Questions About Toys

[JoseyJo]

*Do you allow the children to use game pieces for other purposes? ie cookies from a cookie game in the kitchen area
*Do you allow the children to dump the toys and use the buckets and baskets for other purposes?

Yes to both, with rules though.

They are welcome to use the pieces from a game in a different area, but as soon as they are done they must put all the pieces back in the correct place before going to another activity. - if they aren't old enough to follow these rules then they are not allowed to mix toys.

Everyone is welcome to dump toys and use the bins, but they must pick up the toys and put them back in the bin as soon as they are done with that activity. I also have multiple empty bins, buckets, baskets, backpacks and bags just for this purpose.

[melilley]

No to games as I wouldn't want any pieces to get lost, but yes to the dumping. All but one of my dck's are 2 and under so it's expected that that's what they will do. It does get really messy so sometimes I will have them stop playing and have them clean up (or try to, usually I clean up most of it).

[Rachel]

I keep puzzles and games with pieces separate and take them down for table game time (or take out a few puzzles at a time), but if for example I have out a 4 piece farm animal puzzle, and one of the animals goes into the little people farm, it's all good. We clean up a couple of times a day and I never have out that many toys at once that I can't put them back. My group now is young, between 8 & 17 months.

[Lil'DinoEggs]

Thanks for the responses. I wanted to bring out games because if they are in my closet, I can't see them, I don't remember to play them. But, my own 18 mo DS is a major climber and will bring them down, then my lovely 4 yo DD will reinvent the pieces. So now, I am working on my DS about "Feet on the ground".

For the dumping, this kids are happy. It is just my block area and I actually put the hexagon fence around it (so older kids don't have the younger ones knock down their buildings). This contains it a lot better and come a quick clean up, I just toss everything in and sort when I have time. It just seems futile to label everything when they are never put away correctly. I rather they focus on putting away big things like puzzles and books.