Resources

[Melba]

I know that taking in 2s has been challenging to many of us.

The thing that we have discovered is that the number of resources available to the children for free choice now seems to be far too much. The 2s just empty every box they can get their hands on onto the floor and the level of chaos seems to have gone up hugely!

So can I ask how many different resources do you have available?

How much of each toy like Stickle bricks?

How do you cope with such young children and tidying when we are so outnumbered?!

[bubblejack]

Yes I know what you mean. I have loops on all the baskets that I attach to a stationary trolley or table. This stops them tipping all the contents out.The only way they can get them out is individually. Usually an adult will redirect them and model how to play with resource.

[Foreveryoung]

We have reduced numbers of things so fewer play people, fewer scissors etc etc as we found very quickly that we was over facing them with resources. We don't mind the box's being emptied, and encourage tidying up etc to be done by the children from the outset. As we are a put away setting we are modelling tidying everyday in a major way and do they pick it up quickly, our dressing up box got altered straight away as we had lots of dress up clothes now we have various sizes of sheets, a few hats and a few wellies.

[diesel10]

We don't allow them to empty boxes. Just select the toys they want. We use large trays to keep construction together on the floor.

 

Unfortunately for all the little transporters we try to get resources in each areas. Otherwise expensive resorces are ruined. Great to use puzzle pieces as bus tickets but one missing piece and the puzzle in ruined.

 

 

And horror of all horrors we don't let them take inside toys outside. We have tried without success to stop them throwing toys over the fence or discarding them in all corners.

[Helenee]

We don't have boxes.

 

Everything is placed individually on shelves it means that the children make individual choices about which item they want to play with and don't empty a whole box just to find the red car and the. Walk off.

[lashes2508]

We brought units with castors to aid storage , giving children free choice but agree that it sometimes gets a bit out of hand especially the run up to Christmas . We do ask them to put away before choosing another resource , there are other areas of play space available. After Christmas we are asking all children to have indoor shoes ( plimsolls) at preschool as many seem to have little respect and trample all over them . This term we have had lots of broken toys !

[thumperrabbit]

And horror of all horrors we don't let them take inside toys outside. We have tried without success to stop them throwing toys over the fence or discarding them in all corners.

Hehehe that's us too, I thought it was only us that had to do the walk of shame round to the neighbours house to retrieve everything when it got to the point of all the staff turning the other way rather than facing the neighbours we knew it had to stop!

maybe it's our age (the staff I mean) but I hate to see dolls with mud in their hair and play food that's dirty and they then put it in their mouths, yuk!

We fundraise tirelessly and to see everything just thrown about is soul destroying at times - the amount of broken toys this last term is unbelievable we have started to list broken items on our Newsletter in the hope that some kind parent may replace some of the things!!

[Guest]

We have small amounts of resources out on areas where children can make free choice. For example our small world area has a farm basket, a trains basket and a Happy Land basket with enough parts in for them to play with, but not too much that we find it spread across the nursery.

 

We find having too much out is just overwhelming to the children.

 

And we try to use lots of open ended and freely available resources too so they're easy to replenish and cheap too. Bottle tops, corks, cardboard boxes etc.

Edited December 20, 2014 by Harmony1985

[MarshaD]

Hi

Don't wish to hijack, but on the topic of resources - I am compiling an ICT wish list. We are a pack-away setting 2-5 years with limited (well none) spare cash and limited (well again none) storage.

Can anyone recommend any thing they wouldn't be without?

[Guest]

Old phones and cameras, TV remotes and gadgets like that. Light switches and door handles too.

 

Oh and wind up toys. Cheap party bag filler type things.

[sunnyday]

Hi

Don't wish to hijack, but on the topic of resources - I am compiling an ICT wish list. We are a pack-away setting 2-5 years with limited (well none) spare cash and limited (well again none) storage.

Can anyone recommend any thing they wouldn't be without?

Bee-bot - we love ours and use it with commercially produced shape and letters mat + a number mat that we made ourselves :1b

Torches - we have a play-house that we can 'make' dark - so lot of fun with those - we use the dynamo ones so that it is useful too for strengthening hands :1b

[thumperrabbit]

Bee-bot - we love ours and use it with commercially produced shape and letters mat + a number mat that we made ourselves :1b

Torches - we have a play-house that we can 'make' dark - so lot of fun with those - we use the dynamo ones so that it is useful too for strengthening hands :1b

Do you know Sunnyday we have a Bee-bot and I can't remember the last time we got it out to play with! I always end up having to take them home and get my hubby to do something techy with them as my kids seem to manage to totally confuse the poor thing (the bee-bot not my hubby!!) but a new set of children so must dig them out again!