What is hard is having to justify to parents that that "junk" is really toys as they just don't get it. So up on my shelves I have all these "toys" from when my own kids were little and put a few down each day just in case but mostly they play with the stuff that is somewhat hidden from view during interviews or with things I have made for them. I like that a lot of what I provide is different than at home so it keeps them engaged just from that alone. My kids are young so their imaginations are just developing meaning they don't have the same ability to envision and pretend. When there is an older child in care doing that they will dutifully play along but when they are the oldest almost everything is for the sensory value more so than the pretend value - meaning a bin of scarves and fabric is just a bin of textured fabrics which is still ok just doesn't look sometimes like they are playing and learning even when they are.