Toys, Toys, Toys

I don’t know about your kids but for me December always felt like a constant stream of toys entering the house in our family. But now that we are nearly a month past the holidays it is important to remember that toys and your kids CAN be organized!

Toys, like kids clothes, can be an overwhelming category for many to organize both because of the volume and that is is ever changing. There are, however, a few key technique to keep in mind when organizing your kids toys that will help you create an organized and beautiful play space that your kids utilize and enjoy.

How to Organize Toys

Tip #1: Dump, Review and Purge – This is an important part of toy organization, although not the most glamorous. Dump it all out in one spot; all the toys, trucks, Barbies, games, puzzles you name it! Once you have everything out it is time to start reviewing and decluttering. For each toy go through a little mental check list to determine if it is something that should be kept:

Is is broken?
Do we have all of the pieces?
Is it still age appropriate for my kids?
Do my kids still play with it? If not, will they if we make it “new” again down the line (see tip #5)?
Could it be donated or handed down to a family member?

Tip #2: Categorize – Once you have paired down the toys creating categorize will help keep everything organized going forward. You know your kids and their play habits best but I suggest categories that make sense while they are playing. What would they play with together? Create a category of dolls and doll clothes and then maybe another one of racetracks and their cars. Creating categories that are too narrow or specific will set your kids up for failure down the line when they are asked to clean up.

Tip #3: Get the Kids Involved – This one is a hard one for many families as it can be so much easier to organize alone but I suggest getting your kids involved in the decluttering and organizing process. When you bring them into the process and involve them making decision it makes organization and decluttering part of life and routine for them as they grow up.

Tip #4: Label – I often remind my clients you never see a disorganized preschool or daycares (at least at the beginning of the day). One of the reasons that the classrooms are able to say organized is the kiddos and teachers know where everything goes because they ALWAYS have a labeling system in place. After you have categorized the toys adding written label or even a picture, depending on the age of your children, will be helpful for clean up and getting everything back in its home.

Tip #5: Rotate – Rotating toys in and out is a great way to keep things fresh for your kids. Pull some toys, games, puzzles, books, etc. into a storage bin and put it away for a month or two. Then when you are ready make the swap putting out the “new” toys and pulling others into storage. Your kids won’t know what hit them and it will keep them excited without a trip to the toy store.

Tip #6: Monthly Refresh – Maintenance is key with toy organization. Now, I am not saying you have to keep your playroom magazine ready all of the time but a monthly or quarterly refresh will help keep systems working and avoid overwhelm when you do deep cleans.

Finally, I have linked some of my favorite toy storage solutions below. TELL ME: how do you tackle toys in your house? Do you have systems in place to avoid the chaos?