Tiny Resources – for parents and teachers of young children

Garage-Sale like a Pro: Tips to get great deals!

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Katelyn

Before I had Tiny One, I didn’t garage sale very much. I never found items I wanted, and it felt like a waste of time. Once T1 was born, my mom (an avid garage-saler) told me I should reconsider. She saved thousands of dollars each year buying clothes and toys for my five siblings and me when we were young, and she told me it would be worth giving garage sales a try. She taught me all of her tricks, and over the last two years I have learned to LOVE going to garage sales.

I see other parents purchase clothes for $10 each at Wal-Mart to save money, but I get Baby Gap and Gymboree clothes for $1 each at garage sales. A better deal AND better quality…win-win! I now buy 95% of T1’s clothes this way, and almost all of our toys too. I have good (aka “expensive”) taste in clothes and toys and love name brand items, so it’s fun to find Pottery Barn toys/furniture, and even some exclusive items that can only be purchased overseas…all for great deals.

Not only do garage sales save you money, they are also good for the environment because you can recycle gently used items instead of buying new. Plus it’s fun to find awesome deals on things you will really use!

Weather you are a pro at finding sales, or are just getting started, here are some tips that may be helpful (most of them came from my Mom and have worked wonders for me).

I’d love to hear YOUR tips below!

1) Make a list

It’s important to know what you are looking for before you start shopping. Without a list, I sometimes buy stuff I won’t ever need, or I can’t find anything that will work for me.

For example, I had a hard time finding items for a toddler dress up box until I itemized what I was looking for: fun hats, capes, purses, etc. Once I had a list, I found what I needed right away.

2) Know your price-point

Garage sales can have a wide variety of price points. Some people list almost everything for $1 or less, while others price items at only 50% off whatever they paid for it brand new (yikes!).

Based on where you are, the prices may vary slightly, but here are price point guidelines:

Clothes:

o $1 for most clothes

o $.50 or less for accessories (onesies, bibs, etc.)

o $2 on average for shoes (I’ll pay more for some name brands if they’re in perfect condition)

o $2-5 for nice coats or really nice clothing

Books:

o Up to $1 for hardback and $.50 for paperback.

Toys, furniture, and everything else:

o My mom’s rule of thumb is to pay up to 10% of the original price. So if a piece of furniture is $300 new, she will pay up to $30 for it at a garage sale if it’s in good/great condition.

o I sometimes will pay a higher percentage if it’s a specific item/name brand I was looking for, and especially if it’s still available in stores. I’ll also pay more if it’s a harder item to find (solid wooden toys, Pottery Barn items, etc.). My max is usually no more than 20% of the original price though… and that’s only if it’s in great condition.

3) Plan where to go

I use the “Yard Sale Treasure Map” website and iphone app. It pulls sale ads from craigslist and maps them out for you. You can star the garage sales you like, and it will plan a route. Easy! I’m also part of a facebook page in my area where people list items for sale and advertise their garage sales, which is super helpful when I’m planning my routes.

If individual sales advertise specific things I’m looking for, I plan to hit those first. Neighborhood-wide sales are also a priority since there are lots of opportunities to find things I want.

Keep in mind that garage sales farther back in the neighborhood are often missed by traffic and stand-alone sales in remote locations also may lose traffic, so they are usually more willing to negotiate prices with you!

4) Plan when to go

The first day of a sale (right when they open) will guarantee the most “hot ticket” buys. The last day, mid-morning, will guarantee the best deals on what’s left because people just want to get rid of everything.

If you want popular toys/electronics, go the first day. If you want clothes, go the last day.

5) Negotiate prices & group items

Most people running garage sales just want items gone, so they are willing to negotiate. If something is priced higher than I usually pay, I’ll offer a lower price. This is easier to do by choosing several things I want, adding up the total price and offering a lower price for the group of items.

For example, if the total is $20, I’ll ask if they will take $16. If the total is $10, I’ll ask if they will take $8. Most sellers are willing to negotiate this way- it’s a pile of stuff they don’t have to bring back inside!

