Toys - Love them or hate them? That is the question.
I really do have a love/hate relationship with toys. My house has a designated space for them however they still find their way into every room of the house, even under my covers.
Every couple of months I round up toys that have missing parts, haven't been played with for a while or I deem to be an 'active' toy (such as toys that light up and sing) and off to the Posh Opp shop or landfill they go.
We have just had a birthday in our house, so after I write this blog it's time for a toy clean up. I try to get the kids involved, either choose to put the toys in a cupboard or donate them so that I'm not doing it behind their back. However when they loose interest I carry on my mission and purge.
Of course there are times, my son will ask 'where is that blue tool box with the orange hammer?' I will point him to the red tool box but he wants the one I have donated. Whoops!
My reply is always 'you didn't put it back on the shelf and therefore it has been donated to another child.' (A great tip to encourage packing up.)
Toys or 'play objects' as Magda Gerber describes them, have an important role in helping children to understand their world. Whether they are stacking blocks and learning about balance and gravity, role playing by cooking in their play kitchen, creating their visit to the zoo with magnatiles and wooden animals, the list goes on and on. For children, 'Play' is not about entertainment or distraction from boredom, it's all about learning to navigate their world.
To think about not doing this gives me nightmares, and I am far from a neat freak.
First of all, it is overwhelming for any adult, let alone a child to pack everything away.
It is also overwhelming for the children to know what to play with if they have so many choices. They will probably not even go near the toy box and if they do they will just dump it out and not put it back again.
2. I aim to provide 'Passive' toys
It is really important to give your children 'toys' that are open ended and simple. A few benefits is that it provides opportunities to be curious and learn. Magda Gerber refers to these as passive play objects.
She says: "None do anything. They will only respond when the infant activates them. In other words our active infant manipulates passive objects."
3. I offer toys connected to schemas and sensitive periods
In my latest blog I mentioned schemas and similarly, children also grow through sensitive periods which are periods of readiness to learn. Many of these sensitive periods are between ages 0-6years. Use your observation and knowledge of your own child, to ensure that the 'toys' you provide are meeting their individual needs. For example, if your child is expressing urges to throw and dump, make sure you have balls and buckets. If your child has a particular interest in geography, provide a world map puzzle or Atlas.
Taking time to observe your child will help create a space for them to learn and grow. A space is more likely to remain orderly and maintained if the children have a sense that the play objects have purpose and provide nourishment for their exploration.
I think first I should tidy my own room and then I'll tackle the 'Playroom'
Observe more, enjoy most
Vanessa
Every couple of months I round up toys that have missing parts, haven't been played with for a while or I deem to be an 'active' toy (such as toys that light up and sing) and off to the Posh Opp shop or landfill they go.
We have just had a birthday in our house, so after I write this blog it's time for a toy clean up. I try to get the kids involved, either choose to put the toys in a cupboard or donate them so that I'm not doing it behind their back. However when they loose interest I carry on my mission and purge.
Of course there are times, my son will ask 'where is that blue tool box with the orange hammer?' I will point him to the red tool box but he wants the one I have donated. Whoops!
My reply is always 'you didn't put it back on the shelf and therefore it has been donated to another child.' (A great tip to encourage packing up.)
Toys or 'play objects' as Magda Gerber describes them, have an important role in helping children to understand their world. Whether they are stacking blocks and learning about balance and gravity, role playing by cooking in their play kitchen, creating their visit to the zoo with magnatiles and wooden animals, the list goes on and on. For children, 'Play' is not about entertainment or distraction from boredom, it's all about learning to navigate their world.
I have come up with a list of how I view toys in my house:
1. I do not have all toys out at once.To think about not doing this gives me nightmares, and I am far from a neat freak.
First of all, it is overwhelming for any adult, let alone a child to pack everything away.
It is also overwhelming for the children to know what to play with if they have so many choices. They will probably not even go near the toy box and if they do they will just dump it out and not put it back again.
2. I aim to provide 'Passive' toys
It is really important to give your children 'toys' that are open ended and simple. A few benefits is that it provides opportunities to be curious and learn. Magda Gerber refers to these as passive play objects.
She says: "None do anything. They will only respond when the infant activates them. In other words our active infant manipulates passive objects."
In my latest blog I mentioned schemas and similarly, children also grow through sensitive periods which are periods of readiness to learn. Many of these sensitive periods are between ages 0-6years. Use your observation and knowledge of your own child, to ensure that the 'toys' you provide are meeting their individual needs. For example, if your child is expressing urges to throw and dump, make sure you have balls and buckets. If your child has a particular interest in geography, provide a world map puzzle or Atlas.
Taking time to observe your child will help create a space for them to learn and grow. A space is more likely to remain orderly and maintained if the children have a sense that the play objects have purpose and provide nourishment for their exploration.
I think first I should tidy my own room and then I'll tackle the 'Playroom'
Observe more, enjoy most
Vanessa
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