Shopping Cart (toy) woes

This seems so minor, I know. I have 2 toy shopping carts that I bring out from time to time; and often put away just as quickly out of frustration. They just love them so much; need advice. My concern is that they quickly pile them full of coveted toys, fight over said coveted toys and either dump them or hoard them in the cart (not really playing with them, just carting them around). I actually don't have a lot of toys readily available to them; we rotate frequently and I use a method whereupon they pick a hula hoop & a (themed) bin of toys and play within their hoop. Am I putting too much thought into this...should I just relax and let them have at it? Am I crazy?

No advice on your method.....just wanted to say I have a shopping cart and it is always filled with a little 'hoard' of things too!!!!

I took the shopping cart out of the room years ago, not primarily for this reason but because the shopping cart/baby strollers were constantly raced around the room crashing over other toys and children and I just about lost my mind after hearing myself ask the children to stop over and over. I bought a pack of 5 shopping baskets so they can still role play but without wheels :)

I find that the kids still pile things up into other containers like my toy boxes and tubs etc so I have really just come to the assumption that it is a certain age group that goes through this phase and once they are around 2 years I discuss appropriate ways to play....it's not that they can't pretend the mega blocks are giant veggies for making soup, but it's not okay to just dump every toy into one big container...just because. My group right now consists of 3 under 2 and 1 at 2 1/2 so we have a set time for free play were they can do what they want, I really only step in when there is to much out and have them put a few things away before getting more out. I have a set amount of time in our daily routine...more so for 2yrs+, where it is what I call "adult led" activities. That's when I encourage them to pick one thing to play with, or I set out stations and float between them helping the kids with more challenging activities. I use the hula hoop system when I am trying to teach the kiddo's to keep their toys from making it into every corner of the room but it's just to confine the toys to one area, all kids can play with the same toy in the same hoop at the same time unless it's a personal building project :)

Mine do this too but they all know they have too put the toys away when they are finished. If a child is hoarding all the "good" toys I will step in if there is a problem. The strollers and shopping carts are toys that get brought out at specific times just because they take up so much room.

Ugh, I hate toys with wheels! I only have one shopping cart left and it is for outdoor play only although for me it's a case of the kids being too rough and rowdy with them. I find a lot, if not all, kids go through a hoarding stage at one point or another. I think if the shopping carts are driving you crazy you could try putting them away and taking out pails or buckets or bags as they are pretty similar and might be easier to share. I also agree that I usually let them hoard until they start hoarding too many toys in general or all the really good toys.

Well I guess I am a little more relaxed on how my group plays. I have a large space and the 2 carts, and 3 strollers are often used the same way, fill them up. Toys at my house are all over the floor from one end of the room to the other. I think of it this way, it reduced the amount of times they try to get away with running because there is no room too lol. If a child leaves a cart somewhere any of the toys in it are fair game for the other kids. The kids know where toys are not allowed - by the kitchenette, on the couch, on the flooring part where are table is and at the bottom of the stairs. They know which toys are not allowed to be hoarded and must be put back when finished - costumes and books. For the most part it is a free for all and a disaster and a person can barely walk down here lol. They all know that at the end of the day though they must clean up (not me!). Sometimes if it is really bad and there is too much out I get them to put the big things away half way through the day. I think maybe having my carts out all day every day helps by loosing the "new toy" feel.

Don't do the hula hoop thing here at all. We play with those outside lol

Mine do the same filling of the cart. But I have my two carts and baby stroller out all the time time, so there is no novelty to them when they are played with - but I have the space as I have an upstairs and downstairs playroom. I always have the rule that whatever is in one's cart is "their turn" to use and no one can touch the stuff. If a toy is fought over I usually just take it away. But if one child has too much stuff I will clear some of it out and share it more evenly with the other kids.

I don't do the hula hoop things, so can't comment on that. I don't limit where the children can play, and will just step in and remind that it is not their turn if another child tries to take a toy from someone else.

I have a shopping cart two strollers and two lawn mowers out all the time so there is no Beverly or fighting over them.... Once in a whole they run laps with them but I stop it right away saying no running ... So then they walk and I'm finewith that ... Dont do the hula hoop thing

Ha ha Mickyc....same here!! We often have toys wall to wall on the floor! If the kids decide they want to use ride ons or need room for a running game then they tidy up first!

The reading nook is 'toy free' and books have to be kept tidy!

Actually the morning went really good with them this morning; yay! I think that's a good idea to perhaps leave them out all the time (less novelty). Our toy room gets pretty littered with toys too! Mine are amazing little cleaner uppers; I'm a meany, I make them tidy before both snacks and lunch;)

Lol I'm a meanie too then! We have a few clean up times. It drives me crazy to see toys on the floor that no one is playing with. I find that is how toys get broken or kids get hurt because they are tripping over things. I don't mind a mess if they are actually playing with the toys but I like to teach them that we put things away when we are finished because I find clean up easier that way. I also find it teaches them to respect and take care of things.

I get the point of having things out so the novelty wears off but I actually like the novelty. I find kids get bored and when I notice that, I do a toy swap. To them it's like brand new toys and I don't have to buy as many new toys! ( not like I don't tho, I'm always buying new things...it's bad! Lol) I have a yearly garage sale though and sell the things they are no longer interested in or have outgrown.

I am like mickeyc, I have a couple of carts, strollers, ride-ons out all the time. Kids love to put things in the cart just like going shopping. I let them do it as long as they are not taking something that someone else was playing with. For the most part, they don't fight over the carts...they are used to having them out. I let them make a mess as long as it doesn't get to the point of being dangerous. I don't want to control their play or stifle their imaginations, so as long as they are not breaking things, throwing things, or stealing toys from others, I don't mind what they do with the toys.

While not trying to stifle creativity I also instituted some rules many years back when I had kids that would use a toy for something else just because they knew a child liked that toy such as all the farm animals for soup. Now I have things grouped and you may mix and match within that area so blocks, animals, cars don't leave that area but zoo animals can be in the farm or castle or truck if desired. Likewise the shopping cart stays in the house area and you can put anything in it or choose anything from the bins there to be soup but it has to come from that area. A lot less being mean just to be mean for sure. Also makes putting away much faster.

I have 2 carts and they are always filled. Actually I have even found a couple of kids climbing in them lol.