Sellers are MUCH more willing to negotiate if you are friendly, and maybe even if you mention what you plan to do with the items. I went to one sale last week and I heard the sellers saying “no” when others asked for a lower price. I talked with them for a few moments, and let them know they had great educational material I could use to teach my daughter preschool. I made a pile of what I wanted and asked if they would take less. They took the overall price down by 25%. Very nice!

Note: If I find sales where the asking prices are more than fair, I won’t negotiate as I don’t want to take advantage of anyone (some sales only ask $.25 per book and $.50 for clothes, so I’ll take it!). 🙂

Garage Sale 3

6) Walk away, if necessary

If someone won’t negotiate, I walk away. Sometimes there are 1 or 2 items that I really do want (and probably won’t find again), so I decide if the asking price is worth it. If so, I will put everything else back and just get the item(s) I really want.

7) Don’t give up

There may be a few weeks when I don’t find much… but I regularly have days when I shop for 1 hour and come back with a whole car load of high-quality items. Sometimes I find things I was planning to buy full-price soon, so it’s always a rush to realize how much I’ve saved!

8) Continue the process

During garage sale season, I start getting rid of my stuff as I bring new stuff in. I don’t like my house to feel cluttered, and I use whatever money I get from items I sell to buy new items I need.

9) Have fun!

Garage sales can provide your family with quality items that are needed/useful at a HUGE savings. Once you get started, it’s exciting to realize what you are providing for your family for a fraction of what it would have cost! You’ll be able to get things you never could have afforded and/or feel good about recycling things that are in almost-new condition!

Garage sales can also be a fun time to meet up with friends – you can visit and help each other find what you’re looking for. Win/win!

Hopefully this is a helpful list. I warn you – garage sales can be addictive once you get started! 🙂 If you have any helpful tips, I’d love to hear them below!

– Katelyn

Product Review: Memoria Press Junior Kindergarten Curriculum

Posted on May 18, 2014 by Katelyn

I run a small childcare/preschool center in my home, and we focus lots of time on learning. This year, I wanted to find a curriculum that would be fun and challenging, but wouldn’t be tons of prep work for me. I stumbled upon the Memoria Press Jr. Kindergarten program and it was EXACTLY what I was looking for!

I have used this over the school year with a group of energetic 3-4 year old boys, and I love how it worked for us. This curriculum would be easy to use for a homeschooling family, a small preschool class, or large preschool class – it’s very versatile!

The Memoria Press Jr. K curriculum is Christian-based, and was developed by teachers at the Memoria Press school, which consistently scores in the top 1% of schools in America! It’s thoroughly organized (perfect for my type-A personality), and it’s clear that experienced teachers put a lot of work into this so you don’t have to. What could be better?

JrK

Curriculum Overview:

The curriculum is designed for 4-5 year olds. It’s structured to cover 2 half-days a week over 33 weeks, but you could adjust as needed. Each week, there is a children’s book to read every day and a letter/number theme.

What I LOVE about this curriculum is that you literally turn the lesson plan book to your day (for example, “Week 2, Day 2”) and it walks you through exactly what to do for circle time, lesson time, craft time, etc. All of the prep work has been done for you!

Curriculum Resources:

Jr. Kindergarten Curriculum Lesson Plans

This book is vital to the program as it has the lesson plans for each day. The book is organized by week and day (week 1, day 1, etc.). When you open the book to your day, it walks you through everything to do for that day, including outside resources to use for each section. You can view a sample lesson plan here.

The curriculum book is only $30, which is a great deal! Those who are budget-conscious could probably get away with only buying this book and finding most of the other materials from a library and/or supplementing with other things. There are other great materials that can be used with the curriculum book, though, and I found most of them to be very helpful.

Book of Crafts, Jr. K.

The craft book gives detailed craft instructions (along with a black and white picture of every craft) for each week. There is a craft to go along with every letter, and a craft to go along with each week’s theme book. I love how this is organized! I do use Pinterest too, so I supplemented with some crafts I found on there. Overall though, I relied heavily on this craft book. Most of the crafts were very simple to set up and required materials that I usually had on hand. Great resource!

