How do you make sense of and take care of all of your child's toys? No matter what your opinion on toys is - have all you can or keep things more minimalist - your child is going to end up with a lot of toys. It's an almost inevitable fact of modern life. There are a lot of toys.
How can you organize toys so that your child gets the most use out of them, and they don't take over your floor and home?
Start by going through your child's toys. If your child is older this can happen with his or her help. If your child is younger you may want to do it while your child is sleeping, visiting Grandma, or otherwise occupied.
Throw away broken toys that cannot be repaired. Give toys that have long since been forgotten or were not enjoyed away. Try to pare down to just toys that your child has enjoyed.
Keep your child's favorites available for them. But other toys that they may not play with as often, or those that have a lot of pieces and parts, can be neatly stored in boxes or bins on a shelf. These toys can come down at certain times, one at a time, to be put away again when that time is over.
Small children can have "alone time" once a day, or perhaps twice a day, when they play quietly with a chosen toy for 30 minutes. Older children may have their time with these toys after all their school work is done in a day.
Just doing this will keep many toys put away neatly most of the time. Make it clear to your child that these toys only come out a certain times of the day. Otherwise they are to stay on the shelf.
This is also a great way to get the massive amount of toys your child with receive during the holidays and birthdays put away. Your child's favorites can stay down, but others can be put away for specific playtimes.
Now, what do you do with the toys that stayed down? Group toys that go together together. For instance, all play foods and dishes can go together. All toy vehicles can go together. Baby dolls and doll clothes can go together.
Determine a storage system for these toys. You may want to use baskets, bins, or a specially made shelf with containers for toys. Find a suitable container for each group of toys.
Once you have the toys grouped, decide where to store them. You may have a central place to store them, such as in your child's room. Or you made decide to use a school technique - set up themed "stations" in your home.
You can have a play kitchen set up in your kitchen with all related toys kept there. A rug with roads and train tracks on it can mark the corner of the room where the toy vehicles and trains are stored away. Another corner can hold a cradle, changing table, and all baby dolls and accessories.
Using this themed setup makes it easy for your child to clean up. The know where everything goes. You can work with them in the evenings to help them learn where to put everything. Life will go most smoothly if you have your child clean up several times a day - say before meals and snacks. This keeps the mess level manageable and keeps you sane. Well-organized toys are easier for your child to play with, too. They get more enjoyment from their toys and you have a neater house!
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