Preparing for playstands....

[Melaine]

I'm a stranger here, but often pop in and have found some great info via searches. I'm not sure if this really belongs here or perhaps in the Waldorf forum, but I'd love feedback from everyone.

I have 3.75 year old twin girls. I'm a SAHM and will most likely homeschool (certainly for K). I love learning about Waldorf principles, but our home certainly doesn't qualify. I have been reading a fascinating book called "Simplicity Parenting" and really have tried to weed out unneeded books and clothing as the girls grow. I do try to be selective about our toys, but we definitely have too many and we live in a fairly small space.

I'm very excited that through a work connection we will be getting the Little Colorado playstands and arches. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...ed=0CD8Q9QEwBw

I guess I'm debating over how to introduce them to my kids. I am actually trying to decide if we should have a yard sale first of all and really do some deep de-cluttering. Or if I should just rotate a bunch of toys into the attic. I'm thinking they will provoke more use if the space is more bare and the toys are thinned out. Not to mention I'm not really sure how we are going to fit them into our home! I was just curious if any of you could offer suggestions. Is it crazy to take most of the toys away and hope that the playstands will distract them from that fact? How do you decide what toys to keep and what to get rid of? Thanks for any advice!

[weliveintheforest]

I do think they will get more use if there are not too many toys. I find that when I let things get cluttered they end up being used as storage shelves instead of a play surface/structure.

[Melaine]

Thanks....I can see them serving as shelving if there is too much clutter. Too expensive for shelves. I think I will talk to DH about maybe having a yard sale before we set them up.

[laurabfig]

The idea of rotating toys (storing some in the attic to take out later on) is a good one. My kids love when I open the box of toys they had completely forgotten about. I just use a big plastic bin and go through their room periodically and take stuff they don't play with often. I definitely have noticed that less is more.

[RollerCoasterMama]

Playstands are fun! We love ours! I think with more than one kiddo, they'd get even more use.

For the most part, ours serve as a play-house/carving a nook out for DS in the main living area. That's just naturally how they've worked out so far because I put the play-kitchen in there. But that space is HIS space. He knows it and he likes it and he is in there EVERY day.

I totally agree that keeping the shelves mostly empty is a good idea. We've got a few baskets on the floor, but try to keep the shelves pretty clear. Lately, things have been creeping in, so even now, I'm feeling like it's time to take a hard look at toys in my house!

As for clearing out toys...I started down that path when DS was 18 months old. And I discovered IMMEDIATELY...with fewer toys, more purposefully displayed, he played SO much better. It was too sudden for a developmental jump. He just focuses more and his imagination took giant leaps! He knows where everything goes and exactly where his things are.

I anticipate repurposing his playstands throughout the years. When he's past the play-kitchen, I plan on putting some pillows and clip-on lamp and creating a reading nook.

Here is our current set-up. Like I said before, we're reaching the too-many-toys stage quickly (esp when I think about the few things I've got in mind for Christmas/birthday/Santa/Easter). His best and most creative play is when there is a clear space with a few props he can multi-purpose.

Of course, if I really wanted to, I could throw everything away except for his toy horses! Almost all pretend games are built around them! He cooks for them. He builds block structures for them. They chase the princess from the castle , they pull carts, etc etc.

[Melaine]

Thanks everyone! I just checked my email and the playstands will be coming Tuesday! I've been at the beach all week so I haven't done anything to prepare yet. But I really appreciate the suggestions, and I was able to finish the book Simplified Parenting (which is EXCELLENT) while I was here so I'm very excited about working on this before we put the playstands together. Any more suggestions will be used as well! I may consult you guys when I get home about what toys to keep and what to pass along.