Workbooks

The curriculum offers “Alphabet Books 1 & 2”, which include tracing and other letter activities. It also has alphabet and number coloring books, and “Inside and Outside”, which is a numbers workbook. Since my students weren’t 4 when we started, I didn’t push the workbooks at the beginning of the year. As the year progressed, they started asking for more activities to do and they LOVED using these workbooks and coloring books. Bonus! These books also aren’t very expensive, so they are great tools to have on hand even if you don’t use them along with the curriculum.

Hailstones & Halibut Bones

This is a book of poetry to supplement some of the lessons. I’ll admit I didn’t use it very much as I found the Richard Scarry poems to be enough, but this is a beautiful book! If you have older Jr. Kindergartners (ages 4.5+), it would work well.

Big Thoughts for Little People

This is a very cute devotion book. There is a devotion to go along with every letter of the alphabet, and each page has a brightly colored picture and questions for kids to answer about the picture. The boys loved examining each page and answering the questions. This is a great resource for anyone with young children!

Richard Scarry’s Best Mother Goose Ever

This includes lots of classic poems, along with pictures. The boys loved using this book! The curriculum book references which page/poem to read each week, so it’s super easy to use!

Prayers for Children

This is a book of prayers, and the curriculum book suggests which prayer to use each day. I choose not to get this book, but made my own prayers for the beginning and end of each preschool day.

Alphabet flashcards and wall charts

These are simple and clear. Great resource to have, if you don’t have something similar!

Literature books to go along with each week.

Memorize Press offers a book package here, so you can buy all the literature books for the year. You should also be able to find most of them at your local library if you prefer to go that route.

How it works:

Obviously, this will work differently depending on your situation. Here is how it worked for my small group.

1) When the children arrived, I gave them free time to play in our playroom.

2) After a few minutes, I’d call them over for circle time and (using the curriculum book) we’d discuss weather, days of the week, memorization and introduce our letter/number theme for the week. We’d also do singing and our devotion.

3) After this, we’d jump into an activity that related to our theme (again, from the curriculum book).

4) After the activity, we’d sit down again and read our theme book for the week and discuss it (using questions from the curriculum book).

5) We’d then work on a craft or activity. Part way through the year, we also started using the workbooks.

6) After craft time, we would usually do an additional game or activity the book suggested and/or head outside for some active time.

7) We’d circle up for a quick prayer and that was the end of our preschool day!

Thoughts:

Preschool doesn’t need to be complicated, but I was overwhelmed at the idea of coming up with every lesson/activity by myself. The Memoria Press curriculum was PERFECT for me. All I had to do in preparation for each week was get the literature book and make sure we had the necessary craft materials. Obviously, I could also pick and choose what activities to use based on my group. When I had more time, I would sometimes supplement the suggested activities with things I found on Pinterest. This gave me a perfect balance; structure and planning were in place, but I could alter it as desired.

I highly recommend this program for anyone who is preparing to teach preschool to an individual child or a group of children. It would work best for a teacher who needs structure and doesn’t want to do in-depth planning, and for a child who is at least 4+ years old (I started it with boys that were 3.5 years old, so I simply took some of the complicated concepts out to suit their needs).

Overall, the Memoria Press Jr. K program is a teacher-friendly, high-quality program. I can’t wait to use it again down the road!

For more information, you can see/order the curriculum here. Enjoy!

– Katelyn

Note: I received some materials for free in exchange for writing this review. It did not alter my review in any way, and I do not receive any profits from others who choose to purchase this curriculum.

It’s Official!

Posted on February 22, 2014 by Katelyn

We are adding another Tiny to our family! Soon after my last post, I was hit with a delightful round of morning sickness and exhaustion, but I’m back now! 🙂

Tiny One is super excited to be a big sister. She is obsessed with singing to her baby dolls and she’s putting diapers on them constantly. 🙂

I am starting baby product research for round #2 – more on that later!

– Katelyn

New Years Stuff

Posted on January 7, 2014 by Katelyn

Hello and Happy (late) New Year!!!

