If you have children, you have toys. Tired of tripping over dolls, trucks and blocks? Here are some tips on how to organize toys so they don’t take over your home.
Most parents admit that their children have too many toys, so the first step is to cut back. When you remove the toys, divide and conquer by sorting them into 3 piles:
1. Damaged: toys that are broken or have parts missing (will be thrown away)
2. Outcasts: Toys the kids have outgrown or never played with in the first place (these will be sent to charities)
3. Favorites: toys that are regularly enjoyed (these stick around)
When you bring toys to charity, involve your children. Once they see the value in giving to those less fortunate, they may be more willing to let it go.
Toy Storage Tips:
o Having too many toys in the playroom overwhelms children as much as parents. You can reduce excess toys by turning them. Get a large plastic container, label it “toy store” and place a selection of toys inside. Put the lid on the container and store it in a secluded place for several months. From time to time, take out the toy library and exchange the stored toys for other toys that the children are bored with. Old toys will look new again and capture the interest of the child.
o Organize the toy room into zones: the dress-up zone, the doll zone, the play kitchen zone, the craft zone, the building block zone, etc. This is the model used to keep kindergarten classrooms organized.
o When it comes to storing toys, traditional wooden toy chests are not very useful. Most children empty them and climb on or small toys get tangled, damaged and forgotten.
o Use small, clear, open plastic containers (no lids) on shelves and sort toys into similar categories to make finding and sorting a breeze. Label them with pictures if your child is too young to read. Small, lightweight containers with handles are easier to remove from the shelf.
o Make sure the shelves are low (no more than 3 shelves high) so children can reach their favorite toys. Secure the bookcase to the wall with brackets to prevent tipping.
o For older children, use resealable plastic freezer bags to hold small game or puzzle pieces together. (Small children can put the bags over their heads, which could be a hazard.)
o Use clothes hangers or clothes trees to hang costume clothes.
o A colorful tackle box with dividers is an ideal way to store small doll accessories on top and Barbie favorites on the bottom. Or use it for Lego kits. Its portability is an added bonus when you’re visiting the grandparents or staying over with a friend.
o Children’s books usually do not have spines, so placing them on a shelf makes it difficult to locate their favorite books. Solve this problem by storing books in plastic bins with the book titles facing the front.
Tips to keep a toy room tidy:
o To keep the toy room tidy, take a 15-minute clean-up time every day and explain to the children that the alternative is to spend an entire Saturday cleaning. Use a timer and put on some of your favorite music to add an element of novelty.
o Do your part to reduce toy clutter. Loot bags brought home from birthday parties are often big mess culprits. For your child’s birthday parties, instead of handing out dollar store items that end up on the floor, start a trend by donating $5. Movie rental or bookstore gift cards.
o When buying toys, choose those that stimulate imagination and creativity so that children do not lose interest. Examples: black board, art supplies and paper, instruments, dress-up clothes.
o Request that family and friends give your children the gift of an experience instead of a toy. This includes taking them to an amusement park, to the movies, to a concert, or paying for some music or sports lessons.
Take the time to teach your children how to keep their toys organized and the benefits will be enjoyed by the whole family for years to come.