Replacing Toys

[Countrygal]

I tried searching this out, but really didn't find much, so am asking the question. Sorry if it's been asked before.

How often do you figure on replacing toys? I know it varies with the type of "toy", but let's just generalize by class:

Games
Trucks/cars
dolls
dollhouses/playhouses/crawl tunnels/etc
Big things like tool benches/kitchens
Little things like little people/tools/plastic food/blocks, etc.
Chairs
Tables

OK, that ought to give me an idea. Sometimes I have trouble deciding if I'm being too strict, or if kids just aren't taught how to play nicely with toys these days. I am talking 3-5yo range, not younger. It seems all they know how to do is bang, crash, rip and tear, jump on and throw. There is no imagination used, just physical energy. Instead of playing "gas station" with the cars, gas station and car rug, for example, they throw the cars, bang them together and into the gas station, and pull the fuel nozzles off. I think you get the idea. Same with blocks, food, anything. I do have a majority of boys, and that seems to have something to do with it. But maybe I am just not figuring enough replacement costs......

[Thetotspot]

I'm sure that you are of course in the floor with the children modeling play of toys like the gas station...so my suggestion would be if they aren't interested in it at the moment, put it up and get something else out. Seeing as though they want to bang...maybe offer some drums (as simple as you want, could be plastic coffee cans that are empty) and other "instruments"to make noise with. Play some games together that allow them to get their throwing spurt out such as bean bag toss or throwing soft balls (not softballs..soft as in not hard) into a laundry basket. Ripping is also very natural at that age . It's important to not necessarily stop it, but to redirect it. "johnny, we dont rip the flash cards up, but I have some magazines over here I could use your help ripping up"or something to that effect. ripping is actually a very important part of development and there are many ways you can make this more acceptable. Ripping and gluing is fun too. so, all in all, I would just change some toys out for others that are matching their mood for this time.

As far as how often is normal to replace toys I don't have an answer for that, sorry

[BumbleBee]

I tried searching this out, but really didn't find much, so am asking the question. Sorry if it's been asked before.

How often do you figure on replacing toys? I know it varies with the type of "toy", but let's just generalize by class:

Games
Trucks/cars
dolls
dollhouses/playhouses/crawl tunnels/etc
Big things like tool benches/kitchens
Little things like little people/tools/plastic food/blocks, etc.
Chairs
Tables

OK, that ought to give me an idea. Sometimes I have trouble deciding if I'm being too strict, or if kids just aren't taught how to play nicely with toys these days. I am talking 3-5yo range, not younger. It seems all they know how to do is bang, crash, rip and tear, jump on and throw. There is no imagination used, just physical energy. Instead of playing "gas station" with the cars, gas station and car rug, for example, they throw the cars, bang them together and into the gas station, and pull the fuel nozzles off. I think you get the idea. Same with blocks, food, anything. I do have a majority of boys, and that seems to have something to do with it. But maybe I am just not figuring enough replacement costs......

I don't have much information or experience in the way of how often to replace things.

However, I did have a situation a year ago where I had a group of 10 three & four year olds who were unbelievably rough on the toys. Granted I worked in a center at the time. I tried showing them how to play appropriately, shadowing the worst offenders, talking to their parents, time out, redirection, talking to them, etc. Nothing worked until I got super strict with the group.

Whomever threw a car didn't get anymore cars. Messed around on a chair-they stood or sat on the floor. Ripped a book on purpose-no looking at books on their own. Banging objects that weren't strong enough for banging-object was taken away. Dumped puzzles-no puzzles. You get the point. After taking the object away for awhile from the specific child/children (rest of the morning if the issue happened early in the morning) the child/children would have to "earn" the toy/area back. They had to show me that they could play correctly with the toy in question. If they went right back to poor behavior-the toy was taken away again.

There was a group of 3 in the class of 10 who literally lost the priviledge to play with every single toy in the room. Like they wanted to see how long the new strictness would last. Each one of them ended up sitting on the floor with nothing to do. Each one of those 3 ended up earning back every single toy in that room over a 2 week period. By the end of the first day 1 of the 3 kids had earned back 5 toys while the other 2 kids earned back 4 toys each.

Long story short, it taught them that toys broken/ripped on purpose means no more toys of that kind for them and they had to earn them back.

[spud912]

I second what thetotspot and Trummynme said. Model proper behavior, give them appropriate outlets, and discipline/remove as necessary.