Equipment Guidance for Early Years Professionals

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Pullable toys
Ms Johnston says kids who have just learned to walk enjoy the challenge of walking and pulling something behind them, such as the wooden pull-along range of animals.
Ms Brierley says with some pullable toys maybe the ears flap, the tail wags or it makes a noise as it rolls along, which adds interest. You can just add string to a wheeled plaything for experienced kids to tow and some kids favor pushable playthings.
Soft playthings
Ms Johnston says the only value of soft toys is as a comforter. Ms Brierley says puppets are a good alternative, particularly ones that link in with vocals that the kids know, but whatever you pick it has to be washable.
Dolls
Buy a range of gender and multi-ethnic appropriate dolls, advises Ms Johnston. But think of how the children will play with them, says Ms Brierley. If they play in water buy a plastic doll. If the kids are likely to have their garments off, purchase dolls with soft tummies that are easier for small hands to control
Ms Thomas suggests that a biting doll be about 18cm long, not jointed and made of a plastic that gives without cracking.
For kids around 26-29 months, she suggests providing assorted dolls 20-25cm high (in both genders, variant races and some twins).
Puzzles
Keep it simple. Maybe follow a subject with nursery rhymes practiced in the nursery so there is a thread running through the provision that the children can recognise.
Enduringness is important, because puzzles will get chewed.
Mirrors
'Mirrors assist minors produce a sense of self-reflection both literally and metaphorically,' says Martin Pace, managing director of Reflections Nurseries.
He says the large wall-mounted mirrors, infinity cube and Mirror Exploratory are made from strong acrylic or plastic with good reflective properties so they are safe and sound for young children to use.
Practitioners can utilize mirrors at floor level to supply young kids with interesting viewpoints and to engross their attention.
Mirrors can also be placed behind resources to create energizing environments to search.
Ms Johnston personally likes the Combi mirror as it has both concave and convex mirror images
Magnets
Magnets are always a source of fascination. Ms Johnston suggests buying a magnetic knife rack from stores like Ikea.
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