Toys are invaluable for literally learning through play, initiating discovery and stimulating the development of language. A topic based on toys is easy to create, as you will already have many suitable resources and the children will have their own.
Adult-led activity
Toy talk
Encourage children to talk about their favourite toy.
Key learning intentions
To speak and listen to others in a group
To express likes and preferences
To take turns
Adult:child ratio 1:6
Resources
Photographs or posters of toys 3the children's favourite toys - either brought from home or chosen from the nursery 3a toy of your own Preparation
* Arrange the posters or photographs of toys on the wall where all the children can see them.
* Ensure that your own favourite toy is visible to the group.
* Label each toy with the child's name to avoid confusion.
Activity content
* Ask the children to sit around you in a group with their toys in front of them.
* Explain that they can pick up and hold their toy when it is their turn to speak.
* To start the activity, talk about the toy you have brought in and why you like it.
* Invite each child in turn to show their favourite toy to the group and say something about it.
* Encourage children to speak about their toy.
Extended learning
Key vocabulary
Favourite, like, big, little, soft, hard, furry, shiny, mine, play, hold, cuddle, pretty, nice, name, old, new.
Questions to ask What toy have you chosen? Why did you choose it? Does it have a name? When do you play with it? Have you had it for a long time? Do you take it to bed with you? Who gave it to you?
Extension ideas
* Make a graph with the children to reveal their favourite toy. Display photographs of about six toys along the X axis and numbers along the Y axis.
* Make a class book about the children's favourite toys, using their own drawings of their favourite toys.
* Make a list of favourite toys at nursery and favourite toys at home, comparing the results.
* Provide sorting activities so that children can categorise the toys in different ways - for example, cars by colour and farm animals by type.
Encourage the sharing of results using appropriate mathematical language.
Provide picture-labelled boxes for sorting toys.
* Collect catalogues from real toy shops for the children to look at.
Child-initiated learning
Role-play area
Additional resources
A selection of toys ,card for price tickets ,shopping baskets ,a cash till ,play money ,toy name cards ,paper and pencils
Possible learning experiences
* Working as part of a group, taking turns and sharing equipment
* Attempting to write for a particular reason
* Understanding that print carries meaning
* Recognising numerals 1 to 5
* Developing mathematical ideas to solve problems
The practitioner role
* Set up a toy shop displaying a collection of toys; include several examples of each toy such as cars, soft toys or books.
* Arrange shopping baskets, money and a till on a table.
* Make some price tickets ranging from 1p to 5p and place one next to each group of items.
* Prepare an adjacent table with pencils and paper for writing shopping lists.
* Make toy name cards for list making by printing the name of each toy on a strip of card. Accompany the word with a picture of the toy for easy recognition.
* Share out the money so each child has 5p and nominate a shop assistant.
* Model the activity by writing a list of items required (using the cards), then view them in the shop. Tell the children you must look at the price to see if you have enough money.
* When you have made your choice, place the items in a shopping basket and calculate how much money you will need to pay the shop assistant.
* Support the children in the activity, encouraging different combinations of toys and money spent. Explain that they can only spend 5p each time, so they may not be able to buy all the toys on their list at once.
* Encourage the correct use of language and vocabularly.
Adult-led activity
Baby talk
Explore toys for babies.
Key learning intentions
To investigate baby toys relating them to events in the past
To identify and talk about the different features of each toy
Adult:child ratio 1:6
Resources
A selection of baby toys, such as a rattle, soft toy, activity mat, push/pull along toys, wind-up musical toys, bricks and bath toys ,camera Preparation
* If you are borrowing some of these toys, ensure you know how they work and that they are working correctly and that they are safe and complete.
* Arrange the selection on a large table or carpet.
Activity content
* Invite the children to sit down around the toys and talk about them. When they have established that the toys are for babies, draw the children's attention to the toys' materials, details and designs, and talk about what they liked to play with when they were babies.
* Give the children plenty of time to play with the toys, supporting them if necessary, to give their individual comments about what the toy does, how it feels and what it looks like.
