I think it is great to be reminded that children love a variety of materials. I have recently started weeding out “toys with batteries” from our play room. While they have a place in child care, I have found that kids are just as happy and maybe even more creative when give “real life” materials. A box full of plastic dishes and cups can occupy them for hours. They love old phones, shoes and hats, plastic or silk flowers and other second hand items that help them mimic adult life. They also love simple toys like stacking cups, balls, and puzzles. We tend to forget how great these items can be. Especially when similar but different ones are rotated in often.

I really loved the idea of sharing an expensive, high quality toy with other nearby providers. It would alleviate the cost which would be great. We would each get to have something we couldn’t provide on our own. That opens a lot of doors. Plus, it would be nice to not have to store an item after it has been swapped out too!