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kcnjason 05:41 AM 04-27-2011
I have been open for 5 years and may have posted something on the same topic as this but I'm not positive! I am always changing my set-up and trying to find a "better" way to organize. I sort the ponies, dinosaurs, blocks, etc in seperate totes but I would like to know how other providers organize their toys. If you would like to post pictures, that would be very helpful as well, but not necessary. I'm hoping to find a way to organize the toys that I am happy with, something that I can stick with!
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morgan24 05:50 AM 04-27-2011
I reorganize every couple of weeks. Mine are all sorted into small clear totes and then put on low shelves with the big toys they go with. I also rotate every couple of months. I move the big toys like the kitchen or playhouse from one side of the room to the other. Just changing them around makes the kids think it's something new. The only thing I keep in the same spot is the art stuff, coloring, painting and the books.
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SilverSabre25 05:56 AM 04-27-2011
I'm working on reorganizing all our toys and rearranging our playroom; it's been a several months' process as I try things and they don't work and I have to try again. What seems like it will work best is once I get everything into similar plastic boxes, labeled with what belongs in it and pictures (well, symbols) indicating how many children can play with that toy at a given moment. I also try to have plenty of play space right by the shelves where things are stored because my kiddos are too young to really "get" picking up a box, carrying it to a different spot, and playing with it. They just drag it off the shelf and play with it right there.

Toy organization is something I struggle with a lot though and I always need new ideas.
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PitterPatter 06:02 AM 04-27-2011
When I label I try to use the actual box the items came in. I cut out the name/picture and tape it to the front of the box that way the readers can read what's in it but the toddlers can see what exactly is in it as well. Some of my totes are transparent and some are harder to see through so I find that this helps.
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Meeko 07:08 AM 04-27-2011
I use clear drawers.

Every toy has a home and at clean up, the children know that if things aren't put in the right drawer, I tip it out and they start over. It was hard at first....but I was tired of toys just stuffed anywhere. Legos mixed in with blocks etc.... Now I don't even have to supervise clean up and the kids let any new ones know exactly where things go! Our toys stay perfectly organized and are easy to see and get to.
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SilverSabre25 07:12 AM 04-27-2011
Originally Posted by Meeko60:
I use clear drawers.

Every toy has a home and at clean up, the children know that if things aren't put in the right drawer, I tip it out and they start over. It was hard at first....but I was tired of toys just stuffed anywhere. Legos mixed in with blocks etc.... Now I don't even have to supervise clean up and the kids let any new ones know exactly where things go! Our toys stay perfectly organized and are easy to see and get to.
what ages do you have? My 3.5 yo can clean up fairly well, but everyone else just looks at me blankly when I try to get them to help clean up (they are 2yr 11 mos, 2 yr 2 mos, 2 yr 0 mos and 18 mos). If I even try to get the others to pick up a toy and put it "right here, where I'm pointing" they tend to pick it up and wander off with it.
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PitterPatter 05:53 AM 04-27-2011
Originally Posted by kcnjason:
I have been open for 5 years and may have posted something on the same topic as this but I'm not positive! I am always changing my set-up and trying to find a "better" way to organize. I sort the ponies, dinosaurs, blocks, etc in seperate totes but I would like to know how other providers organize their toys. If you would like to post pictures, that would be very helpful as well, but not necessary. I'm hoping to find a way to organize the toys that I am happy with, something that I can stick with!
I don't really separate the toys much. I have shelves with totes for things like moon sand, playdoh, music instruments, blocks, manipulative, etc. but the general toys all go in 1 big toy box. Tools sit with the tool kids toolbench and food and dishes with the kids kitchen set. Crafts go in the closet on another shelving unit in totes as well sorted of course. My daycare area is not big enough to have centers otherwise I would have it all divided but for now everything is just on shelving units. Outdoor toys are always outside in their own set up. I dream of the day I can have a daycare room all for daycare items only. Sorry I can't be of more help.
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Abigail 06:08 PM 04-27-2011
One thing I saw once in a post was a picture of a dramatic play area with a kitchen set and beside it along the wall was a three-drawer plastic white w/clear drawers to put the clothes/dolls in one, the kitchen cooking items in another, etc. That was very neat imo.

I'm not a huge fan of the buckets on wooden peg shelves, but really like the appropriate sized baskets on regular shelves look better.
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clarissjavier 08:22 PM 09-06-2012
Hi! This helped me out when I was sorting the toys that we use. It's simple and easy to do. You can use pictures as labels and you can use this to encourage the kids to pick up and sort the toys. Hope this helps. http://www.nichedesignsinc.com/simpl...age-solutions/
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Tags:binder, organization, toy storage
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