Declutter toys how to#

Fewer toys allow kids to focus, explore and play more creatively. Research shows that, when provided with fewer toys, kids engage in longer periods of play with a single toy. It fosters more creative and independent play.Reducing the number of toys you own can decrease stress and improve focus and satisfaction not just for kids, but parents, too. Toys are a major source of clutter in homes - maybe even the biggest source for families. In addition to elevating our levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, clutter can reduce our efficiency an d ability to focus, and also diminish how satisfied we feel in life. Here are some proven benefits of simplifying your toys.

Declutter toys how to#

You can read more about how to start a Toy Rotation System.Simplifying the toys in your home will cut clutter, reduce stress, and improve how your kids play. Put what is left on the floor in clear tubs or bags. If your child adores trains and their play barn, put some of those out, but also put out some puzzles, pretend play clothes, books, and creative materials. Next, add some more toys that round out play options.

When in doubt, start with what feels like too few toys. The toys should be well spaced to avoid clutter. Make a spot for each in a basket, bucket or shelf. Start by neatly placing your child’s favorite toys on the shelves. Neither is ideal.įurther more, putting some of the toys away and rotating them out occasionally allows you to re-spark interest in an older toy that is now new again. Climbing on tables is often a fun alternative choice.

There are toys with missing or broken pieces that you can’t actually use.Ĭhildren in this situation either run from thing to thing leaving toys in their wake or they do not engage with anything.

There is often not enough space to sit and play.

Too much for their eyes to see and process. In a playroom with too many toys children are overwhelmed. More options right? But there is such a thing as too many. Having more toys seems like a good thing. I know it doesn’t make much sense at first. The bottom line is that having fewer toys out will increase play. I talked extensively in WHY you should rotate toys. Now that your space is less cluttered, let’s return our attention to the toys. If you have a kitchen, a workbench, a train table, large car garage, a tent, and light table: Put some of it away and rotate at later time! Step Three: Put Some Toys Away You do not, however, need every type of pretend play out all the time. You will certainly need at least one shelf, a rug, and a table.įor toddlers and preschoolers, pretend play props like a kitchen area are fun. If you have the storage space, consider rotating some of the furniture.

Do they feature your child’s current interests?.

Keep a few posters at eye level and remove the rest.Ĭreating a playroom involves a lot of personal preference, like decorating any room in your home, but keep in mind your child and ask yourself questions: To reduce clutter on the walls, consider neatly grouping items.Ĭreate a portion of the wall for displaying artwork.

Is there a lot of visual clutter on the walls? Sporadic posters? Bright colors?.

Survey your space without the toys on shelves and ask yourself Everything should be working and have all of its pieces. When you are done, you are left with your toys organized in piles. Mark a day on your calendar now to go through the bucket again. If you happen upon a random puzzle piece or wheel under the couch, toss it in the bucket. For toys missing pieces, I usually lean towards throwing these away as well, but if you want to wait and see if the pieces miraculously appear you can make a shelf or bucket for these in the closet.

Set aside anything that has missing pieces or needs new batteries.

Etc.Īs you sort, do two things to remove frustrations from your child’s play Anything dollhouse related in another spot. It is absolutely possible to do it in little parts, but I think it is easiest to pull everything out so you can see it all at once. This is going to be one of the more time consuming parts of organizing your playroom. Start by finding a time when your child is out of the house or asleep to organize the toys. We are going to walk through the decluttering process in steps. If you’re going to organize a current playroom, you will need to start by reducing the clutter.ĭon’t worry if you have some of the things listed above.