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Abigail 11:48 PM 08-07-2010
Currently I have a 10-gallon Rubbermaid Storage Container to organize toys in for rotation. The one I have right now holds Fisher Price Little People houses, cars, people, and accessories. I was thinking about adding more storage tubs and collecting more toys (barbie tub, doll tub, duplos tub, etc.) These are a decent sized tub and if needed, they could be storaged outside and safe from water or anything since they seal shut and stack perfectly.

How do you organize daycare toys or supplies for storage or daily/weekly use?

Is there an easy way to organize art supplies like crayons, scissors, paint, brushes, paper, etc. in cupboards? I'm thinking about pre-peeling a bunch of crayons (24 packs for only a quarter!) and putting them in a flip-top container from the school supply section for a dollar for the kids to share, good idea or not? I was also thinking about purchasing construction paper in bulk and putting them in one of the paper stackers according to color, but then again my OCD might be kickin' in!

Thanks!
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QualiTcare 12:48 AM 08-08-2010
Originally Posted by Abigail:
Currently I have a 10-gallon Rubbermaid Storage Container to organize toys in for rotation. The one I have right now holds Fisher Price Little People houses, cars, people, and accessories. I was thinking about adding more storage tubs and collecting more toys (barbie tub, doll tub, duplos tub, etc.) These are a decent sized tub and if needed, they could be storaged outside and safe from water or anything since they seal shut and stack perfectly.

How do you organize daycare toys or supplies for storage or daily/weekly use?

Is there an easy way to organize art supplies like crayons, scissors, paint, brushes, paper, etc. in cupboards? I'm thinking about pre-peeling a bunch of crayons (24 packs for only a quarter!) and putting them in a flip-top container from the school supply section for a dollar for the kids to share, good idea or not? I was also thinking about purchasing construction paper in bulk and putting them in one of the paper stackers according to color, but then again my OCD might be kickin' in!

Thanks!
i think the paper idea is good - i personally like kids each having their own pencil box/crayon box - whatever u call it.

when they share - the lids get left off the markers - they dry up - the crayons get broken, the paint gets mixed, etc. you don't know who did it and everyone suffers.

i like for everyone to have their own markers, crayons, paint, etc. i worked in a center where everyone shared and it was a DISASTER - i pleaded for pencil boxes to no avail. when i could decide on my own, i did it that way - and it was wonderful.
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Rachel 01:46 AM 08-08-2010
For toys I use the Ikea trofast stuff. I don't have the storage units (I already had a different unit from Ikea), but I have the boxes. They are inexpensive, come in all kinds of sizes, and stack nicely for rotation.

I agree it's best to give the kids their own pencils / markers / paints / etc. when possible. When I give out new ones, I take what is left of the old ones and put them in a single bin for drop ins and my kids' friends when they visit.
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Abigail 03:45 PM 08-08-2010
What do you put in each child's pencil box? Do you give them the whole box when it is craft time even though scissors are not needed for a project, etc?
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kidkair 03:57 PM 08-08-2010
I prepeeled a bunch of crayons for my kids and tossed then in a large open tray so they can all reach for them and no one gets fingers pinched in flip top's hinges. The colors are easy to see this way too. I keep all the craft stuff in a cupboard out of reach of the kids so that when they get them to use I am watching and therefore nothing gets out of control. As a note I have 5 kids under 4 yrs old.

For storage I have a bunch of storage tubs on shelves in the basement. I used to stack them but it got tedious unstacking them all to get to the one on the bottom and such. I change out the toys once a month.

In the daycare I keep toys organized by labeling drawers on dressers (safely secured to wall and drawers cannot come all the way out) and having a few open boxes and baskets for the baby toys.
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Lianne 07:08 PM 08-08-2010
Originally Posted by Abigail:
Currently I have a 10-gallon Rubbermaid Storage Container to organize toys in for rotation. The one I have right now holds Fisher Price Little People houses, cars, people, and accessories. I was thinking about adding more storage tubs and collecting more toys (barbie tub, doll tub, duplos tub, etc.) These are a decent sized tub and if needed, they could be storaged outside and safe from water or anything since they seal shut and stack perfectly.

How do you organize daycare toys or supplies for storage or daily/weekly use?

Is there an easy way to organize art supplies like crayons, scissors, paint, brushes, paper, etc. in cupboards? I'm thinking about pre-peeling a bunch of crayons (24 packs for only a quarter!) and putting them in a flip-top container from the school supply section for a dollar for the kids to share, good idea or not? I was also thinking about purchasing construction paper in bulk and putting them in one of the paper stackers according to color, but then again my OCD might be kickin' in!