We had a wonderful Christmas break. Lots of time with extended family & with just our little family of 3…. opening gifts, playing games, cooking, crafting, and playing in the snow (when it doesn’t feel like -20 outside…yikes!)

One of my resolutions this year is to blog more frequently, and I’m already behind. That’s okay…moving on!

So my blog plan for 2014 is to write 3x a week most weeks. It will look something like this:

Monday – An idea or list

Wednesday – A recipe or learning activity

Friday – A review of something useful or fun

I can’t wait to get started!! 🙂

In other news, I’d like to point out that I do not like the idea of New Years Resolutions, because they have a reputation for being broken (see beginning of this post).

As such, I like to start each year with ideas of where I want to go. I can work on any of my ideas at any time during the year (aka: it’s okay if I don’t start on them all in January … I’ll work on each one sometime before December).

Here are some of my goals:

1) Blog more

2) Eat more whole foods (nothing too crazy, but small changes here and there)

3) Spend less time on electronics (work smarter…and stop checking my phone 5x an hour!)

4) Spend more quality time with Tiny One (she’s growing up so fast!)

5) Practice wise spending habits

I’ll blog about my progress later this year.

What are YOUR goals for 2014??

Katelyn

Protecting tinies during the holidays

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Katelyn

As parents, we want to make the Christmas season full of happy memories. It’s easy to plan TONS of activities and move through the season at high-speed with young ones in tow.

Although there are days when this is necessary, I believe it’s my job as a parent to guard Tiny One’s heart and schedule so she doesn’t get lost in the holiday craziness.

Too many parties, shopping trips, and events can make ME stressed out…imagine what they do to a small child!

I don’t want to force my child into the frenzied, commercialized, Pinterest-worthy, world in which I sometimes reside!

Christmas is stressful enough without extra expectations. Tinies need individual time with us & they are easily overstimulated when lots of things are going on.

I want Tiny One to ENJOY Christmas as a special family time, so I made a plan to protect her during this crazy season:

1) Don’t do it all.

This year, we chose a few traditions to maintain (baking/crafts, church events, and spending time with family). We are also trying a few new things (getting Christmas PJs, and going to the Zoo Lights).

Other than that, we spend most evenings snuggling up to read Christmas books, work on small projects together, and listen to music. Tiny One LOVES this relaxed schedule and is delighted to spend quality time with us most evenings.

2) Enjoy the little things

Tiny One helps me bake cookies, shop for others, and wrap some gifts (creatively). When we want to do something fun, we turn on Christmas songs and dance, we bring a bowl of snow inside to play with, or we make artwork for a family member.

These things will likely create more special memories than a giant excursion would.

Every night, Tiny One asks if we are going to make “tookies” tomorrow. She LOVES helping in the kitchen, and talks about it more than the Zoo Lights we went to see.

Little things matter to tinies, so they matter to me.

3) Maintain rest and routine (as much as possible)

Although it’s tempting to forge on in the midst of shopping, visiting, and holiday excursions, children need down time every day. We keep a regular nap/quiet time at our house so everyone gets rest.

Both sides of our family know that Tiny One naps from 1:00-4:00, and she goes to bed at 8:00. If an event is planned during those times, they know she can’t attend.

We’ve made a few exceptions to this, but we’ve found that Tiny One is much calmer and alert when she’s had a consistent nap/bedtime schedule.

Christmas is much more enjoyable for children when they can rest and recover each day!

4) Balance days and weekends

If there is an event in the evening, we stay home and rest during the day.

If Saturday is full of events, then we plan NOTHING (except church) on Sunday, and vice-versa.

If there are extra things we must attend, we give Tiny One extra rest before/after the event.… or one of us stays home with her while the other one attends.

Even though children love time with family and friends, it’s still energy out. I know families who plan events for their children most evenings and weekends. The children often become fussy, overtired, and/or unable to focus. That makes Christmas stressful for the kids AND the adults.

Balancing busy time with restful time allows children to recover and flourish in the midst of craziness.

5) Stay tuned in & be flexible

Despite our best intentions, some days will be crazy. Naps will be cut short, or (*gasp*) missed entirely. Bedtime may come a little late. It happens.