* Prompt this presentation to include the explanation of the toy's purpose (and a demonstration if possible), why the baby might like it, what it might teach the baby and why the child likes it.
* Take photographs of each toy to make a lift-the-flap/matching activity.
Extended learning
Key vocabulary
Past, younger, tiny, little, move, press, pull, push, wind, twist, turn, shake, noise, musical, chime, soft, hard, smooth, rough, colourful, small, big.
Questions to ask
What do you like about this toy? What would a baby like about it? Does the toy move in any way? How does it feel? What colour is it? Does it make a noise?
Extension ideas
* Ask the children to bring in their own baby toy from home to share with the children at circle time.
* Use the photographs taken to make a lift the flap (or matching pair) activity, writing a clue on a piece of card and hiding the picture underneath.
* Support the children in making a baby toy, for example - simple shakers or puppets. Display the results with explanations of design ideas.
Disappearing act Play 'Kim's Game' with a number of different toys.
Key learning intentions
To demonstrate an interest in a group activity through observation and participation
To begin to relate subtraction to taking away
Adult:child ratio 1:6
Resources
A tray ,large tea towel ,a selection of toys
Preparation
* Choose toys that are distinctive and easily identified to use in the game.
* Place the toys on the tray and cover them with the tea towel.
Activity content
* Place the tray in the middle of the carpet and ask the children to sit down in a position where they can clearly see what is going on.
* Explain that they are going to play a game. Uncover the toys and ask each child in turn to identify one. Allow the children to look at and touch each toy, before returning them to the tray. Confirm the total number of toys on the tray.
* Next, cover up the toys, remove one, then uncover the toys again for the children to guess which one has been removed.
* Ask the children not to shout out but to take turns in guessing.
* Count the number of toys left on the tray.
* Repeat and change the missing toy until each child has had a turn.
* Support the children in their guessing, if necessary, by describing the toy and its position on the tray.
Extended learning
Key vocabulary
Missing, taking away, less, subtract, count, hide, disappear, vanish, on, under, total, next, altogether.
Questions to ask
What kinds of toy are they? Can you describe them? How many toys are there on the tray altogether? Which toy has been taken away? How many toys are left?
Extension ideas
* When the children become confident with the game, take more than one toy away each time.
* Play the game again but increase the number of toys on the tray.
* Choose toys that are all the same colour, to stretch the children's observational skills and memory.
* Provide toys that are part of a pair - for example, a bucket and spade so the children can identify the missing toy and its partner.
Child-initiated learning
Creative area
Additional resources
A selection of teddy bears ,paper ,paints ,pencils and paintbrushes
Possible learning experiences
* Exploring size and shape
* Experimenting with colour and texture
* Making comparisons
* Talking about feelings and preferences
* Developing fine motor skills
The practitioner role
* Display the teddy bears in the area and encourage the children to choose one that they would like to draw.
* Introduce the children to new drawing and painting techniques such as shading and stippling.
* Talk to the children about the different kinds of teddy bears and their own teddy bear.
* Display the children's completed paintings.
Outdoors
Additional resources
Small toy cars ,series of roads and ramps ,sandpaper ,corrugated paper
Possible learning experiences
* Exploring speed
* Taking turns
* Using appropriate language such as faster/fastest and slower/slowest
* Predicting outcomes.
Practitioner role
* Talk to the children about which car they like best, and why.
* Encourage them to change the ramps and challenge them to predict what will happen when they change the gradient of a ramp or the surface of a slope. What is it that makes the cars travel faster/slower?
Books
* Kipper's Toybox by Mick Inkpen (Hodder Children's Books, 4.99)
* Dogger by Shirley Hughes (Red Fox, 5.99)
* Just Like Jasper by Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen (Hodder Children's Books, 4.99)
* Ten in the Bed by Penny Dale (Walker Books, 4.99)
* My Friend Harry by Kim Lewis (Walker Books, 4.99)
* Old Bear by Jane Hissey (Red Fox, 5.99)