Organizing Kids Toys
Having a tough time figuring out how to even START organizing kids toys?
Not to worry! :)
Let's go over some easy, practical, kid-sized solutions to organizing their stuff.
Clear Out BEFORE Organizing
First, take a look at how many toys are to be organized.
The problem may be less an organizational issue of "where do I start organizing kids toys and how can we keep them organized?" and more of a 'too much stuff in the first place' issue.
In
fact, this is the biggest part of the problem in most
house-holds...they simply have a lot of stuff that has accumulated over
time.If you find that your children have an over-abundance of toys, start by clearing some of them out before you even think about organizing kids toys.
Trust me; it will make your life so much easier!
And please, please, please involve your child in this process! By teaching your kids how to let go of items they have outgrown (either literally or figuratively), you are giving them a valuable skill that they will use their entire lives.
And make clearing out fun for them! :)
Explain to your child that just like she grows out of her shoes and they no longer 'fit,' the very same thing goes for her toys.
She will outgrow her toys, too, and once she does, it's time to let them go. (That little tidbit of advice goes for you, too.)
Plan a fun activity for when you're done, too...give you and your child a big reward for going through the clearing-out process.
Step 1: See if there are toys that are no
longer age-appropriate (i.e.
your child has outgrown the toys). If so, it may be time to let those
toys go...either to a local charity, neighbor child, or garage
sale.
Talk to your child about
options. Ask him where he would like the toys he's ready to let go of
to
go. When you make him part of the process, you're empowering him rather
than dictating to him (and which one of THOSE do we prefer?!?)
Step 2: Look at the toys that remain.
Still a lot of them?
Many kids' rooms are so full of stuff that it is going to be tough to start organizing kids toys, much less keep them organized, simply because there's so much in there.
If so, what about taking half of the toys, putting them in some big plastic bins with lids, and storing them in another part of the house for awhile? Like storing them away for a rainy day. Put a nice, clear label on them, and put them somewhere you can get at them easily.
And then organize kids toys with only half their stuff.
It will be a LOT easier.
Not to mention the fact that when your kids have fewer things to step over, they're also more likely to play with what's in there (AND find it easier and more fun to keep things neat).
Then, when you hear the famous line that all kids seem to know from birth, "Mom, I'm bored," then you take out the bins of toys that have been stored for the last month or two, and exchange them for the toys currently in their room.
It's like they got all new toys!
Many kids' rooms are so full of stuff that it is going to be tough to start organizing kids toys, much less keep them organized, simply because there's so much in there.
If so, what about taking half of the toys, putting them in some big plastic bins with lids, and storing them in another part of the house for awhile? Like storing them away for a rainy day. Put a nice, clear label on them, and put them somewhere you can get at them easily.
And then organize kids toys with only half their stuff.
It will be a LOT easier.
Not to mention the fact that when your kids have fewer things to step over, they're also more likely to play with what's in there (AND find it easier and more fun to keep things neat).
Then, when you hear the famous line that all kids seem to know from birth, "Mom, I'm bored," then you take out the bins of toys that have been stored for the last month or two, and exchange them for the toys currently in their room.
It's like they got all new toys!
Once you have cleared them out, now let's look at the specifics to organize kids toys .
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