During big days, I try to stay “tuned in” to Tiny One. If she starts acting up during an event, I bring her in another room and snuggle with her so she can “reset”. If she is acting exhausted or overstimulated, we sometimes leave events early or reschedule our plans.

Obviously, we can’t dictate our whole schedule around Tiny One, but it’s not worth staying two extra hours somewhere if she is miserable or needs a break.

Overall, I don’t want to habitually put my desire for a “perfect” Christmas above Tiny One’s emotional needs.

Young children are unpredictable during big events… but they often behave better if they have low-key schedule, if they’ve had special “small moments” with you, and if their days are restful and balanced.

No matter how well you guard your children from holiday stress, large excursions may end in tears at just the moment you envisioned your family peacefully smiling while angelic music played overhead.

That’s okay.

Better luck next year.

Go home and make some cookies.

A Homemade Christmas: Making it personal

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Katelyn

It’s been a crazy few weeks! We had a horrible cough/cold sweep through our ranks just as Christmas preparations were getting underway.

In addition, I broke down and bought a Silhouette Cameo when Amazon had a sale. To justify the cost (and because I am crazy) I decided we should make most of our Christmas gifts this year.

Despite the craziness, I am really enjoying making gifts. It takes more time and planning, but it’s exciting to put together something specifically for someone else, in hopes of making their Christmas more meaningful.

Love it!

I can’t share all my projects just yet (some of the gift-recipients may read this blog), but here is a project I am super excited about: a doll cradle for Tiny One.

Tiny One loves her baby dolls. She feeds them her food, rocks them, and changes their diapers…but they have no place to sleep! 🙂

I didn’t want a plastic doll bed, but all the wooden ones I liked were $50-$100!

Last summer I found this cradle at a garage sale for $5 (sorry, I don’t have any “before” pictures). It was a dark wood color with lots of scratches and dings in it…but it had lots of potential!

I hid it in our basement, and last week my amazing husband sanded it down (for hours), and painted it with two coats of white paint to match our other play furniture.

I am THRILLED with how it turned out, and can’t wait to see what Tiny One thinks!

I”ll post more of our projects soon.

What are YOU making for Christmas?

– Katelyn

Don’t be stressed! How to shop Black Friday like a pro

Posted on November 23, 2013 by Katelyn

I love a good deal, so I’ve been shopping Black Friday for years. My whole family gets involved, and every year we perfect our strategy.

With the big day coming up, here are some helpful tips (most of which we’ve learned the hard way):

1) Make your list

BEFORE shopping for Black Friday, make a list if what you’d like to buy. Otherwise, it’s too easy to buy items you’ll never use (or no one wants).

If you won’t use it, it’s not a good deal. Even if it’s free.

2) Follow deal sites

Scope out sites that highlight good deals – it will save you lots of time.

I follow www.blackfriday.com to see Black Friday ads in advance.

I also follow www.hip2save.com because it highlights TONS of individual deals as they happen.

Let someone else do the work for you.

3) Consider prices & set alerts

If there are a few hot ticket items you want, figure out what a good deal would actually be. Consider buying BEFORE Black Friday if a good deal pops up (you can always return it if you get a better deal):

Visit www.amazon.com and find the item you want
Copy the URL
Then, visit www.camelcamelcamel.com and paste the amazon URL in their search engine
They will find the item and tell you the lowest and highest price it’s been, so you know what’s reasonable
You can also type in your email address & it will alert you when your item drops in price!!

4) Map out ads

On Thanksgiving Day (or ahead of time if you view them online), spend an hour or two looking through ads and make a list of items that match your shopping list.

Several of my family members do this, and then we combine all of our lists, organizing them by store.

5) Buy online

Many stores offer Black Friday deals online before stores even open – use this when possible.

It’s much easier to search for items online then to fight through a crowd.

Also, most stores (including Amazon) offer free shipping if your purchase is over a certain amount. You can beat the rush AND have purchases delivered to your door for free. Win/win!

