As a mom of three now grown children, I totally understand the daily struggle of keeping all the toys, games, and stuffed animals cleaned up and organized. It often feels like no matter how much time I spent tidying up their rooms and playroom, it was a disaster zone within hours!
While it’s great that kids have so many things that spark their creativity and imagination, the sheer volume can get overwhelming.
If you feel like you’re drowning in a sea of kids’ stuff, take heart! With some thoughtful decluttering and organizing, you can wrangle all those playthings into order.
Here are my top tips for dealing with too many toys:
Do a Massive Purge
First, it’s time for a major purge. Gather up ALL the toys and lay them out so you can see everything you’re working with. Be ruthlessly honest about what needs to go. Get your kids involved! Have them go through and pick out the things they truly play with and bring them joy. Make a donate pile and a toss pile. Some questions to ask:
- Is it missing pieces or broken? If so, toss it.
- Is it for an age they’ve outgrown? Donate it.
- Is it loud/annoying/redundant? Donate or toss it.
- Have they not played with it in over a year? Donate it.
- Would another child get more enjoyment from it? Donate it.
Categorize and Contain
Next, organize the keepers into categories – cars/trucks, stuffed animals, games, building toys, arts and crafts, dress-up clothes, etc. Use baskets, bins, or storage containers to corral each category. This makes clean-up so much faster when everything has a designated home. It also helps rotating toys – put some bins away in a closet to bring out at a later date for “new” toys.
Create Toy Rotation
Speaking of rotating, this is a game-changing tip for preventing toy overload. Store half the toys out of reach, then swap them out monthly or seasonally. Your kids will be super excited to reunite with “new” toys! Make sure to include toys covering a range of developmental skills, not just favorites.
Set Limits
Be choosy about accepting new toys into the home. Create a one-in-one-out policy. When receiving birthday gifts or wondering about that cute toy on sale, ask if it’s really needed. Curb “stuffie” overload by allowing just one on the bed. Have your child pick 5-10 favorites as keepers.
Establish Rules
Family rules help maintain order. Require kids to clean up toys before meals, bedtime, going out. Assign chores like sorting laundered stuffed animals back into bins. Make cleaning up more fun by putting on upbeat music and setting a timer for a quick 10-minute power pick-up once or twice a day.
Enforce Consequences
Follow through on consequences when rules aren’t followed. For example, if toys aren’t cleaned up, then playtime is over for the day. Or designate a space like under the stairs as “toy jail” where wayward toys must go when left out. Let your kids know you mean business.
Get Creative with Storage
Search Pinterest for kid toy organization ideas to maximize your space and storage. A few options: use wall-mounted shelves and hanging bins, invest in stackable storage cubes, utilize under-bed storage, repurpose household items like crates or zipper bags for toy corralling.
Embrace Minimalism
Be selective about new toys entering your home, especially plastic junk and impulse purchases. Choose classics that encourage imagination and connection like wooden blocks, basic arts supplies, and board games. Experiences also make wonderful gifts – memberships to the children’s museum or zoo, a kids’ cooking class, or tickets to a show. You can never go wrong with books!
Say Yes to Play
While it may seem counterintuitive, resist over-structuring playtime. Allow your kids the space and freedom to choose their own activities. Unstructured play builds creativity, problem-solving skills, and emotional intelligence. Stay out of their way as much as possible! Remind yourself that the mess is temporary but the memories they’re creating will last a lifetime.
With a good purge, some simple organization, and limits on influx, you can keep the toy chaos under control. Establishing routine maintenance will prevent build-up and overwhelm. Most importantly, don’t sweat the small stuff! Your kids will treasure the experiences and quality time with you far more than any possession.
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