TOYS EVERYWHERE!

Organising your toddler’s play environment.

Do you wish you had a space like some nurseries have?, nicely arranged into “corners”? Yeah, that would be nice. 

The benefits of having some structure are:

• Moving between these areas will help with transitions,
• It is a good indicator of what the child seeks and enjoys,
• It helps stimulate their senses,
• Provide you with a way to keep your child entertained during the day,
• Helps children to make decisions and encourages making choices.

However, not every home has the space to organise toys like that, but here are some ideas to help you get started:

1. Make a list or do a drawing of the different sections you wish you had for your child based on their needs or interests. Examples: building area, quiet area, drawing/art area, snug or a quiet corner, music toys, tactile corner or learning area if needed…
2. If you don’t have enough space for corners, don’t worry. You can use large boxes or cupboards with pictures or stickers on them to indicate what’s inside and keep things in order (as much as possible with little ones).
3. Placing a rug, mat or different flooring in the different corners will help make it a comfortable seating area and will also provide a boundary for the specific space.
4. Even if your child is not a fan of books or some specific toys yet, you can place a few books or unfamiliar toys in an area for your toddler to explore. This will help encourage a love for reading or will serve as an ‘exposure’.
5. Don’t try to use all your current toys. Keep some hidden away so you can rotate them every so often as a novelty.

I hope these tips help you create a wonderful play environment for your toddler!