The shelf.

So many people have commented over the past year about how much they love our toy shelf.
So here it is: the ever evolving toy shelf for six kids. And two grown ups who don't mind playing too.

 .  . 

 .  . 

 .  . 

 .  . 

 .  . 

 .  . 

    

    

    

    

    

    

Jen x

FAQs about our family and play.

DO YOUR CHILDREN WATCH TV? 

Yes. Libby watches play school in the morning. There is rarely time during the school week for the other kids to watch TV, but occasionally there will be a few minutes between showers & dinner. On the weekend TV time is when Libby naps. If they are not quiet and Libby doesn’t sleep - no TV. They are always quiet.😏

DO YOUR CHILDREN FIGHT?

Yes and no. Zero tolerance for physical violence- we are a non hitting household. Some children hardly ever disagree, other combinations get on each other’s nerves and argue.  Children in the same stage tend to play really well or have a lot to talk about. 

DO YOUR KIDS MAKE A MESS?

I laughed at this question.😂 Yes! Take a look at my Instagram stories more often! 

WHAT DO YOUR CHILDREN DO BESIDES PLAY? 

They go to school, have one ‘job’ in the house they are responsible for (plus others I ask them to do when needed), they do homework, and go to after school activities. They play outside everyday after school.

DO YOU ROTATE TOYS?

Yes but in a fluid way. There is no set plan or anything. If I am tired of looking at the same shelf set up, or every toy is on the floor, or the kids need a little inspiration/change, I change it.

DOES EVERYTHING GET PUT AWAY STRAIGHT AWAY?

Generally no, we tidy twice a day (before lunch/rest time and before/after dinner). Messy play is cleaned up right away, especially the play tray. I can’t stand slimy things sitting on the counter waiting to be cleaned. It generally only takes a few minutes to clean.

HAVE YOU ALWAYS HAD EXPENSIVE TOYS? 

No. My eldest is almost 16 and we are in a different place in our life now than we were when he was little. When he was 9 months old we completely gutted and renovated a house, which I was the project manager for. Play and toys received little room in our budget. Over time we have invested our time and money into play in varying ways.

Activities: How many and how to have the time and energy to do them.

Reader question: How many activities do you do? How do you find the time and energy to set them up?

1) At home I aim for 2 times a day when I go out of my way to set specific things up for my child/ren. That’s it. Sometimes it ends up many! Other times just one. Either way, keeping two in mind makes it feel achievable. To start with, aim for one that is super easy to set up. There is no need to over do it, become super stressed and then not want to do anything at all. 

2) The old saying, give them 10 minutes and they’ll give you an hour, can be true. Focused attention for a short time usually leads to time playing independently. I say CAN be true, because I have one never-enough-attention child. You know if you have one.  Don’t try to explain this to someone else, because other children can function super easily without all the attention, so others may not understand. My advice? Be FIRM and clear with boundaries around parent play time, otherwise you will find it difficult to allocate time to do anything else (unless of course you have no problem playing 24/7- it’s really all about what you are comfortable with). A visual timer can be great when they are young (google ‘time timer’ or use an iPad visual timer). 'Bedroom rest time’ after lunch for a short time can be helpful for parents who like a little personal space and quiet. I love children who love to talk! But yes, it’s important they learn to work in with the rest of the family, and the personal boundaries of others.

3) Set up an activity at a time that fits with the rhythm of your household. No one should be too tired or hungry. For us that is usually after the girls play outside as I hang the washing on the clothes line. We continue outdoors if appropriate for the activity, or come inside, wash hands and start straight away. We are all usually calm and happy after being out in the fresh air. 

4) Prepare an activity while the kettle boils. It will surprise you how fast it can be pulled together! Then make your cuppa and sit nearby as the child/ren play (just keep the boiling water well out of reach). You can chat with them as they play or fold the washing, or do something else. Just stay close but not too controlling of what’s going on. A good example would be to get out a box with play dough and other supplies, placing them in bowls on the table, with play dough on a board. It takes 2 minutes.

