Selecting Equipment and Toys

The toys and equipment within the setting provide opportunities for children with adult support and guidance to develop new skills and concepts in their play and exploration.  The equipment the nursery provides:

  • Is appropriate for the ages and stages of the children attending the setting.
  • Offers challenge to each child’s individual stage of development to enhance their:

Personal, social and emotional development                                                                          Communication and language development                                                                                     Physical development
Literacy development                                                                                                                                       Expressive arts and design                                                                                                                              Understanding the world                                                                                                     Mathematics

  • Features positive images of people, both male and female from a range of ethnic cultural groups, with or without additional needs or disabilities.  The resources will be chosen to give the children a balanced view of the world and an appreciation of a rich diversity of our multi racial society.  Materials will be selected to help the children to develop their self respect and to respect other people by avoiding stereotypes and derogatory pictures or messages about any group of people.
  • Includes a range of ‘raw’ materials, which can be used in a variety of ways and encourages an open ended approach to children’s learning, particularly in creativity and problem solving.
  • Enables children with adult support to develop individual potential and moves towards to developing required learning outcomes for each unique child’s stage of development.  If a child that attends the nursery has additional or special educational needs then the resources, materials and the nursery as a whole will adjust itself to each individual child’s needs, so that all the children have access to national curriculum (EYFS).
  • Children will be able to select their own equipment freely and will engage in the concept of where the equipment belongs, once they have finished with them.
  • The children are able to have access to IT equipment and the internet, however, the filtering systems in place ensure that children are kept safe and are unable to access inappropriate material.
  • When toys or equipment are selected, it is done so with the development of the children as the main priority.  This may occasionally mean accessing tools and wood work equipment.  However, during the use of this equipment the children will be closely supervised with clear rules and guidelines for use.
  • Children are able to select toys / equipment safe in the knowledge that there are no prejudices in what they are able to access, enabling them to feel safe and secure.
  • All equipment is checked regularly and any broken / damaged toys are disregarded instantly.
  • The equipment and toys available conforms to all relevant safety regulations and is sound and well made.