Still haven't figured out the toys...

[GymMom]

I've been up & running for 3 months now. Of the toys I have, I definitely see which ones are a hit and which ones need to go. But I'd like to invest in a few things that will get a lot of use. My group is 1 - 3 year olds. I'm thinking I need a couple of dolls and accessories and some dress up clothes. Any recommendations for these categories or for toys in general? Im going for play value over quantity as I have a limited budget and a tiny space.
I have a play kitchen, big Barbie house and train tracks with trains & cars which seem to be the favorites so far - and wooden puzzles and of course lots of books!
One more question, if you're still with me. I know some of you rotate toys on a daily or weekly basis. How many types of things do you have out at a time, how often do you change them and are there some things that are always out? So far, I have everything out all the time, but I think I need a toy rotation system!

[sunnydays]

Doll strollers and shopping carts are a huge hit with everyone from 1-4...and of course a few dolls to go with them (clothing need not be abundant or fancy because at that age they often just strip them naked and leave the clothing on the side...hahaha). Building blocks of some type (mega blocks or wooden blocks etc) are great because they can be used in so many ways. Dress-ups are great as you mentioned...you can often find things around your own house to throw into that box or pick up things at Thrift stores. Playdough tools have been a good investment for me because the kids love to play with playdough for hours on end at times and they absolutely love the little spaghetti maker thingies for pushing playdough through as well as the little rollers and cutters. Otherwise, I find I spend the most on arts and craft supplies...for example a big bin of pom poms which the kids use for sorting, picking up with tweezers, making patters, or putting into and out of wipes boxes (never throw wipes boxes away...they are an awesome toy for all ages!).

[monkeymama]

favorites in my house are lego, play kitchen, toy cars with car ramp, little people ( i have multiple sets and they use them for everything!) and i recently bought a whole doll set: stroller, high chair and play pen for dolls and my little dcg love them i try and steer clear of brand name things ie. thomas, spiderman, dora etc. and just stick to basic things. their imaginations will do the rest! i dont keep everything out at once....i rotate monthly and base it on my age group and what theme we are going with at that time...for example november was animals so play animals, farm houses, certain kitchen items, books and puzzles about animals, and lego

[monkeymama]

oh another hit in place is ride on toys- i have 3 or 4 out a time and kids love them!

[mimi]

A poster suggested a magnet wall which my hubby built a couple of months ago. Leap frog has these great magnet games which they can place animal heads and bodies together. They also have vehicles and numbers. The kids love this. Especially the little ones. They are about 20.00 but go on special all the time at toys r us.

[Sandbox Sally]

mimi could you post a pic of your magnet wall? I'd love to see how that looks in your play room. I am thinking about maybe doing something like that. Do they really really love it? It's worth it? I want to know more about your sets too. LOL tell me everything!!

[playfelt]

A feltboard and a pocket chart are great investments in terms of something basic you can use for multiple uses. The pocket chart can be used for matching and sorting, just cutting seasonal pictures from magazines and mounting or stick to shapes, letters, etc. You can then use the pockets for telling stories by putting the figures in the pockets. Feltboard works the same way and both are quiet actitities depending on how many sound effects the kids add.

Just be sure that what you buy aimed at the older kids is stable enough for the little ones such as a stroller that a one year old might use to try and stand and push. Or a doll playpen they might fall down and collapse the sides on - ie a plastic laundry basket makes a great playpen for a doll.

I don't find my group really dresses up at all since they can barely do their own shoes or a sweater on and off. They are more interested in making the dolls do things over them dressing and doing. They pretend to have tea without dressing for a tea party or be a doctor without wearing scrubs. Keep empty plastic bottles, containers etc. I am gradually trying to replace my plastic/wooden playfood with fabric/felt foods but a few foods at least are nice - just make sure they aren't small enough to be chocking issues for the toddlers who might get into the doll area too.

Puppets is something you might want to look into. Even the dollar store ones - especially animals ones are great. Animals of any kind. I have a large collection of dinosaurs from the dollar store they love and yes sometimes the dinosaurs and the cows and pigs are all part of the farm.

[Crayola kiddies]

I have a doll center, kitchen center, book center, I have a shelf from Ikea that has the bins and I have cars, puppets, blocks, Lego, in those bins. I bought four free standing pantries with doors from crappy tire and I put all my toys in those with child locks on them and I open a different one each day and that's my toy rotation. In the cupboards I have larger tonka trucks, shape sorting toys, musical instruments, talking toys, tea party set, smaller Lego, play doh, busy beads etc. One cupboard is mostly puzzles and that available anytime. The stuff I don't want the kids pulling out randomly like play doh and small Lego I put on the top shelves and that way they have to ask. But everything they can reach is fair game and they also are able to put the stuff away by themselves too! ; )
I also forgot I have a dress up center and tons of little people and a car garage as well as lots of push toys ( lawn mowers, strollers, grocery carts, ) I have play food for the kitchen center and a cash register for the store. I have a 4x8 magnetic chalkboard on one wall as well.

[Bookworm]

I have a play kitchen, dolls and strollers, lots of stuffed animals (all the kids love animals), little people ramp and garage, a tool bench with tools that are out all the time. In bins I take out randomly are dress up, mega blocks, animals (from dollar store), different types of noisy toys and wooden blocks. I also have a reading area, a picnic table to do colouring/crafts at and some ride on toys. I have a small chalkboard painted on my wall, but I don't like it (from previous owners), so I am going to cover it with a magnetic board.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I rarely 'rotate' toys in my program anymore

My program has staples that are always out and than I might add or remove some seasonal related items within those staples ... aka change up the puzzles, books, puppets, additions to dramatic play like Santa's hats, elf boots, red sacks and so forth this time of year but the rest of the staples are always out!

So I have

• The block area with a variety of blocks, animals and accessories
• The literacy area with the pillows and books, puppet theatre and felt board and the musical instruments
• The dramatic play area with the kitchen, little table and chairs, high chair and all the accessories for dress up and role playing
• The creative corner ~ table area with access for two children to the open ended art materials, puzzles, sensory exploration and my portable light table sits out here some days.
• Floor toys on a shelf beside an open area of floor space ..... baskets of open ended materials to add to any of the above areas to accent their play (rocks, shells, marker and play doh lids), manipulatives like 'widgits', magnetos, and other things like shape shorters and so forth to sit and explore with.