I know it’s not true, but sometimes I feel like my kids’ toys must be expanding, multiplying, and growing. I am not even sure how this is happening while at the same time toys inevitably go missing. Barbie shoes, puzzle pieces, books, the list goes on. Toys come into your house to provide joy and entertainment, but sometimes they create chaos and clutter. Don’t get me wrong, I love toys! But I can’t be the only mom to have contemplated just chucking it all out, right?
Occasionally I will be hit with the urge to organize and purge my life of unnecessary stuff. Most recently it was after this past Christmas when looking at all the toys my girls received as gifts. I loved seeing my 3 year old and 6 month old both marvel at new toys and explore all of the possibilities. But then I looked at our already crowded bookshelves and bins of toys wondering, “Where will this all go?!”
I didn’t really want to throw a bunch of toys away. But I also didn’t like the idea of adding more toys to an unorganized mess. There had to be a solution.
Ding! Then I decided to try an idea I read about online a few months ago, establishing a toy rotation. Brilliant! I don’t have to throw away all the toys, but simply choose to only have a set amount out at any given time. I mulled this idea over in my head for a few days and the more I thought about it the more it seemed like a good idea. Here are some of the reasons that popped into my head as to why this was a great plan.
- Less options, more playing
Sometimes more options just means more distractions. Having fewer options would probably help my daughter not wander from toy to toy but instead enjoy better the few toys she chooses to use. - Less mess
I don’t know why, but many days all the toys end up on the floor. If there are less toys, this in theory means less mess. And with an active baby trying desperately to explore everything around her, this is definitely a positive! - Less time cleaning up
Trying to teach a 3 year old to clean up after themselves can be painful. It is even worse the bigger the mess. So less toys and plenty of space to put those toys means less clean up time (in theory).
I committed to the idea and bought some things to help me in my new organizational project. All I chose to buy were:
4 plastic storage totes
3 fabric bin organizers
That’s it. I was trying to spend minimal money while still being successful in my mission to declutter and minimize our playroom. Now came the fun part, making this happen. The process was simple.
1. Divide the toys
2. Store all but one group of toys
3. Organize the toys to keep out
4. Rotate the toys as desired
If you are at all contemplating establishing a rotation let me share some tips I found helpful.
Find the right time
For me this was bedtime, not nap time or while the girls were awake. Naptimes are slightly unpredictable in our house and I didn’t want to be interupted or have my daughter see what I was doing because it would probably not end well!
Decide on how many groups
I chose to have 3 containers and divide the toys up into 3 groups. 1 set of toys will always be out, 2 sets each in their own storage container, and 1 empty one. Having an empty container was easy when it came time to rotate toys. I just pulled the toys from the shelf and then emptied another container of toys.
Find the right storage
When you decide how many containers you need be sure to have the right ones on hand before you start. You can use whatever type of storage for your extra toys: both cardboard boxes or plastic storage work. I decided to buy 3 sturdy, plastic containers that were all the same size to help keep things easy. I also chose to not buy the clear plastic ones. My reasoning was if my 3 year old finds three boring grey containers she probably won’t care, but if she sees her toys trapped in clear boxes in the closet then my system is ruined. (I did stash the containers in an out of the way closet in our office – she doesn’t typically go in there. But she’s 3, anything can happen!)
Utilize your toy storage
Wherever it is that your toys are out to play with (playroom, bedroom, living room, or all of the above) be sure to best utilize your storage. I have 3 fabric bins for my 3 year old’s toys, and one that holds the baby toys. Each toy that is out has a home, which means it is easier for both my daughter and myself to keep track of. It’s minimal, but also is enough. I did choose to keep some toys out of the rotation (play food for the kitchen, Mega Blocks, and puzzles) but made sure each of these items had a good place to be stored as well.
Divide the toys wisely
Because I chose to start my organization mission shortly after Christmas I had to wisely pick how I wanted to divide these toys. I knew I couldn’t put all of the new toys away, so I left some of the current favorite ones out, while dividing the rest among the other boxes. I balanced out stuffed animals, dolls, and dress up clothes too so some would be in each group.
Don’t forget books
Include books in your toy rotation! This was extremely helpful for our house. We have a pretty decent library of children’s books, but we don’t have space for all of them to be out at once. I divided the books up into groups as well and included them in the storage containers with the toys. Similar to the dividing the toys I tried to spread out some of the favorites between all of the groups. And also keeping both longer books and shorter more baby friendly books in each grouping as well.
Before
After
Set a schedule
I decided to try switching out the toys every 2 weeks, but being flexible if needed to be. So far I have been able to stick to my 2 week schedule and it has been great!
The moment of truth came the morning after my transformation. I expected some complaints from my 3 year old to be honest. She is pretty observant, but she didn’t seem to notice (or care) that 2/3 of her toys were packed away and out of site! Her only comment after seeing her new play room was, “Mom, it looks different in here.” Clean? Exactly the point.
It has been about 3 weeks since I started my little experiment to see if this new organizational strategy would work, and I can definitley say I am a huge fan! This has worked for our family with no issues so far. In a way I think my 3 year old enjoys her toys more now than she did before, some old forgotten toys seem new and exciting. Also, she is able to better manage the toys she has and there is less clutter strung about the house. Win win!
Life with children will never be neat or orderly. Life in general is messy, and adding children just multiplies that! But I am excited to minimize some of the unnecessary mess so I can enjoy more moments with my kiddos.
