Do you feel like you’re getting buried under small toys and going to break your ankle if you step on one more Lego? Are you tired of the toy clutter? Do your kids still come to you and say I’m bored or follow you around the house with nothing to do even though they have an abundance of toys?
We often think more toys equals more independent play and more of a break for us but that is rarely the case. Too many toys out and about frustrate us as moms because it’s a hot mess. However, what you may not realize is it’s frustrating to kids too because they are overwhelmed.
In this post, we’ll talk about how to organize and declutter kids toys to regain a peaceful home and engaged kids and it doesn’t have to feel overwhelming!
Declutter Toys First
We’re starting with decluttering because if you don’t get rid of anything you will just struggle to organize what is likely too much. The overwhelm your kids feel will continue too.
Declutter expert Katy Wells talks about the many benefits to our children from decluttering toys.
Fewer toys equals:
- Reduced overstimulation
- Easier clean up
- Longer playtime
- Better cognitive development
- More independent play
- Improved motor skills
- Improved problem-solving skills
- Higher attention span
Katy mentioned open-ended toys. Open-ended toys are toys that children can play with creatively that don’t have a certain way you have to play with them. These are items like blocks, sand, and art supplies. This type of toy will keep kids engaged far longer than noisy toys that do just a couple of things.
So as you declutter toys keep that in mind and focus on keeping open-ended toys that allow children to create and imagine. Also, consider these factors if you buy new toys.
Tips for Decluttering Toys
Start with the no-brainers- items that are no longer developmentally appropriate for your children, items that are broken or missing pieces, and most definitely unsafe items. Also, look for toys that your children just aren’t interested in or don’t play with anymore.
Next trash, donate, and sell. Throw away any of the items that have become dangerous or too damaged to use. Depending on what it is you may be able to take certain items to a recycling plant also. Donate any items you want to donate and sell any toys that you can. This can give you cash to update and organize the play space. Make a plan to get the stuff out of your house so it doesn’t sit around in bags where you will be tempted to put the items back. Go ahead and load the stuff up in the car if you can.
Watch as the Minimal Mom helps with a toy declutter:
If the play area is in your living room toy organization and decluttering are even more important.
Once you’ve decluttered be very intentional about what you allow back in when it comes to toys.
Toy Organizing Ideas
Bins and baskets are so very helpful. Labeling bins allows children to take ownership of putting toys back where they belong. Even young children can figure this out. I encourage parents to label bins with both pictures and text whether their children are reading yet or not as it promotes literacy.
Clear bins allow children to easily see what is inside so they can find what they want to play with quickly. Open trays can also be a great way for children to see items and easily keep things tidy.
Trays are popular in Montessori education to keep materials together for different activities.
Bins, baskets, and trays are great for organizing almost anything because they keep like items together and reduce visual clutter. Pouches work well for smaller items too and are a great way to keep up with small pieces to board games. The best way to organize kid’s toys is the way that works for your family.
Watch a professional organizer at work for inspiration:
If you do keep toys in the family room consider a coffee table that has a shelf underneath for baskets or one with built-in storage so it can double as toy storage. You can also find ottomans that double as storage bins. Thinking about the little things like this is a great way to create a multiple-purpose living space and less mess over your entire house.
You can pick up small baskets and large baskets when you find them on sale or even at secondhand stores. You can sanitize them and then use them as needed throughout your home to tame the mess of toys.
We can encourage younger children to play independently by keeping their toy bins low to the floor where they have easy access without having to ask for help whether they are in the family room or playroom.
If you have younger kids and older children you will need solutions for both. Organizers, like tall cube organizers, with higher shelves can allow older children to save their creations away from younger little curious hands. Just be sure everything is safe and secured and the organizers are secured to the wall so little ones cannot climb them and topple them over.
Stations and Toy Rotation
Two things that I learned as an early childhood educator that I’ve implemented in our home are play/education stations and toy rotation.
Let’s take them one at a time. First stations…
You can create different stations even in a small play area that keeps like items together and keeps them more organized. For example, you could have a sensory station, an arts and crafts station, a pretend play station, etc. just like they have in many preschool classrooms.
For your toy rotation, you can store toys in bins and get out a certain number of sets at a time and store the rest. This is a great way to stay organized and create more interest for your children. You can rotate the items out every week or every couple of weeks so they feel excited like the toys are new again.
I like to rotate similar items. For instance, we may have a set of wooden blocks out one week and swap them out for a set of Lego-type blocks the next week. That way we always have blocks out which are a great open-ended toy but our daughter gets some variety.
You can rotate stations too. You could have a play kitchen out for a while then swap it for a dress-up area for example. Remember a toy rotation is meant to help you feel less stressed so it doesn’t have to be rigid. If your children ask for something then you can get it out and you can just rotate when you feel it’s needed. It doesn’t have to be on a set schedule.
Rotating can also be a great way to see if you can eliminate certain toys. If you have toys in storage and the children never ask for them maybe they can go on your declutter list.
Less Is More With Toys
Remember less is more. I just gave our daughter a cloth backpack today and let her add just a few things from her play grocery items and that kept her busy pretending to grocery shop for quite a while so I could work on this post. She set on the steps shaking the bag and practiced taking items out of the bag and putting them back in. She was engaged and problem-solving.
Focusing on minimal toys will also allow you to focus on better-quality items. For gifts, you could even ask family to chip in together to buy nicer wooden toy sets rather than getting a bunch of plastic noisy toys.
A popular Maria Montessori quote says, “Play is the work of the child.” Having a clean engaging space will help children get into deeper play and develop their brains to a greater capacity. Children thrive with simplicity. Allow space for creativity and imagination.
Why Bother Minimising Toys
We’ve already mentioned cognitive and independent play benefits for our children when it comes to reducing and organizing toys. Toy clutter can feel like one of the biggest challenges of parenthood. There are benefits of fewer toys for us as moms too. A more peaceful home and less inventory to manage means more family time and space. And less overstimulation and mental clutter for us to handle as busy moms.
Kids’ rooms can be serene inviting and calm with the right organization system and some strategic thinking. Still, it’s not going to be perfect and that is ok. If things get out of hand again simply regroup. Your home does not have to be that perfect place you see on Pinterest or Instagram to create a joyful home for your family.
Keeping toys organized instills responsibility in children from a young age showing them that we take care of our things and work together as a family to keep our spaces clean. It encourages more creativity for the children but also for the whole family as there is more peace and calm. It promotes more independence as children have access to their things and don’t feel overwhelmed by them. It facilitates greater learning and teaches organization skills that they can carry with them through life. After all organizational skills are life skills.
Find the best toy storage ideas for the space you have. Keep your children’s favorite toys and eliminate those they don’t play with.
You may also enjoy our other minimalism posts in the Home Category.
You’ve got this Momma! I believe in you.
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