larder we have a bowl of fruit along with a host of real items in terms of packaging - butter, egg carton, bisto gravy, cup a soup box etc etc We usually have the table set with a plate, knife and fork with cups. We have a doll in either a cot or high chair with the usual baby items - bowl, bottle, SMA jar, nappy, clothes etc etc.

 

It just looks boring and every month we go through it and see if there is anything we can do to jazz it up but are failing big time. Any advice would be much appreciated.

[Deb]

Ours is similar to yours. We have also added a little sofa and some drawers. It's quite a big area, with a drama centre off it with dressing up clothes and a mirror. We also have a writing/office area come dressing table nearby. We also put in things like a washing up sponge and tea towel, uncooked pasta. Alongside the telephone we have a TV made out of a cardboard box decorated with a picture from a magzine, with a choice of channels front and back, complete with an old remote control. We also have a box of magazines and books.

[Guest terrydoo73]

Funny when you said television my mind went into overdrive - I guess I could put an old tv in there that no longer works - it is small but is one of those old backs on it - it could fit on top of that unit in the corner?? I am also thinking of say a rack in one of the shelves with magazines in it like the Tesco magazine or food magazines?? I guess an ordinary telephone would also be a good idea too??

 

Beside our home corner there is a large dressing up cart - wooden and quite expensive. We use it as a sort of divider between the home corner and the sofa - we push the dressing up cart over when we have story and rhyme time.

[blondie]

we also added an old phone book some take away menus and cookery books or the free cards you can get from shops x

[Guest terrydoo73]

Oh thank you - that is a wonderful suggestion!

[fimbo]

we've got an old laptop, keyboard + mouse, home phones, mobile phones, remote controls, we mad a dvd player out of a carboard box and put some old dvd's in, bunches of keys, clock, we made a fireplace once -that was really cool -then put in a wood basket !

[Guest]

Could you introduce a pet to the area - a bed for it and a bowl or something

 

x

[Deb]

What a great idea!

[Guest]

The tv puppet box I used to have.

 

Puppets made using photo's (laminated) cellotaped to loo roll

 

Peggy

[Guest terrydoo73]

This is a brilliant idea Peggy - thanks for this. One I definately might try. I have a small tv table which we could use to set the tv on and I guess I could ask the children to get involved in painting the box. We have painted a box before and made a fire engine out of it which all the children really enjoyed. My deputy did that one and it was a brilliant finished article. I have loads of laminated photos of the children so these could be put inside the box and changed around. We could also use real puppets too and maybe get the children to think about using their imagination to make up a story using them. I am really excited by this one thanks.

[Guest]

This is a brilliant idea Peggy - thanks for this. One I definately might try. I have a small tv table which we could use to set the tv on and I guess I could ask the children to get involved in painting the box. We have painted a box before and made a fire engine out of it which all the children really enjoyed. My deputy did that one and it was a brilliant finished article. I have loads of laminated photos of the children so these could be put inside the box and changed around. We could also use real puppets too and maybe get the children to think about using their imagination to make up a story using them. I am really excited by this one thanks.

 

 

You're welcome. The idea was inspired by the children and so that is why it worked for me. I closed my preschool in 2007 (many reasons) but I still have a box at home full of all the puppets of the children, one way I suppose to keep my memories real & alive.

 

Have fun, glad to inspire.

[Froglet]

If you've got a TV - add a TV guide as well. Just thinking what's in the 'living areas' of my home (apart from a huge mess!). There are currently birthday cards on the bookcase from my birthday last week - you could introduce a character's birthday now and then.

 

A clock?

 

What about a small upright blackboard or whiteboard for one of those ongoing shopping lists? A noticeboard in a kitchen with all sorts of things on - take out menus, flyers for events, business cards for taxi firms etc. All the usual kind of stuff. At the moment it's just familiar print around them but you could always have a situation where children make something to go on it.