Ideas On How To Store Hats Within The Centre

[eagertolearn]

Hi,
I'm looking for some new ideas on how to store childrens hats with in our service.
Can you please share how you and other rooms store hats at yours? Even some photos would be great.
Looking forward to hearing your responses.
thanks!

[Lorina]

Last centre had hooks outside under the verandah, along the wall where children hung their hats for the day before taking them home with them in the evening....

I also remember at another centre the children had to pace their hats in their locker and each time we went outside the children collected their hats and then brought them back in to place back in their lockers... I think it had something to do in the policy about minimizing lice, sharing of hats or something or rather... (cant remember exactly)...

,
L.A

[eagertolearn]

Thanks. I don't think they'll work for our service though. We're not allowed to make structural changes to the building like drill hooks etc. And we don't have enough lockers for every child depending what days they come they share the space with other chn. We used to hang them on those peg things you get for socks etc on the clothes line but staff just pull them and break the pegs so easily and there's noway of labeling the space other than the hat. I've been considering stringing a long piece of rope and pegging with wooden pegs but 1st painting the pegs with chalkboard paint and using a chalk texta to write thier names. I was just interested to hear what other services do.

[rsvnyn]

The centre in which I did my placement were storing hats in resealable bags with names on it and those resealable bags were all put in a basket naming "sun hats" for each room. I also remember in another centre, the children's hats were stored in their pockets which was spun on a jute mat (not sure where it was purchased.. )

[Lorina]

I've been considering stringing a long piece of rope and pegging with wooden pegs but 1st painting the pegs with chalkboard paint and using a chalk texta to write thier names. I was just interested to hear what other services do.

Yeah that's a good idea. Or give each child their own peg to write their name on and decorate. Have them in a basket next to the rope and they have to find their peg with their name to hang on the rope. Pegs are very cheap so each child can have their own. Hang the rope at children's height so they can learn to hang their hats for themselves and take them off. It may take an extra 10 minutes but it develops self help skills and independence. I was also reading about head lice infection control and it says that when hanging hats spread them apart so they are not touching as lice cannot jump or hop. Maybe you could mark with ribbon, or tape, or marker on the rope the distance between each hat so the children/staff peg the hat on the mark on the rope (if this makes sense).

Also if you don't want to drill hooks you can buy those disposable ones that stick onto the surface. I think it may be a little costly if you have to buy so many of them though...

,
L.A

[tinkataylor]

We use a shoe rack with little black boxes for each child's hat, with a photo of them and their name. I work in a 12m-18m room so sharing hats is inevitable (If they even wear them!)
My older ones definitely know which box is theirs though, just have to teach the rest!

[Sahithya]

I think that's a great idea from tinkataylor. Separate rack for everyone would be good.

[linsaa fdc]

Some great ideas here, I think I will change my hat storage to one of the above ideas.
Don't forget we can buy hooks these days that can be removed without leaving holes in walls. They are not cheap but they are solid.
Thanks
Linsaa fdc

[Lorina]

QR_BBPOST we can buy hooks these days that can be removed without leaving holes in walls.

Hooks seem to be the easiest option for storing hats. Especially if you have a designate "hat" wall. From the top of my head, the hats shouldn't be touching so you will probably need to space out the hooks...

,
Lorina

[shammy]

I think that is an excellent plan from tinkataylor. Separate rack for everybody would be sensible. We use a shoe rack with very little black boxes for every child's hat, with a photograph of them and their name.

[christianajones]

Hat racks may look topsy-turvy (if there happens to be a lot of students wearing hats on that days). If your centre has lockers big enough to accommodate hats, then you can utilise them instead.