1. Fewer Toys? Are You Crazy?

2. Think about it… when you were a child, what was one of your favorite things to do?

3. Were any toys involved in your favourite activity? Probably not. Most people describe their favourite activities as playing outdoors… tag, building forts, climbing trees… being in the natural world.

4. Jean- Jacques Rousseau 1762 “Leave childhood to ripen in your children.”

5. This presentation is about an early childhood program’s experience of observing children, taking risks and delighting in the wonder of children’s play.

6. It all began… …in Red River College’s Early Childhood Education Workplace Program, an introductory course on play and an article called: “Daycare Without Toys” By Anna Rubinowicz-Grundler Translated by Ewa Maik (2003), ECE student

7. The article described the initiative of Elke Schubert & Rainer Strick from Weilheim Schongau, a small Bavarian district in Germany. Their initiative involved offering blocks of time in kindergarten programs where toys are “retired”.

8. There is an overall lack of time during the day that is at a child’s discretion There are more restrictions on children’s freedom in general Children are continually confronted with products offered by consumer goods industries Many times, children’s problems & frustrations are dealt with by being offered some kind of ‘consolation’ i.e. toys Toys are the most popular consumer articles of children The authors considered the following points…

9. “Large corporations create most children’s toys and materials, which often serve as commercials for TV programs. They come with a theme and script, or a particular way to use them. How do these toys provide for children’s investigation, imagination, or creativity? In most cases, they rarely do.” Carter & Curtis (1996) Reflecting Children’s Lives. p. 28 Toys

10. About toys… “After German consolidation we experienced an overflow of toys. Everybody had to have Barbie dolls, Lego blocks, cars and board games. We survived the Power Rangers craze, even two year old girls were fighting over them.” Marianne Bruckardt (Director of an east Berlin daycare) cited in “Daycare Without Toys” by A. Rubinowicz- Grundler. Translated by Ewa Maik. Picture: www.olgahorvat.com

11. “Children did not talk to each other at all, and also did not have any concept how to play together.” Sieglinde Graetz as cited in “Daycare Without Toys” by A. Rubinowicz-Grundler. Translated by Ewa Maik spunkyhomeschool.blogspot.com

12. “It was felt that… with the wealth of offerings the consumer orientation at kindergarten facilities as well as at home the observable boredom despite or because of superabundance the lack of perseverance & quick frustration … the [no toys kindergarten] project aims at recreating scope for playing as well as fantasy and creativity.” Schubert & Strick

13. The “retiring toys” approach is not against toys per se rather, it is based on a belief that removing toys for a limited time period (approx. 3 months) helps foster important life skills.

14. Life skills such as… effective communication abilities creative thinking problem-solving skills cooperativeness self-assertiveness self-esteem

15. Could we “retire” some toys in our program? How would the children respond? At Lakewood Children’s Centre, they asked…

16. Spring Break March 2004 Children (6 year olds) were prepared by explaining that some of the toys would be put away during the spring break week. The children asked “What do you mean?”

17. Spring Break March 2004 A variety of open-ended materials were added: –different sizes of boxes –milk cartons –different types of tape –Styrofoam pieces –markers, string

18. Loose Parts “Loose parts is a term coined by architect Simon Nicholson, to refer to open-ended materials that provide opportunities for transporting, transforming and using one’s experience and imagination. Given the chance, children will use loose parts as invented props to support their play and investigation of the world.” Curtis and Carter (1996) Reflecting Children’s Lives. p. 28

19. Children’s reactions At first children asked the staff “What do we do?” Then children would check their ideas and look for approval from the early childhood educators. Gradually the children began playing on their own and with others.

20. $15 for soy sauce Click to play

21. A guy and a puppet Click to play

22. Baby jaguars Click to play

23. Campfire Stories Click to play

24. What the Early Childhood Educators observed 2004 For the short time it was implemented, we noticed: more cooperative play more imaginative play less involvement of adults less noise in the room

25. Spring Break March 2005 Once again, children (5-6 year olds) were prepared and consulted Children were asked what materials they wanted in the room

26. Boxes were the favourite

27. March 2005

28. Wheels on the box Click to play

29. March 2005 Click to play

30. March 2005 A big house and “fort”

31. Diva Click to play

32. What the Early Childhood Educators observed 2005 more cooperative play and turn- taking more conversations more “what if..” – imaginative and problem-solving play children’s joy in what they were doing little or no need to ‘guide’ children’s behaviour

33. January 2006 Let’s do it again! Click to play

34. It’s all mine! Click to play

35. The Band Click to play

36. Pop goes the weasel! Click to play

37. Building a village Click to play

38. Paperbag Princess Click to play

39. What the Early Childhood Educators observed 2006 Like previous experiences: there was more cooperation & creativity in the children’s play. children usually started off with individual pursuits i.e. claiming boxes, but soon children started working together – a community cooperating, building and playing.

40. Spring Break March 2006 Click to play

41. Spring Break March 2006 What would older children think of this idea?

42. Spring Break March 2006 What really happened… Click to play

43. Making wings Click to play

44. Big guys and boxes Click to play

45. Did you know? In 2005, the cardboard box was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. “Inside a big cardboard box, a child is transported to a world of his or her own, one where anything is possible.” www.strongmuseum.org/NTHoF/box. html

46. Removing the toys… Promoted interactions & communication between children Fostered negotiation and problem- solving Enhanced creative thought & play and children “learned how to fight boredom” Schubert & Strick

47. Findings children were more focused longer attention spans more interaction and communication with each other more negotiation and problem- solving more intense and longer creative play periods more stories told by children Schubert & Strick

48. “Do we, in our consumption society, take for granted that we are glutted with consumer articles to such an extent that it comes as a sensation when this situation is changed for a (limited) period of time by providing time and space for children to grasp their normal selves again?” Schubert & Strick Think about it…

49. Are there too many toys surrounding our children? Do toys somehow change the dynamics of children’s interactions? What do you think?

50. “We talk too much, all of us, and observe and live with children far too little” An Adventure with Children (1985) Mary Hammett Lewis

51. Website For more information about the Toy-free Kindergarten project in Germany, visit: www.spielzeugfreierkindergarten.de/pdf/englisch.pdf

52. For more information Shawna Wilton Lakewood Children’s Centre Ph: 204-832-5802 Email: shawnawc@shaw.ca Jamie Koshyk Early Childhood Education Workplace Program Red River College Ph: 204-632-3070 Email: jkoshyk@rrc.mb.ca