Toys For 2 Year Old Boys

[Francine]

I have a group of all boys (14 months - 2 1/2) sometimes I think I run more of a zoo than a daycare, it's gets pretty loud LOL I have a new baby that is starting to come just one morning a week but will be full time in January. I am looking for some ideas to keep the boys busy while I am dealing with the new baby. I don't want to have to keep jumping up to play referee while I am feeding the baby, I want the baby to be able to relax and eat. These boys all have very short attention spans and all toys seem to just create a competition between them. I have tons of cars, blocks, play food and dishes, etc. etc. more than enough for 4 little boys but yet they fight over everything constantly because they all want ALL. They only want to play with what the other one has, I do feel like I am a referee a lot of the time. I can have 3 boys here and have 3 Fisher Price school buses out and they still fight over the buses. Short of turning on the TV every time I have to feed the baby I am at a lose. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much!

[Michael]

An earlier post that may help https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51020

[providerandmomof4]

I bought a race care track rug, and my dcb's love to play with the cars on that rug! Also they love the fire trucks and helicopter and planes. I try to get take them on walks and play outdoors as much as possilbe--my group doesn't do well with sit down activities for very long

[tenderhearts]

My dcb that are this age LOVE any and ALL cars, they LOVE the train table. That's pretty much what they play with during "free" play. For a quiet activity, they do like playdough with the little accessories, they have dump truck ones, this keeps them in a quieter activity for 30 plus minutes.

[MrsSteinel'sHouse]

I don't know if there is any magic toy but, I think that routine and training will help you. I have little ones and I know exactly what your saying. I feed baby 1st bottle while they are eating breakfast (all safely buckled in) then baby goes down for nap. This is my time to do things with the other kids uninterupted. So we read a story and do a craft. When baby awakes (I now wake him he is 9 mo by 9:30 if he is not awake. I set something specific blocks, feely box, animals that they have not had during free play. I sit on the floor to feed baby bottle while we talk about what they are playing with. I can control them somewhat this way. We also have a limited mess this way so that when we are done with the bottle we can go outside for a walk or to play. (If the yard is really wet we walk or play on the patio) I put out cots for nap before our walk. When we get back it is a specific activity at the table- play doh, coloring etc while I get lunch ready to go. We eat lunch, I feed baby babyfood. When everyone finish, bathroom or diapers changed. I lay everyone down. I feed baby bottle and put him down (if I have multiple babies one at a time the other in a bouncy seat or Pack n play) If I still have kidos away I will rock them based on priority. They all nap until almost 3. Change diapers as they wake. feed baby when he wakes. They look at books at my feet until they are all up. After baby is feed, afternoon snack. We usually go back outside for a bit. If we are in the playroom, I am on the floor showing them how to play. When they learn they do much better for me when I can't be right there.
It may take a couple of months of training, but they will figure out that they are to play, and what is appropriate. My kidlets know babies come first.
Good luck!