6) Arrive early

If you do go out, remember to arrive early if you want big ticket items and/or to avoid wrap-around-the-store checkout lines.

I skip the electronics, so I don’t need to line up at midnight, but for general sale items I arrive right when a store is opening. This usually means I can find 90% of the items I want, which is good enough to me.

7) Go in pairs

Use the buddy system in stores by taking someone with you.

My family will send “teams” of people; each team has 2-3 stores they shop, using the lists we created the day before. We shop together, splitting up to find items when needed.

If a store line starts getting long (this can happen immediately), one person can wait in the checkout line while the other one finishes shopping. This will literally save you HOURS of time, and is worth bribing someone with a free breakfast to get them to go with you.

8) Let your children sleep

Every year I run into frazzled parents with their infants or young children bundled up and crying in a stroller. They often arrive before a store opens so their kids are freezing and upset before shopping even starts. Yikes. These same couples are seen frantically trying to navigate aisles with their (still crying) child in tow while crows of people jump in front of them to get the good deals.

Not worth it for parents OR kids.

If you have a child, stick with online shopping, or arrange for someone to hang out at home so your kid(s) can sleep in their warm beds. Then do your shopping like a champ (without a stroller) so you can get in and out of stores quickly… and maybe even get some extra sleep when you get back (if you’re lucky).

9) Evaluate purchases & return excess

After you shop, evaluate your purchases and return anything you don’t use or plan to give as gifts. You’ll likely have a few impulse buys or items that you need to send in for a rebate.

Keep all receipts just in case, and send in for any rebates within a week to make sure it happens.

10) Remember the REAL reason for the season

It’s easy to get so caught up in finding great deals that we forget to enjoy our family and friends. This season is about thanking God for what we already have, remembering God’s greatest gift to us, and showing love to others.

Slow down. Pray. Invest time in those around you. Call someone. Play a board game. Smile.

Quality time with others is worth far more than a new TV or fuzzy slippers.

What are YOUR tips for Black Friday?

Happy shopping!

– Katelyn

Tiny Tested gifts for infants, toddlers & preschoolers

Posted on November 16, 2013 by Katelyn

Christmas is less than 6 weeks away…yikes! As you prepare your lists and check them twice, here are 10 toys that the children in my house use constantly. These are opened-ended, high quality, and work for a wide variety of ages.

Amazon affiliate links are included (I purchase most of the toys through them). I’m a deal shopper though, so I encourage you to shop around! 🙂

1) Hohner Instruments

We LOVE this instrument set. The bell is our favorite piece; it’s enclosed inside a cage with a handle, so it’s not a chocking hazard & is easy to hold. Infants and toddlers love using these pieces during singing time, and some children will literally cart around the bell for hours at a time.

2) Melissa & Doug Puzzles

Melissa & Doug make beautiful wooden puzzles, perfect for toddlers! The pieces are thick, so they can be easily manipulated. Children can also use the chunky animals, etc. on their own for pretend play.

3) Green Toys Tea Set

Tiny One LOVES using this tea set to feed her dolls and to eat real snacks off of. The pieces are sturdy, cute and useable. The set is made from recycled milk jugs so it’s a bonus for the environment too! Tiny One is getting the matching dish set for Christmas (don’t tell!).

4) Learning Resources Play Food

Almost any food set by Learning Resources is worth it. It’s realistic and sturdy. I avoid wooden food as it is a possible weapon, and I definitely avoid anything cardboard since I want it to last. This food is the best we have found so far! The kids love the sandwich set especially, as well as the fruit and veggie set. Despite being constantly thrown and “eaten”, it’s held up perfectly.

5) Hape Pound and Tap Bench

This is a cause and effect toy (hit the ball with the hammer and it falls down) AND a musical instrument; the xylophone piece can be removed and played on it’s own! The balls can also be used for color matching/recognition since they each have a corresponding hole. Fun! You can get the item on its own, or with a free coloring book (pictured)!