Thanks!
I bought stackable paper trays from the dollar store and each colour has it's own tray. I love it. It makes it so easy to take paper out for crafts without having to wrestle with extra papers pulling out when I'm trying to take just one piece.
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Lianne 07:19 PM 08-08-2010
Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
i think the paper idea is good - i personally like kids each having their own pencil box/crayon box - whatever u call it.

when they share - the lids get left off the markers - they dry up - the crayons get broken, the paint gets mixed, etc. you don't know who did it and everyone suffers.

i like for everyone to have their own markers, crayons, paint, etc. i worked in a center where everyone shared and it was a DISASTER - i pleaded for pencil boxes to no avail. when i could decide on my own, i did it that way - and it was wonderful.
My kids have their own pencil boxes as well. Each child has their own markers, pencil crayons, crayons, pencils, sharpener, ruler, eraser, glue sticks and scissors. They use their boxes for organized crafts and I love the lessons it's taught them about taking care of their posessions. I have a diaper wipe container full of old crayons and another of old markers. These containers sit on our craft desk for free-art and can be used by anyone during free play (at the desk, on paper though). I restock their boxes once a year around now when the sales are on. The 'old' crayons/markers then go in our communal use diaper wipe containers. I will occasionally put fresh crayons or markers in a box if a child has used theirs up while treating them properly (keeping caps on, etc). I actually just stocked up on crayons and markers this weekend and I bought them new pencil boxes since our other ones weren't quite big enough. This will be our third year using pencil boxes so last year was our first 'restock'. The Tuesday after labour day, when grades 1-12 return to school (kindergarteners have staggered starts so don't start school til mid-Sept usually), we sat down and the kids got to open all their new crayons, markers, etc., sharpen their pencils and pencil crayons then add everything to their boxes. They had so much fun, it was almost like Christmas, lol. We'll be doing the same thing again this year.
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Lianne 07:43 PM 08-08-2010
Originally Posted by Abigail:
What do you put in each child's pencil box? Do you give them the whole box when it is craft time even though scissors are not needed for a project, etc?
My 3yr+ kids get a box of eight regular crayola washable markers, a 24 box of thin crayons, a box of 12 (I think) pencil crayons, a regular pencil or two, a pair of child sharp point (not super pointed but not blunt) scissors, a glue stick, a ruler, a white eraser and a contained pencil sharpener (the kind that catches it's own shavings). This weekend I found Crayola markers on super cheap so I got the older ones both the 8-pack of regular (thick) markers and a 12-pack of thin ones.

My 12mos-3yr olds kids get an 8-pack of the thick washable crayons, an 8-pack of the (thick) regular markers (used at my discretion), a glue stick and blunt tipped scissors for my 2yr olds.

My little kids graduate to a big-kid pencil box depending on their maturity but most are ready by the age of 3yrs old at the latest. If I notice a 2yr old is ready for pointy scissors he gets them before he's 3yrs old. I re-evaluate each child's ability/maturity about this time of year and buy for them what I think they're ready for. I have one two year old who I bought pointy scissors, pencil crayons and pencils for this weekend. He's trying to print his name so he needed a pencil and he's getting frustrated when trying to direct his blunt scissors so he got pointy ones. I have another 2yr old the exact same age (3 weeks apart) who is no where near ready for a pencil let alone scissors. So, it just depends on their personality and maturity.

Sometimes I'll find neat things through the year like mini pencil crayons or pencils with their names on them, scented or funky tipped markers, princess/Cars crayons, etc. at the dollar store and will add them to their boxes when I find them. I replace the glue sticks as needed and will replace a marker or crayon if the child has used one up but not if they've lost it, misplaced the cap or broken it. I do not tell them that I've replaced a crayon or marker, either. I replace all the crayons and markers each with the back to school sales and I'll replace anything else that needs replacing then too. Not all my kids will use their pencil crayons up in a year so I won't bother replacing the kids' who don't need new ones. Every child's crayons and markers usually need to be replaced by then.
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Abigail 11:10 PM 08-08-2010
Great ideas! For the rulers, do you get the short ones that fit in the pencil boxes (I'm thinking they are the plastic, flip top ones for a buck at back 2 school time) or do you get a twelve-inch ruler that folds in half?

Do you use a permanent marker to write the children's name on the box or do they just know which color of box they have? Feel free to share a photo, lol, a picture says a thousands words.
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Lianne 05:18 AM 08-09-2010
Originally Posted by Abigail:
Great ideas! For the rulers, do you get the short ones that fit in the pencil boxes (I'm thinking they are the plastic, flip top ones for a buck at back 2 school time) or do you get a twelve-inch ruler that folds in half?

