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 clear the toys, divide and conquer by sorting them into 3 piles:
1. Damaged: toys that are broken or have missing parts (will be thrown away)
2. Outcasts – toys that the kids have outgrown or never played with in the first place (these will be sent to charity)
3. Favorites: toys that are enjoyed on a regular basis (these stay)
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.
Tips for toy storage:
o Having too many toys in the playroom overwhelms children as well as parents. You can reduce the excess of 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 will capture the child’s interest.
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, the traditional wooden toy chests are not very useful. Most children empty them and climb on them or the small toys get tangled, damaged and forgotten.
o Use small, clear, open-top plastic containers (without lids) on shelves and sort toys into similar categories to make finding and ordering them a breeze. Label them with pictures if your child is too young to read. Small, lightweight containers with handles are easier to pull off the shelf.
o Make sure shelves are low (no more than 3 shelves high) so children can reach their favorite toys. Secure the shelf to the wall with brackets to prevent it from tipping over.
o For older children, use resealable freezer bags to hold small game or puzzle pieces together. (Young children may pull the bags over their heads, which could pose a hazard.)
o Use coat hooks or clothes trees to hang costume clothes.
o A colorful tackle box with dividers is a great way to store small doll accessories on top and favorite Barbie dolls on the bottom. Or use it for Lego kits. Its portability is an added bonus when visiting the grandparents or sleeping over at a friend’s house.
o Children’s books often don’t have spines, so placing them on a shelf makes it hard to locate their favorite books. Solve this problem by storing books in plastic containers with the title of the books facing forward.
Tips for keeping a toy room tidy:
o To keep the toy room tidy, take a 15-minute cleaning time every day and explain to the children that the alternative is to spend an entire Saturday cleaning. Set 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 usually big culprits in the mess. For your child’s birthday parties, instead of handing out dollar store items that will 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, paper and art supplies, instruments, dress-up clothes.
o Request that family and friends give their children the gift of an experience instead of a toy. This includes taking them to an amusement park, the movies, 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 whole family will enjoy the benefits for years to come.