One of the biggest challenges in parenthood, apart from staying up all night, is dealing with your kid's toys. And one of the ways to tackle the huge mess is to create a system that complements your kids' natural tendencies. We have gathered some tips on ways to create a system that works that will make your kid actually want to clean!
1. Keep the toys in their spaces
It's easy to make the play area to be a dumping ground for toys. But once a space is set up with the right structures and system, kids will actually love to clean up as it gives them instant gratification. This means the best way to start organizing the toys is by giving a place for every type of toy to be stored when not in use. This makes the pack-away routine easier because your kid knows where to store their toys.
2. Edit the toys
This is THE SECRET to keeping your kid's toys from flooding the house. Remember: More toys do not mean better play. When there are too many toys, your kid can feel a little overwhelmed. Hence, limit the number of toys your kid has available to play with at a time.
Keep only a few of each type of toy around - a few puzzles, a few books, a few games, a few cans of Play-Dohs. You could also limit the number of toys by:
- Discarding broken toys and toys with missing pieces
- Donating toys your kid has outgrown or no longer plays with but are still in a good condition
- Buying less!
- Storing away toys and bringing them out on rotation
- Downsizing the number of items in a set - if you have a toddler, you won't probably need all 100 blocks that come in a set. Reduce the number to 30 and store or donate the rest.
3. Discard the boxes the toys came in
Blocks, building sets, and pretend-play items that came in cardboard or plastic boxes add clutter and the pieces never seem to fit back the way they came in. If you'd like, you can cut out the pictures of the finished sets and store them safely together with the instructions or manual book if there are any, in a bag with all the pieces.
4. Store like items together
A simple yet very effective way to organize toys is by grouping similar items together. The most common types of toys are building toys, educational toys, soft toys, electronic toys, puzzles, and more.
5. Invest in storage organizers
It is best to go for shelves or baskets. Lesser toys, lesser mess - having shelves will naturally encourage you to limit the number of toys. Baskets and storage bins are excellent in keeping like items together and encouraging your kid to only pick one or two toys to play with at a time.
Shop for storage bins and more here.