6) Baby Stella

This is the perfect first doll for babies and toddlers. It can be gender neutral and is 100% cloth (no hard plastic pieces), so it’s perfect to hug and sleep with. Coordinating clothes have Velcro to make dressing convenient. It does not make sounds (bonus) and also comes with a magnetic pacifier which is lots of fun. Tiny One uses this doll every day & she sleeps with it every night!

7) Duplo Legos

We go with the duplo legos at our house, as they are safe for little ones but still fun for preschoolers. This is a great toy to collect because the more the merrier! When I was growing up, my mom let extended family know we collected legos and after several years we had received enough to fill a giant bin! In addition to the basic blocks, we have some great coordinating sets like a zoo and a counting train. These are a huge hit at our house!

8) Prince Lionheart Ride-On Animals

Okay, I love this purely for “it’s so cute” reasons. If you want a ride on toy for your toddler, go with this. Toddlers love riding on them or pretending they are real animals (Tiny One frequently “feeds” her pig during snack time). In addition to being adorable, it’s very sturdy and will last forever!

9) Push cart

I love this cart because it is sturdy and very open ended. Infants can steady themselves with it as they learn to walk (the wheels can be tightened so they don’t move much). Toddlers and preschoolers can use it as a stroller for dolls, or to fill with items. Added bonus: it’s big enough for small children to ride in. It’s the cutest thing to watch kids push each other around in this!

10) Children’s Factory giant foam blocks

These are by far the best “big” toy purchases we made so far. The blocks are foam on the inside, and covered in sturdy vinyl. We purchased a small set and a big set, and they have been played with almost every day since we got them a year ago… and they show no signs of wear!

Infants love to grasp them (they are fairly light), and toddlers and preschoolers love using them to build giant towers, practice matching colors, or make into houses. Even the most energetic boys wear themselves out as they repeatedly build, knock down, and repeat.

Added bonus: they can withstand lots of chewing and drool and are easily sanitized with soap and water. Yay!

Well there you have it! Ten toys that have been tiny-tested and approved.

Happy Christmas shopping!

– Katelyn

My favorite gift! 🙂

Rules for Toys – Part II, Access to Toys

Posted on November 9, 2013 by Katelyn

Earlier this week, I posted four rules to follow when purchasing toys. Today, I will share my rules for organizing toys (aka: giving children access to them).

As previously discussed, children do not play well when:

1) Toys are not age appropriate

2) Toys do not allow children to learn or imagine

3) There are too many toys out at once

I keep this in mind when organizing toys.

Overall, every toy must have a home.

When toys are brought out, they must have a purpose (for a specific child, age, or skill).

Access to Toys

1) Simplify everyday-access toys

Choose a few classics to leave out all day every day.

I switch these toys out each week or two, to keep kids engaged.

I don’t use toyboxes because this can become a hidden toy dump. Children cannot find or access the toys they want, so they dump everything out to get to one toy.

For example, here is what I keep out:

Living Room (all the children play here):

A set of blocks

a few ride-on or push toys

5 books

2 cars/trucks

2 baby dolls

Preschool/learning room:

play kitchen

dress up box

6 books

1 game

1 learning activity

Loft (this is for Tiny One only):

select wooden toys

a small box of books

a small box of other toys

Tiny One’s bedroom:

10 books

A few stuffed animals

2) Bin method

Store extra toys by theme in plastic bins. I also store learning activities, extra books, and craft supplies out of sight.

The bins for younger children are in our entryway closet. We select one bin or activity at a time; usually 1-2 each day.

In the Preschool room, toy bins are accessible on a shelf. Older children can get out bins & mix them together, but each bin must be put away before they leave the room.

Children can ask permission to get out a game, puzzle, or craft item, as desired. (We tried letting them do this on their own, but it resulted in too much “dump and run” time.)

3) Clear unused & dump-and-run items

If a toy or bin of toys is regularly ignored (or dumped and left untouched) something needs to change.

Sometimes children need to grow into a toy. Other times, they are simply tired of using it. Either way, I put the toy away for a while, to try again later.

If it doesn’t hold interest after a few tries, I get rid of it.

Why use up my space with unused toys?

