Toy Story

Joel moving into a big boy bed was a big deal, not just that he would need to train himself to sleep without the security of two foot high sides all around him but his room needed completely Joel proofing, just in case he climbed out in the night. This meant moving his bookcase and most of his toys downstairs to the fancily painted under stairs area we created for him when having the hall decorated before Christmas. It was the perfect size and makes a great addition to the hallway.

Naturally he takes over the whole house when he plays but I've tried to create a few designated storage areas for his things. In the kitchen he has his own cupboard which has kitchen related play in it.

As well as a pretty standard set of play food I put empty packets and tubs in there, as they get used, so each day he has a new item to use. It's nothing spectacular and he usually loses interest in it after a morning of play but it keeps the kitchen role play going nicely without the need to buy more and more foody toys.

Like most toddlers he knows that mummys purse is the best thing in the world to get to play with, that and any remote control, so I used an old purse and filled it with expired cards for him to play with. This lives in his Noddy shopper along with my old diary.

When it comes to wheels it's all about tracks, and what better track is there than the 'sheer drop window sill of doom'? Never mind the paint work, get those wagons rolling! Back and forth they go shunting each other along. So yes, cars mostly live on the lounge sill and go brrrrroooooommm!!

One important and yet sometimes costly lesson to learn when having children is they usually favour very simple things over expensive toys. Apart from a ball, some toy cars and his ride along Joel likes nothing better than to climb and run round the house with seemingly important things in each hand, being busy playing at being busy, and I like nothing better than to watch him, when I'm not playing at being busy too that is.