Dealing with children’s toys can be one of the challenges of parenthood. From stuffed animals and books to countless building blocks, kids certainly come with a lot of clutter!
Whether you’re attempting to get your kids into the routine of picking up after themselves or desperately trying to find the last piece of Lego before you go to bed, it can be hard to keep things neat and organized.
While home decor can get a little tricky with kids in the equation, there are easy ways to keep things in order.
Here’s a list of clever solutions the whole family can follow to make keeping your kids’ toys organised a breeze.
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1. Less Toys Equals Less Mess
If you’re starting to feel like your kids’ toys are taking over your house and that you can’t walk into a room without stepping on a piece of rogue Lego (ouch!), it may be time for a purge.
Lay all toys on the floor and sort them. Start by organising them into categories, such as stuffed toys, building blocks or outdoor activities, so you can see how much of each type you have.
Take those toys and put them into three piles – what’s staying, what’s getting binned and what you’ll donate.
While it might be hard to let go of childhood favourites, you can pass them on to family and friends where you can watch them enjoy a second lease on life.
Once you’ve whittled down the collection, sticking to a ‘one in, one out’ policy in future will help keep clutter under control.
If there’s still too much left over, try implementing a toy rotating system to reduce clutter (more on that later).
2. Swap Toy Boxes for Shelves and Cubbies
Low shelving units and cubbies are more practical than boxes or trunks, as it puts everything on display at your child’s eye level.
This makes it easy for them to choose what to play with – and more importantly – pack it all up again.
Just remember that easy access isn’t always a good thing – messy items like glitter and paints, or any toys requiring adult supervision are best kept out of reach of little hands.
Unlike large toy boxes, shelves also help prevent you from accumulating too much stuff, as there isn’t as much space to cram things into.
3. Store Like With Like
Instead of cramming everything into one big box – which is just asking for an explosion of a mess come playtime – try categorizing different toys.
This means keeping soft toys together, puzzles together, dress-ups together, and so on.
Your kids will know where to find the toys they’re looking for without creating a giant mess in the process.
H2: 4. Use labels and pictures
Implementing a labelling system or sticking pictures of items on tubs, baskets and bins will help your kids quickly learn what goes where.
This is also a fun way to get your kids involved in creating an organising system for their toys.
4. Invest in Clear Tubs
Kids will naturally choose to play with toys that are easy to spot. Keeping toys visible (noticing a pattern here?)
Will make your kids more likely to select just one or two to play with at a time, rather than emptying everything onto the floor.
5. Create Activity Zones
If your kids have their own playroom at home, create play stations for different activities.
For example, turn one corner of the room into an arts and crafts station, with all the supplies they need to create their next masterpiece.
Dedicate another corner to a reading space, complete with a comfy chair and a collection of books.
Not only will it keep their space clean, but it’s a great way to encourage quiet time!
Implement a Toy Rotating System
If you’re short on storage or space for play, one of the best ways to keep your kids’ toys organized is with a toy rotation system.
Simply pack away any toys that aren’t being reached for at the moment and store them in a garage or cupboard.
When your kids get tired of their current favorites, you can swap them out for the toys in storage.
This will help keep your home mess-free and organized, and as an extra bonus, your kids will feel like they’re getting a brand new toy!
Make Tidying Up Part of Their Routine
Many hands make light work. Encouraging kids to clean up their toys teaches them important habits for later in life.
All they need is a bit of incentive to pitch in, or, if they’re a little older, even do the whole clean-up themselves.
You could create a clean-up roster or turn clean-up time into a game by setting a timer and challenging your kids to pick up as many toys as possible before time runs out.
Not only will all the work be done for you, but your kids will have a sense of accomplishment. Everyone wins!
The key thing to remember when organizing your kids’ toys is to make your system as simple as possible.
The easier you make it for your kids to clean up, the more likely they’ll help.
