A PRESCHOOLER PLAY SPACE

Guest Blog by Lauren Hunt from Teacher Types.

If you find yourself without a separate play room for your preschooler, it’s a good idea to have everything nice and organised in your main family/living area like we do! These photos are from a while back before our little man was on the move, so the toys and materials are always constantly changing and evolving, and that’s more likely to keep the kids engaged as well!

To the left by the window is an art/activity table (just from IKEA). Gotta love IKEA for fun kids stuff! There’s often play dough out on this table. On the floor is our double sided Ecoviva Bumpa Mat – and we change it around from time to time. In the corner is our Duplo tub, because we have too much to fit in one of the regular sized tubs. And incase you’re wondering, around 3 is the age when the novelty of tipping out the ENTIRE tub has worn off 😉

The shelves are from IKEA, and green tubs are from Howards Storage World.

From L-R, Top – Bottom here is what we’ve got!

On the Top

• Basket of marbles & gems (out of the little man’s reach now that he’s toddling around)

• Wooden Play fruit

• Grimms stacking cups

• Musical instrument basket

• Grimms wooden rainbow

• Basket of treasures

• Babushka doll

Top Shelf

• Puzzles

• Books, and more books

• Basket of pebbles

Bottom Shelf

• Miscelaneous (because everyone needs one of those where you just chuck all the random stuff)

• Transport (including train set, trains, cars, people, trees etc)

• Wooden blocks (plain, coloured and transperant)

• Soft toys & teddies (mostly Peppa Pig characters LOL)

I love love love cane baskets for toy storage and play activities. They look great together with the Grimms wooden stacking cups and wooden rainbow (the most beautiful toy EVER!).

Children’s play areas are always evolving as they grow and their interests change.

When considering play materials for 3 year olds here are some things to think about;

• Gender neutral, provide lots of opportunities for both boys and girls.

• Neat, tidy, organised, well presented. Pack up is easier if everything has its place.

• Loose parts, tinker toys, sorting baskets are lots of fun for this age.

• Puzzles are great for mathematical learning.

• You can never have too many books for literacy development.

• Various other toys to encourage imaginative play.