intentional!

call me crazy, OCD, weird, whatever...but every toy i introduce to the play room is well thought out, like i give it a LOT of thought before i buy it.  i am a minimalist and i truly believe that it is quality over quantity when it comes to toys!  is it open ended?  how can it be used?  what is the longevity of it?  does it spark creativity or imagination?  can both kids play with it?  will the kids grow with it?

i also believe that PLAY is the work of a child, and i take it seriously.  bowie has always been great at playing, she can play independently and ryder is starting to follow in her footsteps. when we play at home during the week, i am close and present, but i don't ask "what are you doing?" or "what is that?"  it interrupts their creative process.

i also do toy rotations.  i don't get to them as frequently as i would like, because i need to do it uninterrupted by myself, which doesn't happen often.  but i store many of our toys in a closet and will rotate them every couple of months.  i arrange them nicely on the shelf in the play room because it makes them more inviting.  i think that in the same way we eat with our eyes first, children are attracted to toys that look inviting and set up in a way that promotes play.  if i ever feel like my kids are getting bored in the play room, i know that i am overdue for a rotation.  of course there are some very well loved toys that are permanent fixtures.  this doesn't work for everyone and it is a personal choice, but i find that my kids play better when there are less options and they get more creative with whats out.  also when all the toys are out it usually becomes a dumping ground.  i know that my head has a hard time focusing when i feel like i am surrounded by clutter, and i gotta think kids feel the same way when they have dumped all the toys out and they don't know what to do or where to start?  

my ALL TIME FAVORITE toys are grapat!  they are hand made with love in spain, absolutely stunning and provide lots of open ended play!  ryder is starting to seek them out in the play room and it could not make me happier!

going back and forth between toys and activities is very developmentally appropriate for toddlers.  if you set out an activity that doesn't catch their attention, keep it out or offer it to them another time.  many times it will work at a later time.

and in the meantime bowie had a huge collection of peg dolls and her recycled tree house and played with it for over an hour!  i found this in her room because she wanted to hoard the peg dolls from ryder.