4) Five minute clean-up rule

When ALL accessible toys in a room are dumped out (which inevitably happens), it should not take more than 5 minutes to clean everything up.

I don’t like to spend all day cleaning, and neither do the kids!

When clean up time in a room starts taking too long, I move more toys into bins. This keeps clean up time short & more enjoyable. It also reminds me to continually use the bin system I have set up.

Well there you have it. By limiting the toys that come into my home and carefully planning what toys to leave out, children can experience more quality playtime. There are fewer distractions and fewer toys to fight over. Children can focus easily on mastering skills.

Also, by rotating toys, children are excited to play with something “new” each day or each week, which holds their focus.

The bottom line, of course, is try a few systems out and do what works for you. Everyone is different!

Blessings,

Katelyn

Rules for Toys, Part I – Types of Toys

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Katelyn

I have toy rules.

Why?

Because with 9 children in and out of my home (1 of my own + 8 joining us for preschool classes and/or care during the week), my home could easily be overrun with toys.

I run a household.

I take care of & teach children.

I do not run a toystore or a toy “dump”.

I don’t want the toys on the floor to take over my home or stop children from truly “playing”.

My home will get messy…but it should be with toys that children USE and enjoy!

I’ve found that children do not play well when:

1) Toys are not age appropriate

2) Toys do not allow children to learn or imagine

3) There are too many toys out at once

When this happens, children often switch into “dump and run” mode. They only touch toys to dump them off the toy shelf, rip the pieces apart, and/or throw them across the room.

Not worth it.

I want to surround children with items that encourage cooperative play, creativity, and independent learning.

Because of this, I have developed guidelines to monitor toy purchases and toy accessibility.

Today I will focus on the types of toys I look for. Later this week, I will post about access to toys in my home.

Types of Toys

1) Quality.

Cheap toys often break quickly and need to be replaced. Or they do not function as well as higher quality counterparts.

Toys that last & work well will save money in the long run, because they won’t need to be replaced.

A few high-quality items are better than a pile of toys that break quickly.

Last Christmas, we gave Tiny One a beautiful wooden push cart (I meticulously researched to find the “best” one), and a few smaller carefully chosen items. She had a BLAST and every toy has been used all year long.

Quality trumps quantity.

2) Durability.

Toys must be durable. I love wooden toys, but there are some great plastic toys as well.

Play with toys and/or read reviews before purchasing.

If a toy might break within two years, do not buy it.

I like to find toys that will last at least 5 years. Even if Tiny One outgrows it, a sturdy toy can be re-sold or given to someone else to enjoy. Bonus!

Sturdy play food over cardboard play food. A wooden ride-on toy instead of a flimsy plastic one. You get the idea.

3) Open-ended.

Toys must allow for some creativity. Blocks, legos, dolls, play-dough, balls, cars, etc.

I avoid TV/movie themed items & toys that only do one thing. There is nothing inherently wrong with these things…they just don’t allow kids to create. Character toys and toys that serve only one purpose are already defined.

Open-ended toys allow children to constantly redefine what they are. They naturally grow with your child’s interests.

Kids won’t outgrow legos for a long time, but a “Spongebob” addiction may only last a year…or a month.

4) Multiple Ages & Stages.

Toys that can grow with your child and be used with multiple ages at the same time (siblings, friends, etc.) are well worth it.

For example, alphabet blocks can help infants develop fine motor skills. Toddlers can use them to practice stacking, learn colors, and introduce the abc’s. Preschoolers can use the blocks for pretend play and for number/letter recognition. Older children may use alphabet blocks to practice their spelling or play games they make up.

Obviously, this won’t work for every toy, but it’s good to keep in mind.

There were some toys I just “had to have” for Tiny One…until I realized she would likely outgrow them within a few months!

Not worth it.

Well there you have it. Four rules to govern the types of toys I let into my home. There are exceptions to every rule, but I do my best to follow them closely.

Surrounding children with carefully chosen toys, instead of a random pile, will increase quality playtime & avoid “dump and run” sessions.

“Part II – Access to Toys” will come later! 🙂

What rules do YOU have for toys?

Blessings,

Katelyn