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Ministry of Education New Zealand
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Educators should consider what equipment, resources and materials are readily available in their home environments that can be used by children. A service may supplement an educator’s home resources by providing their own resource/toy library lending facility that educators can access.

When selecting equipment for children, it is essential to consider the 3 broad age groups (as described in Te Whāriki):

  • Infants – birth to 18 months.
  • Toddlers – 1 to 3 years.
  • Young children – from 2 years 6 months to school entry age.

Safety, size and durability are key issues to consider when choosing material, equipment and resources to purchase or enable children to access. Ask the following questions:

  • How long will it last with daily use?
  • Is it non-toxic? What type of paint has been used to colour it?
  • Does it have rounded edges to prevent cuts and so on?
  • Is it safe for babies? Could a baby swallow it?
  • Is the size appropriate for a child's hand or foot and so on?
  • Is it easily cleaned?

The following lists provide some ideas of equipment that services may include in their 'resources library'. This enables educators to have access to extra equipment to extend children's thinking and learning. Diversity in equipment is encouraged and these lists can be adapted and extended to accommodate an individual focus or philosophy. Many other items of equipment could be added to the lists.

Suggested equipment for children who are over 2 years old

This list has been included to provide ideas of equipment that home-based service providers may include in their 'resources library' (equipment they can lend to educators). This enables educators to have access to extra equipment to extend children's thinking and learning.

This is a suggested list which is by no means exhaustive. The resources and equipment you may include will be determined in part by the developing interests and passions of the children in your service, and their communities.

While this list is intended to support service providers to consider the equipment, they may need to have available for lending to educators, educators themselves may wish to use the list headings as a basis for considering what equipment, tools and resources they have available, or can adapt, in their homes and local communities for children to use.

For a range of play ideas read the play ideas for playgroups, which you can also use at your home-based service as long as you’re following the regulations and licensing criteria that apply to your service type.

Learning ideas

Additional activities and equipment include the following.

Creativity

Equipment

A wide range of resources that could be used for creating is likely to include:

Connecting materials such as:

  • a variety of glue such as PVA, Polycell, glue pots and brushes of assorted sizes
  • staplers
  • Cellotape, masking tape and dispensers
  • balls of string.

Crafting materials such as:

  • felt pens
  • crayons and pastels
  • pencils
  • ruler scissors (children’s and adults), including left-handed scissors
  • non-toxic colouring pens in a range of colours
  • hole-punch
  • collage materials such as material scraps and natural materials (leaves and seeds), glitter (including containers).

Active play

Equipment

  • Ladders.
  • Planks.
  • Wooden boxes, variety of sizes and heights.
  • Tyres – (not steel belted).
  • Balls.
  • Hessian – large sheets.
  • Ropes – several.
  • Wheeled vehicles – for example, trikes, trolleys, ride-ons, large trucks, wheelbarrows and so on.
  • Hula hoops.

Adult education

Equipment

  • Range of parenting books.
  • Activity idea books.
  • Health information.
  • Māori dictionary.

Suggested equipment for children who are under 2 years old

This list has been included to provide ideas of equipment that home-based service providers may include in their 'resources library' (equipment they can lend to educators).

This enables educators to have access to extra equipment to extend children's thinking and learning.

This is a suggested list which is by no means exhaustive. The resources and equipment you may include will be determined in part by the developing interests and passions of the children in your service and their communities.

While this list is intended to support service providers to consider the equipment, they may need to have available for lending to educators, educators themselves may wish to use the list headings as a basis for considering what equipment, tools, and resources they have available, or can adapt, in their homes and local communities for children to use.

Furnishings

Equipment

  • Tri-pillow.
  • Crawling mat/squabs and cushions.
  • Cots.
  • Prams.
  • Highchairs.

For a range of play ideas read the play ideas for playgroups, which you can also use at your home-based service as long as you’re following the regulations and licensing criteria that apply to your service type.

Learning ideas

Additional activities and equipment include the following.

Active play

Equipment

  • Balls.
  • Wheeled vehicles, for example trikes, trolleys, ride-ons, push-alongs, wheelbarrows.
  • Various sized planks and ladders.
  • Various small boxes, variety of sizes and heights.
  • Swings.
  • Push and pull-along toys.

Adult education

Equipment

  • Range of parenting books.
  • Activity idea books.
  • Health information.
  • Māori dictionary.