Do you use a permanent marker to write the children's name on the box or do they just know which color of box they have? Feel free to share a photo, lol, a picture says a thousands words.
I use short rulers. I've seen them from the dollar store sometimes but a couple years ago I got a bunch as a free giveaway at a kids' events in my community. The kids use them for making straight lines, they don't really measure with them. If I hadn't gotten them for free I'm not sure they'd have been included in their pencil boxes.

For the past two years we've been using containers from Ikea. There were two packs of three boxes with a total of six colours (I only have six kids registered for care so it worked out) and then I wrote each child's name on a piece of paper and taperd it to the box. I didn't want to do anything permanent because I reuse the boxes as children leave care and new children start. Here are the boxes I got from Ikea, I think they've gone up in price because I only paid $6 for all six.

http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/80098583

This year, because the kids have more in their boxes now, I bought larger pencil boxes for each of them. I was able to find six different colours/patterned boxes at Walmart for $1.25 each. I probably won't label these ones because the kids will be able to identify their own box.
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MommyMuffin 07:32 AM 08-09-2010
where do the children do arts and crafts in your home set ups? I dont have a lot of space and I am worried about my kitchen table, walls ect getting drawn on. I was thinking about putting a vinyl table cloth on the floor and then let them do crafts there but then I worry about the younger ones <12m wanting to "play" too.
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GretasLittleFriends 01:45 PM 08-09-2010
Originally Posted by MommyMuffin:
where do the children do arts and crafts in your home set ups? I dont have a lot of space and I am worried about my kitchen table, walls ect getting drawn on. I was thinking about putting a vinyl table cloth on the floor and then let them do crafts there but then I worry about the younger ones <12m wanting to "play" too.
Why don't you put a vinyl table cloth on the table at art/craft time?
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Abigail 02:57 PM 08-09-2010
Originally Posted by MommyMuffin:
where do the children do arts and crafts in your home set ups? I dont have a lot of space and I am worried about my kitchen table, walls ect getting drawn on. I was thinking about putting a vinyl table cloth on the floor and then let them do crafts there but then I worry about the younger ones <12m wanting to "play" too.

Do you have another table that the children use in another room/basement or even an outside table? If you have nice weather and really messy-potential crafts, I would recommend using a table/picnic table outside in the shade! You could also check rummage sales, thrift shops, and check out Craigslist and other online second-hand sites for a coffee table or basic wooden table. This way, you can use the coffee table at it's current height or have a wooden table and just cut off the bottoms of the legs to shorten it.

If you want to use your kitchen table and save the space, get a heavy duty plastic table cover to put over it during craft time. Make sure the edges hang over enough to secure down to prevent kids from pulling on it and moving it and also to keep them from wanting to use their scissors on the edges. I would also move the table away from the wall if it's nearby so they don't just turn and mark with their crayons or anything on it either. Keep a magic eraser handy and you'll survive!
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Lianne 03:44 PM 08-09-2010
Originally Posted by MommyMuffin:
where do the children do arts and crafts in your home set ups? I dont have a lot of space and I am worried about my kitchen table, walls ect getting drawn on. I was thinking about putting a vinyl table cloth on the floor and then let them do crafts there but then I worry about the younger ones <12m wanting to "play" too.
Organized art/craft activities are done at the kitchen table. I have an old table that the paint and glue washes off of easily. We still use placemats though and they help catch the worst of the mess. I'm hoping to buy some large cafeteria type trays and then all projects will be done in a tray. If you're worried about your table then put a plastic cloth over it. I would not have them on the floor because they could easily stand up and knock over paint/glue/glitter plus littles ones are not co-ordinated enough to keep their legs away from the mess. I like doing the crafts at the table because the kids are sitting at the table and can't/won't get down unless I okay it and their unruly arms and legs are out of the way...mostly, lol.

In my living room (aka daycare space) I have a child sized desk that has crayons, markers, pencils, stencils, colouring books and scrap/misprinted paper. I've only added the desk in June since my kids are a bit older now (2-5yrs) and I can, for the most part, trust the 2yr olds to use the desk and things properly.
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Abigail 11:59 PM 09-11-2010
For art supply boxes, do you use the small or large glue sticks? Do you also take everything out of the box and dump it into the storage bin for each child? I started to lay the 12 ct. colored pencils down, 24 ct. crayons, 8 ct. jumbo crayons---these wouldn't fit so I think I'll just keep them on the shelf for younger kids to share. The box will hold everything I have without taking them out of the box, but I think it would be easier for the kids if they dumped the crayons, colored pencils, pencils, and markers right into their art supply box. What do you think?

I'm thinking about creating an art supply box for anyone who is old enough to handle one...maybe around age 2. Then those who are 12 months to about that age of 2 could just use the JUMBO crayons and Triangular crayons only. What do you think about this too? Thanks.
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Tags:art, cupboard, storage, supplies, toys
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