Your kids have too many toys! There. I said it, and yes I’m talking to you. One kid? Too many toys. First baby? Way too many toys. Small space? You should have stopped buying toys a long time ago. Large house in the burbs? Still too many, and you used your space to justify buying all that stuff! Didn’t you?
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s chat. The number one reason that play spaces remain messy is because there is too much stuff. That’s it and that’s all.
In my last post, I mentioned that I️ would be starting a “Playroom 101” series to help you plan and prepare a well-designed space for the little people in your life. Here’s where we start, eliminating toy clutter. Here’s how to get it done:
1. Purchase open-ended toys that can be used in different ways. Open-ended toys don’t necessarily “do” anything, there use is dependent on the child’s imagination and creativity. Wooden blocks, magnetic tiles, Legos, and play food are all examples of open-ended toys.
2. Cycle through available toys. Limit what you have out at one time. By making strategic toy choices you ensure that children engage in meaningful play. Your current selection could be related to a theme, child choice, favorite toys etc.
3. Get rid of all toys that are broken, missing pieces, or simply do not interest your child. Sometimes as adults, we have “feelings” related to toys that we subconsciously hold on to. My son never really took a pacifier. I can count on one hand the number of times he actually took one. But, for some reason, I just had to save the stuffed animal that was attached to the pacifier that he never took. Why? Because it reminded me of when he was little. Silly. If you do this enough times you will have a room full of junk that you just can’t afford to part with.
4. Get rid of all (or most) of the toys that make noise, require batteries or specifically “do” something. Sorry if I just rocked your world. These types of toys are another major source of toy clutter. They are typically bulky and come with a lot of different pieces. Not to mention they limit child creativity as children miss the opportunity to create play scenarios and engage in imaginary play. I’ve also found that once my son plays with these types of toys a few times, he is over it. While it may be interesting to him momentarily he soon grows tired of the singing frog, dog, cat etc. and all that it can (or can’t) do.
5. Donate or sell toys that your children have outgrown. As children grow, so do their toy interest. Your child’s favorite toy at 3 months likely won’t be their favorite at 4 and that’s ok. See number 3 for details. I promise it’s ok.
6. Limit large items. At one point JC had 6 ride-on toys. SIX! I jokingly referred to them as his “fleet” of vehicles. Unfortunately, we had to retire a few vehicles from the fleet. I kept 2 of his favorites and we donated the rest. Honestly, he had so many that it was even overwhelming for him. Children love to play. They know how to play. Limiting some of their choices doesn’t take away from that. In fact, it empowers them to think creatively and completely.
7. Purchase items that are easy to store OR that you will be fine with sitting in your living room if that’s the only place they fit. We purchased JC a wagon for his first birthday. It was completely worth it to spend a few extra dollars to get the collapsible wagon that we can slide into different places for easy storage.
There you have it. This is where you start. Without first eliminating toy clutter you will continue to have issues maintaining an organized play space. If all of these tips seem overwhelming right now, start with just one. Perhaps you decide to just get rid of broken toys. That’s a great start! Slowly build up to eliminating other items and adding open-ended toy options. You will be amazed at how quickly and drastically your child’s engagement level changes. Set them up for success, let them play in peace.
Have you started decluttering your child’s play space? What was the hardest part? If you haven’t started yet, what’s stopping you? I’d love to hear from you. Join the discussion over on our Instagram {@polishedplayhouse}.
Talk to you soon,
