Day 28: Streamlining Kids’ Toys

Toys and kids' clutter are some of the most frustrating areas to keep clean and organized, which can add stress to the family when toys are scattered all over or when a beloved stuffed animal goes missing among the clutter. With two small boys, we struggle with toy clutter too. Here are some tips and tricks I've learned for reigning in the toy chaos.

• Bring all the toys and games to one room and sort them out by kind. Make piles of books, board games, Legos, dolls, stuffed animals, etc. Grab a box or trash bag and immediately get rid of anything broken. Box up anything that your children definitely don’t play with or have outgrown. Don’t keep anything that isn’t loved and played with regularly. If you have older children, you definitely need to include them in the process. For little ones, you can probably get away with doing the sort/purge on your own as long as you don’t toss any beloved toys.
• For young children with a lot of toys, consider setting up a toy library. Use a storage bin to box up a selection of toys to be swapped out at a later day. Consider it a “rainy day” box, and swap out these toys with other toys that have lost their luster when your children start complaining that they’re bored. The stored toys will be fresh and interesting again since they’ve been out of sight, out of mind.
• To organize the keepers, contain the small parts first. Store toys with tiny parts in their own boxes, such as Legos or Barbies with their clothes and shoes. Consider separate bins or boxes for toys like blocks, cars and video games.
• Bins and boxes are an easy way to set limits on the number of toys – when you can’t fit any more toys in the bin, it’s time to let some go. You can also control the number of toys out at any one time – setting rules like “you can’t play with the cars until the Legos are back in their bin” ensures that the playroom never gets too out of hand.
• Keep a bin handy for “stuff” – not every bin needs to have a specific purpose. You’ll go crazy if you try to dictate where every single toy goes (trust me, I’ve been there!), so having one or two bins that the kids can use as a catch-all can save everyone’s sanity. The purpose is to make things simple.
• Have regular clean-up times so the mess never gets too out of hand. Have the kids do a quick clean up before meal times, before bed or before moving from one activity to another.
• Organize on the child’s level, putting the most used toys and most loved belongings on lower shelves and in bins or baskets on the ground. 
• Keep the decor of the kids' rooms simple, so you can make changes as the kids' hobbies and tastes change. 
• Give the kids lots of options for displaying their favorite toys and collectibles. We use open shelving for our son's extensive Lego collection, because he likes to display the items he builds.
• Use labels to help kids keep organized. Make simple graphic labels for young children, and attach them to bins, shelves and drawers. Pictures of blocks, cars and dolls (with the words written underneath in large, clear letters) can remind children where those items belong and can help them put their own toys away without as much help from you.
• Teach your kids to do things for themselves – this will simplify your life greatly if you don’t have to micromanage everything your child does. Teach your kids how to put their toys and books away neatly, in their proper locations, and make clean-up their responsibility, not yours.
• Do a toy declutter before Christmas and birthdays – help your children understand that to make room for new things, they need to part with items they no longer use and love.

This post is part of the Fresh Start Series, 31 days of tips and tricks to simplify in the new year.