5) Once finished clean up with them, or if it’s a messy activity wash hands, and let them play with toys as you quickly clean up. Look at my last post for help here.

6) Know that some children will be happy to completely direct their own play or prefer play with siblings. I had one child like this. No desire to play with adults (or play set up by adults) as a toddler, wanting only to play with other children. We are all different- even babies and children. I would set up an activity or invitation to play after school pick up while they all ate a snack. This child was more than happy to then play with play dough or paint alongside siblings (to encourage the development of fine motor skills). If the child was an only child, inviting friends over to encourage them to try new areas of play may help.

7) Create a Pinterest board or Instagram saved section called “Easy to set up activities.” When you see something that can be set up and packed away in 2 minutes or less, save it. That way you can quickly choose one activity each morning.

How to deal with the mess of play.

Reader question: How do you stop kids making mess or how do you deal with the mess?!

I’ve got to say I’m asked this ALL the time. I’m going to start by saying that even if you could stop children being messy, I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s such a good learning experience. Yes the obvious things like fine motor skill development are developed, but also the life skill that mess must be cleaned up is gained. Even if they are just watching you ‘model’ this behaviour now, it’s all being stored away in their brains for the future. 

So exactly how do I cope with 6 mess makers????

1) OUTSIDE TIME!! Every day. I am not precious about our back yard. You will rarely see photos. They destroy it and I don’t care, because I need to maintain sanity. There has to be a time they feel free to just be who they are without all the rules. So while they are outside enjoying a play experience that is both sensory and potentially great for gross motor muscles (ie. playing outside without constant monitoring), I get a couple chores done, or clean up an inside activity. I just expect them to be kind and not break the BBQ. Note: I have older kids. When I had younger kids our back room was allllll windows and I could see everywhere in the back yard. The back room was also our tiny playroom, so I’d tidy and keep an eye on them while they played in mud and made cubby houses out of bikes and sticks. It was gold! 

2) Handheld vacuum. Love my little Dyson. Hubby wants it to break so we can upgrade to the latest one.😆We use it all the time and all except Libby can use it. We also have a broom and little dust pan and broom so there are plenty of implements to choose from. We also have child friendly, non toxic cleaning products and clothes that they are welcome to (and encouraged to) use.

3) Spread out a spare sheet and place the play tray in the middle. It’s normal for kids to pick up the rice and dump it somewhere, so I put a few plates around too. Most of it stays on the plates or sheet, which gets poured back in the bag at the end. 5 mins clean up, including the vacuum around the edges.

4) If I don’t feel like getting out the vacuum, I put a picnic mat on the grass outside. No mess inside. I won’t make a stressful day more stressful unnecessarily.

5) Clean up toys only once or twice a day as part of the regular rhythm of the day. Ignore it the rest of the time. Leave the toys everywhere! You’ll find they will come back and build on previous play after having a bit of thinking time. Insist that they at least help while you are packing up at the routine time/s. If they complain, be honest: “I don’t like packing away either. Let’s start with the Duplo first.” Arguments are never truely won, so it’s easier being on the same team. Team we-have-to-do-it-anyway.

6) Don’t expect others to care about the mess just because you do. You can’t control children to value tidiness. Some do, some don’t, and hopefully they will value it more as they grow, watching you. In the meantime, be clear about expectations. 

7) Do whatever works for your family. In the past I’ve had children overwhelmed with packing away toys, because it’s too hard for them to NOT play. With these children I reached an agreement they they would clean the bathroom vanity or fold towels, while I packed away toys. 

8) Some people have had success with making cleaning fun. Not our family, but some people. Maybe I'm just not a great actress. It's worth giving it a go! 

9) Have the routine clean up right before something they absolutely LOVE doing. For example, in Prep we clean up as a class right before we go outside to play. They are super excited, thinking about what is coming next, so they are more eager to pack away quickly. At home it is usually before food. I have no children who are not in love with eating, so this works. 

10) Pass on or throw away items that are unnecessary. A cluttered space is much harder for all involved to maintain. If everything has a space that it belongs, it makes the whole process easier.