Steps to Reducing Toy Clutter
Do you have trouble finding a place to put your child’s toys? Are they scattered all around the house, taking up valuable space? If so, you’re not alone. Many parents struggle with toy clutter.
If you’re looking for a way to reduce the amount of toy clutter in your home, read on for some tips!
This guide provides tips on reducing the amount of toy clutter in your home. Implementing even a few of these suggestions can make a big difference!
For some parents, toy clutter is an ever-present issue. While it’s fun to see our children’s faces light up when they receive a new toy, it’s not so much fun to have to clean up the mess when they’re done playing with it.
Steps to Reducing Toy Clutter
Step 1: Decide what type of toys you want to keep
You need to decide which toy categories are the most important to you and how many of each type (if any) you can keep before it becomes too cluttered.
For example, some parents like to keep all their child’s toys in one place, like a giant toy box, and be done with it.
Some parents want to display favorite or memorable toys in specific areas around the house. You can even go out on a limb and try both ways to see which you prefer.
Here is a list of toy categories to consider:
-Toys that are kept in one specific place (like a toy box)
-Toys that are displayed on shelves
-Spare toys to use as replacements for broken or lost toys
Decide how many of each category is reasonable for your family.
Once you know what kind of play space you like best, pick the number of toys you plan to keep in each category and make sure it is a number that won’t break the bank.
Step 2: Get rid of any broken, outgrown, or unwanted toys
Donate any toys you no longer want to your local charity’s thrift store.
Make sure all batteries are removed from battery-operated toys before donating them! Also, if you have a child still in the teething phase, be sure to remove any loose pieces from plush toys that can present a choking hazard.
Step 3: Look at your toy storage space and try to find out where it went wrong
Now look at YOUR storage space and ask yourself these questions:
Are there toys lying around?
If yes, is this an improvement over the toy storage space you had before?
If not, then either your # of toys is too high, or your storage space is too small.
-Is it cluttered? If so, what can you do to fix it?
– Are some areas more cluttered than others?
-Does your child complain that they can’t find their toys?
If yes, see if you can fix the following:
-Make sure there is enough space for all toys to fit easily. Try restructuring or changing how many of each category you keep. If this doesn’t work, it is time to use one of the following solutions.
-If toys are overflowing out of bins, try giving it a higher container or find something else to put under/near the bin that your kids can use as an alternative storage method (like clear boxes labeled with pictures)
-If there is no more room for displays, remove one of the displays and merge the toys to create more space.
-If you are having trouble keeping toys off the floor, do not place toys under low-hanging furniture or in front of windows that will allow light in when it becomes dark outside. You can also consider using clear containers or plastic bins for any toys likely to become buried under other items.
Step 4: Use one of the following solutions if none of the above suggestions work for you.
Outdated, unused, or unwanted toys
-Create a toy exchange with other parents in your area.
Set up a day and place (like the local library) to meet and let whoever brings extra toys take home new ones.
You can organize this so that each person must bring at least one toy they no longer need.
This is also a great source of new toys for your kids if you don’t want to sacrifice any toys you already have!
-If you live in an apartment with limited space, consider selling large items like bikes and playhouses on sites like Craigslist or Freecycle. You can also sell more minor things like train tables, balls, and other battery-operated toys on Craigslist or eBay. If you don’t want to leave your house to do this, try putting an ad in the newspaper or posting flyers around your neighborhood.
-Use social media (Twitter, Facebook) to see if any of your friends can use any of the toys you are getting rid of.
-Donate the toys to your local charity’s thrift store or give them to a friend who has kids. -Finally, if there is no way to find someone else to take your toys, donate them to your local toy drive!
Step 5: Make sure all pieces of broken or missing toys are accounted for and taken care of
If you can’t find all pieces of a toy, consider getting rid of it.
If you decide not to get rid of the toy, ensure all parts are accounted for (and accounted for quickly) before re-hanging the toy on its display! This will help prevent future fights between your children over missing pieces.
If your toy is still missing parts after re-organizing, consider getting rid of it.
Step 6: Decide what to do with all the toys you took out of storage
If some toys were still in good condition but just needed to be organized better (like stuffed animals), sort them back into bins or on shelves where they belong.
If they are not already organized, take the time to sort them by size, color, shape, or whatever else you think would be best for your kids to find what they want quickly.
If other toys were still in good condition but didn’t fit well into your new storage space (like large stuffed animals), consider increasing your storage capacity by adding more shelves or bins.
If the toys were obsolete, consider getting rid of them. If they are still missing pieces, try to find all their parts before getting rid of them. This will help prevent future fights between your children over missing pieces.
If you can’t find all the pieces, consider donating these toys to charity.
If you don’t want to get rid of the toys, consider giving them away to a kid’s friend. If these toys were not deemed helpful by your friends and family, it is unlikely that your kids will find any more value in them either.
Step 7: Re-Hang any toys that can be hung up
Put any toys that can be hung up back on the wall. This would include bikes, toy boxes, and anything else with hooks on them.
Step 8: Put all the remaining toys in a storage ottoman or large box
Please take all the toys that didn’t fit anywhere else and put them into a large storage ottoman or large cardboard box. This will be your temporary storage solution until you decide next to do with these toys.
Step 9: Clean up and take a break!
Look at all the work you have done so far and congratulate yourself for being so helpful to your kids! You can always come back to this toy reorganization another day.
Conclusion
Parenting is hard enough without having to worry about an ever-growing pile of toys.
These simple steps will help reduce the amount of toy clutter in your home so you can focus on what’s essential—raising happy and healthy children.
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