Make sure equipment, resources and activities are appropriate for the developmental stage of children attending.

It may be useful to allocate a budget for new resources and art materials, including what you'll need, how much, and ideas for alternatives to buying items.

You may want to maintain an inventory of your resources.

Choose multi-purpose items

Children don’t need lots of toys and materials to play with. In fact, this can be quite overwhelming for some children. A small world tray on a little table with 2 chairs can be an inviting play space for 2 children or a parent and child. A rug over a table makes a great cubby house.

Try to get materials that you can use in multiple ways, for example you can use:

• pieces of fabric, tablecloths and placemats to create small spaces or attractive backdrops for play. You can even use them for dress-ups
• stackable kitty litter trays for small world play, sensory play like gloop, or for displaying collections. They can also work for sand play if you don’t have a sand pit or trough
• small plastic bowls for sorting and categorising items, presenting materials for pasting or collage and in home corner play
• kitchen equipment like funnels, potato mashers and wooden spoons for dramatic play as well as sand and water play.

Suggested shopping lists

Use the suggested shopping lists in the resources section to help decide what you need.

You could also borrow items, get them donated, buy them second hand or improvise.

Toys and equipment

Purchase good quality toys and equipment as many children will use them for years to come. This doesn't necessarily mean expensive. Discount variety stores or second-hand shops often stock a good range of toys and equipment at reasonable prices.

See the suggested shopping lists for toys and equipment in the resources section for ideas of what to purchase.

Books to read at playgroup

Books can be purchased, borrowed from the library or donated to your playgroup by families.

Providing books in good repair that have been well looked after helps children understand the importance of caring for and valuing books.

When choosing books for your playgroup, consider the developmental stage of children attending, cultural backgrounds and interests, for example board books for babies, books in different languages, fiction, non-fiction books.

See the recommended books list in the resources section for ideas to get you started.

You could also visit the Raising Literacy Australia website for more book ideas.

Alternatives to buying playgroup resources

Improvising

Using everyday materials helps families see possibilities in their home environment, so don't be afraid to improvise.

If you can't buy or store a play kitchen, try using a picnic basket and blanket or make a stove from a cardboard box.

Borrowing items

You may be able to borrow some items (for example for dress up and dramatic play) if you’re on the same grounds as a preschool or school.

Libraries may have items other than books available for borrowing, like toys or games.

Asking for donations

You may be able to get donations of unwanted toys and books in good condition. You could ask:

• families
• teachers
• church groups
• community groups.

Storing and organising your items

You can house almost everything you need to operate a successful playgroup in a standard metal lockable cupboard. This can be handy if you:

• don't have a dedicated space to run your playgroup but share the space in a hall or multi-purpose room
• want to pack away your resources between groups.

A well-stocked cupboard means you can respond quickly to children’s interests.

Choosing suitable containers

Square or rectangular stacking containers with lids are best for storing:

• loose materials like blocks
• small world items including plastic animals, small people and cars
• art materials
• sensory materials
• musical instruments.

Baskets are good for storing:

• dolls
• materials for discovery tables
• some art materials.

You can then use the containers as part of children’s play or for presenting materials.

Organising your contents

• Use labels – this will help you quickly find the items you’re looking for.
• Keep items sorted in boxes – a great way to keep organised and all items stay in one place for next time.