Ensuring Quality for Two Year Olds: Essential Resources and Experiences
Needed
It is essential that 2 year olds have opportunities to engage in the following types of play and
experiences listed below.
It is expected that there are some resources from each of these headings available for children,
however it is not expected that settings would have all these individual resources. The number
of resources ordered will vary depending on the size of the setting / number of 2 year old
children.
The resources in bold are those to prioritise:
1. Awe & Wonder
Resources to support exploratory play & encourage imagination: bubbles etc, tree house kit,
magnetics, mirrors, torches, wind chimes, light-boxes, fabrics, windmills, feely boxes,
kaleidoscopes.
2. Heuristic play
Natural objects, shiny & metal objects, wooden, kitchen ware & utensils, sensory objects,
stone pebbles, metal pebbles, feathers
3. Collections
Buttons, bottle tops, ribbons, zips, jewellery, bangles, corks, bags, boxes (different sizes)
satchels, purses, wooden bowls, metal bowls, baskets
4. Cosy Corners
Resources for den making, material, pop up tents, willow and wicker tee-pees, large
cardboard boxes, dog baskets, snuggly dens, den making kits, cameo net.
5. Small World Play
(culturally appropriate and representative)
Farm & zoo animals, dinosaurs, dragons, fairies, mermaids, dolls, people (range of abilities,
race, gender) ocean landscape, forest landscapes, transport, cars & garage, airport, fire
engines, train tracks & wooden small world blocks and furniture (Mindstretchers)
6. Role-Play: Culturally representative
Home corner accessories ( multiple sets for individual and small group play) , measuring
spoons, weighing scales, colanders, dolls and accessories (clothes, feeding bottles, high
chairs, cots, buggies – community playthings does a good set) tea sets, multi-cultural
cooking utensils and resources, cleaning sets, dustpans and brushes, cleaning and
polishing set (mindstretchers) ironing board and iron, hoovers, sweeping brush, soft
toys, dressing up.
7. Music & song
Singing bags, Nursery rhyme props, musical instruments, (multicultural instruments) action
rhyme books and CDs
8. Storytelling
Story props bags & Boxes, puppets, finger puppets and hand puppets, dressing up, story
treasure baskets soft toys, board books and large books.
9. Outdoor learning
Clothes and accessories (waterproofs, wellies, umbrellas), Growing and digging; tools
and equipment, (planters, wooden trellis, grow beds, watering cans, hand tool sets,
wheelbarrows, rakes and brushes)
Mini beasts’ area, butterfly house, wormery, bughouse, magnifiers, binoculars, bird feeders,
outdoor mirrors, chalkboards.
10. Physical development
Wheely toys, scooters, large pull along toys, trolleys, ride along toys, balls, bean bags,
parachute. Opportunities for climbing, rolling, tunnels, bridges, arches, (large rainbow stackers:
cosy catalogue) tyres, trampolines, jumping, rocking & spinning, crates, mini unit blocks
(community playthings), construction toys e.g. stickle bricks, foam building blocks,
giant edublocks
11. Messy/creative Play
Sand & Water resources, funnels, tunnels, tubes, builders trays, buckets, wheeled toys for S &
W, sieves, whisks, floating blocks, hose, guttering, tubing,
magic snow, cornflour, play foam, coloured rice, ,messy containers & bowls, rainbow gel, soap
flakes, Cause & effect toys ( development toys)
Stackers, shape sorters, marble runs, roller ball tracks, hammer and blocks toys, pop-up toys,
click clack tracks, inset puzzles, skittles, jack in the box, tool-sets, sound and light toys, ICT toys
( cameras, sound buttons, role-play ICT, remote control bugs)
12. Resources to support schemas
Buckets, bags, boxes, buggies, trolleys, wheely toys, hoops, water wheels, rollers
spinners, spinning tops, taps, pouring jugs, floating scarves, large & small bouncy balls,
bean bags, , masking tape, fabric, string, weaving frame and ribbons, collections, natural
objects.
Useful websites/suppliers for the above resources:
Totem Pole Early Years
http://www.thetotempole.co.uk/eyfs_resources
Mindstretchers
http://www.mindstretchers.co.uk/category.cfm?category_ID=61
Cosy Catalugue: tel: 01332 370152
Mulberry Bush Tradtional Toys
http://www.mulberrybush.co.uk/toy-store/summary-younger-children-pg2.aspx
Puppets
http://www.puppetsbypost.com/
Early Excellence: Heuristic resources and story bag collections
http://www.earlyexcellence.com/u3s/provision_collections.html
TTS early years resources ( good for ICT)
http://www.tts-group.co.uk/shops/tts/Catalogue.aspx?nguid=fd36011d-6f7d-4e51-bff4d595c815f268
Eduzone www.eduzone.co.uk tel: 08456 445 556