I just cant handle the clanging and banging plus I have/had a few kids that just got downright rowdy with musical toys. Banging them all over the place or on other people, getting worked up to running and rolling around with them. I feel bad when I see beautiful daycare rooms with open access to musical toys. Am I the only provider that will absolutely not allow this? I love to incorporate music into our day, especially circle time but I just cant handle all the rowdy noise that comes from just turning the kids lose with musical instruments. There is no way in hell that i would put up one of those banging posts.... http://www.letthechildrenplay.net/20...ging-post.html

my neighbors would HATE me! LOL

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Yep, they have free access, but for some reason no one is that interested in the musical toys! The kitchen and trucks are much more popular.

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My kitchen area is most popular along with the sensory area but they do have access to the instruments all day. I make them sit down when playing them and they have to treat the instrument nicely or they lose the privilege (some of the instruments are expensive!). These children can make a harp sound like nails on a chalkboard but I still let them have free access...every once in a while I do have to say "let's put the drums away for now" though...it's usually when I can't tell if its the kids pounding on the drums or a pounding in my head!

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Nooooooooooooooooooo!

We play music and sing every day but if I gave them unlimited access there would be no me at the end of the day because I would have to run away and hide.

My group right now is so, so musical and they have NO problem at all making as much music as they want with the instruments in the cupboard. lol

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I limit instruments to a few times a week
In my defense I have a very rough, loud group and we need to add more noise to our program like I need another hole in my head

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I tried unlimited access to the instruments, and it worked out fine ... UNTIL my newest DCB started and he was obsessed with them. I described him to DH as a "tornado", where he just walks around and pulls things down, maybe carries them around for a second and then drops it in the middle of the room, and goes onto something else. Instruments were one of those things ... but he would drag the drum around by the strap, with all of the instruments inside ... and bang it into the shelving. It was awful. I gave him 5 days of constant reminders, modeling, etc ... now they are put up and only brought out when I bring them out ...

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Yikes, those pics! I wouldn't do that to my neighbors or me. I guess if one lived out in the country in the middle of nowhere but I know I personally wouldn't even do it then. Why would a child need to bang on a cupcake pan?

I get band instruments out and they are put away after use. The other toys that just play music can stay out as the children do love them but when they start to get on my nerves they can 'rest' in the closet.

Laurel

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Yes and no.
They have a basket of a few musical instruments out that they have free access to and I have a lot more in a basket on the shelf that we got out a couple times a week at music time

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This. The musical toy bucket is probably taken out by the kids maybe once every 2-3 weeks.

edited to add - We also have a bucket of instruments outside and they actually play with them more often.

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No, we do it as a group. The instruments seem so much more special then. I don't feel like I can do EVERYTHING all the time. We do have music time each day.

I am just one person! I do have my limits

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My kids have a drum, piano, and shakers out all the time, but they are also no older than 17 months so not old enough to become rowdy. The only thing I don't have out at all times that I am "supposed to" is blocks because mine are on the heavier side and sometimes the kids throw them. A lot of mine are still crawling and I don't want someone hurt.

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what?!?! I can't hear anything you are saying.....one of my 3 year olds has found a harmonica!

......yes, they have free-access to the musical instruments on a daily basis. My musical instruments include several harmonicas, a couple sets of moraccas, 2 drums, 3 xylophones, 2 tambourine's, 3 sets of bells, a triangle, 3 flutes, and a bunch of other things that make random musical sounds.

One of my DCM's is an elementary music teacher. She comes in every Tuesday morning and does a 20 minute music lesson with my older preschoolers and spends about 10-20 minutes with the younger ones introducing them to music.

I am NOT at all musical so I REALLY REALLY appreciate her taking the time to do this for us.

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Hahahahaha...................NO.

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No way!!!! I have a very rambunctious group and there is just no way my nerves could handle it. We do have music time daily. And they ADORE playing marching band :-)

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Dito!!! No way- no how- not now- not ever!!!

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I would, but my oldest isn't even 2 yet, and my instruments are too precious to me to have them stepped on. I wouldn't mind the noise, but there are some things I just don't want thrown around or damaged.

If I had 3-5 year olds, absolutely, I would give them free reign...

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I am actually making one for outside. I only have a few musical things inside.

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I have a music tree outside. It's not loud or annoying at all and I live in the suburbs with neighbours just a few feet away

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I handle them the same way I do all the toys. If they are fighting or playing inappropriately with them, the toys get removed from play for the rest of the day. We discuss appropriate play and try again the next day.

I also rotate toys, so I don't always have them out but they get rotated in. If it seems like something that is continuely a trouble maker, I rotate them out for a while.

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absolutely not! I thought I was the only one. I keep musical toys and puzzles on the top shelf of our tall Ikea storage shelf. I picked it up for $5 off the classifieds and anchored it to the playroom wall. Best purchase I've made! The musical instruments are in a deep basket, so the kids can't even see them when we're not using them. They haven't figured out where I keep them yet, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time till they're requesting them. I need to be prepared before all that banging and clanging happens, would stress me out if they all just ran to the playroom and started at it all at once.

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yup!
We sing songs etc but mine are still fairly young.

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I saw a great idea for blocks, that are throwable ;-) cut up pool noodles to various sizes! cheap, and disposable! can also incorporate them in water play

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great idea

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Same here! Every once in a while we have a marching band, but for the most part, they don't really play with the instruments.

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My children always have access to them, but my kids don't really play with them. The symbols do drive me nuts when they do play with them though!

There is NO way I would have a banging post outside though. My neighbors hear enough screaming...lol

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