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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Help - I am trying to categorise my toys into the areas of learning

14 replies

MrsPuddleduck · 05/02/2009 10:22

Sorry to be so lazy but is there a website or resource that would help me do this? Mine all seem a bit obvious because I am new(ish) to this.

Thanks!

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Original poster

MrsPuddleduck · 05/02/2009 10:27

To clarify I have been told to do a sort of toy rota on a six weekly basis to cover all the areas of learning.

Is 6 too much or would 4 be OK?

I have found 57 toys/activities so far

OP posts:

nomoreamover · 05/02/2009 10:39

oh god - I haven't done this! Will await results with interest!

SOmeone please answer!!

HSMM · 05/02/2009 10:43

I thought about doing this, but found it impossible to categorise the toys - ie dressing up - would you put it in creative, or communication, or PSHE?

Original poster

MrsPuddleduck · 05/02/2009 10:47

HSMM - I think you can put it in all three - I was hoping someone may have or know of an easy way to do it.

It's supposed to make your job easier as you know which toys to get out each day according to your rota and then just slot anying else you want to do around it.

OP posts:

nomoreamover · 05/02/2009 10:48

See I have quite a big playroom and I have cool ikea storage so I have al the toys in the playroom - is that wrong? Should I be rotating them?

Original poster

MrsPuddleduck · 05/02/2009 11:03

Not necessarily - but I think you devise a six week rota of your toys to meet all the areas of learning each day you can show it to OFSTED plus it means you get to use all your toys.

I am partly doing it as in the long run it should make things easier eg on Monday 9th Feb it will be day one of week one on the rota which will for example say Duplo Farm, Jigsaws, Playdoh, animal books and dressing up. Then you get those toys ready to play with that day. You can also tie other things in eg on a thursday I go to playgroup so that can be my PSE for the day or you may plan to do a craft activity one day.

Someone please stop me if I am on the wrong track here!

OP posts:

looneytune · 05/02/2009 11:43

Well I found pretty much everything fits into all areas of learning anyway and my playroom now has all toys in and the children pick what they want to do. All the toys/activities do tend to get used and I do set up different things so they get the change. I really don't have the room to have somewhere to store things so I can rotate. Who told you to do this anyway?

Original poster

MrsPuddleduck · 05/02/2009 12:01

The network co-ordinator told me to do it (and she seems to have told everyone on the network as it seems standard pratice - but then it would wouldn't it if that was the advice given!)

It is quite a task.

At the moment the mindees just play with whatever they want and I make a note of it and link it into the areas.

OP posts:

HSMM · 05/02/2009 12:46

But ... isn't the selection supposed to be child lead, with us extending and enhancing their play?

missymoo2411 · 05/02/2009 13:03

well we havent being told to do this just have to make sure toys r all in separate tubs so they can actually play and everything isnt a mess sound mad to me

SillyMillysMummy · 05/02/2009 13:14

god this all just sounds like too much I dont have time to myself or my own family as it is, let alone categorising toys

maybe cm isnt such a great career after all

ButterflyFairy · 05/02/2009 13:33

I don't do this either. I think we're making too much work for ourselves. I have my toys in order in clear boxes with a picture/words of what's inside the box i.e CARS, DOLLS etc..

I have children on different days so rotation would be impossible. I make sure there is enough variation for free play and do a monthly themes with arts/crafts and outings etc. There are some boxes I hide away for a couple of weeks and bring them out as and when.

nomoreamover · 06/02/2009 13:28

right I've decided to categorise the toys per box - ie the dolls box, the mega bloks box, the action toys box etc into the 6 areas of learning.

I will not be rotating them as like others I don't have any full time mindees all are part time

I will however rotate the craft/baking/hands on activities. SO that way I get some independant play thjat is child led and some structured play that is adult led.

How does that sound??

Enthusia · 06/02/2009 19:05

I don't think toys can be sorted into areas of learning, it is not the toys themselves that children learn from but what they do with them, hence the fact that all the toys seem to fit into all the areas. It is what you do with the toys with the mindees that covers the areas of learning.

I think this is more work or you myself, however I do agree with rotating toys. I have a 'topic' table that is changed once a week. The children can access any of the toys whenever they want from the cupboards but I put cetrain ones on display for specific structured activities and then for use in free-play.

I also select some toys from the cupboard and place them around the room so that all the toys get seen and an opportunity to be used.

Hope this helps.

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