My top TickiT products for a childminding setting
I have been a childminder for 5 years and worked in childcare for 19 years from a variety of settings (nursery, NHS, nanny and hopefully later this year I will be opening my very own home from home setting).
At my current setting, Sarah’s little Stars, we are accredited in the curiosity approach and follow the Hygge in the Early Years. We have many authentic items around the setting but when it comes to sensory play, Montessori resources or mirror play, TickiT is my go to shop. We first came across TickiT when I joined Instagram, just before the Covid pandemic started in the UK, and a friend recommended them to me.
Finding a company that has the children’s learning at the heart of their products is key for me and I feel TickiT do this. Not only are their products excellent quality and value for money but they are also so versatile.
Our Sensory Mood Discovery Table is fairly new to the setting but already well used and much loved. When I purchased the table, I pictured using it for light/dark and dry resources, but when it arrived I realised it would be great for water play, which for us was brilliant. The older children like the remote control as they can change the colour. The little ones join in and shout out colour names and the older ones select the colours for them.
The table top is a great depth, easy to clean and comes with a charger. We charge the table up over night and then it will last on battery all day*. Another great thing about the table is it can also go outside.
Our A3 Light Panel was the first thing we ever brought from TickiT way back in 2020 and it is in use weekly. It is light, easy to store and most importantly easy to set up, so the older children can access it at any time.
The little ones love mirror play and TickiT have a great selection for the smaller children. The Wood Effect Softie Mirror Tray is easy to store and clean and perfectly safe for little teething children because, after all, children don’t just explore with their hands!
Stacking/building towers is everyone’s favourite activity here and the little ones love the Natural Wooden Buttons- great for little growing hands! It covers a whole range of skills from fine motor, balance coordination to counting. The Natural Wooden Buttons are not just stacking buttons here, they can be used as a phone or become a pizza in under 10 seconds 😂!
TickiT resources give children great independence and bring a whole new level of learning to our play.
My top 5 buys for the whole setting are:-
- A3 Light panel with the A3 Light Panel Cover
- Sensory Mood Discovery Table
- Wooden 4-Way Mirror
- Wooden Discovery Boxes
- Wooden Sorting Tray, 7 Way
And my top 3 buys for babies are:-
Written by Sarah Davies, childminder and mother of two.
Follow Sarah and find more inspiring play activities over at Sarah's Little Stars.
*All TickiT Sensory Mood Lights have A+ energy rating and are water resistant rated IP65. They include a universal power adapter (UK/ EU/ US/ AU compatible) with low voltage mains power supply. An 8-hour charge cycle will provide an average of 5-10 hours of light (depending on program setting).
