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A few days ago I asked my kids the clean their rooms. Nothing special as this is our typical weekend routine. The younger ones did a pretty good job but my oldest OMG it looked like the room vomited toys. It's not his fault really. I mean he didn't buy the toys and to be quite frank, he's just run out of space. What's a kid to do?
No worries, this super mom to the rescue with tips to help our kids conquer the clutter.
Tip 1: Sort It
First rule of thumb: Not everything belongs in the toy box.
We use large plastic bins, a toy box and small bins for the kids to store their belongings. Each kid has their own bins to keep their special belongings in. Notice I said their special belongings. That wasn't a typo. One thing I've learned about kids is they have their own definition of special. One of my kids has a token from some arcade. He has no idea where it came from. It's just a small game token to the outside world but to my kid it's HIS token and he's held onto it for several years. He keeps his token, along with some of his trading cards, a few small toys and Lego pieces in his bin. It's his bin. Each bin is a small reflection of my kids' individual personalities.
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Tip 2: Incorporate It Into Your Design
Displaying toys is great way to declutter your child's room. Rather than stuff your child's favorite toys into a crowded toy box, find a spot on their bookshelf to showcase a few of their special toys. Display your daughter's favorite dolls or tea sets or your son's baseball memorabilia on their nightstand or a small table. Switch up the display from time to time to keep things fresh.
Check out these stylish toyboxes.
Tip 3: Toss It, Donate, or Trade It
Have you ever tried to talk your kid into throwing away an old toy? It's the worst, isn't it? The toy can be broken, no wheels, a doll with half a head of rainbow colored hair with a wad of play dough stuck to its head but don't dare throw it away. Trust me many a childhood freak-da-heck-outs have occurred in the Three Boys and an Old Lady household in my efforts to toss out old toys. If the toys aren't in really bad shape, maybe, just maybe you can convince your child to donate it to a local family shelter.
If you have a ton of Legos, you can trade them in at Pley. Pley is a toy rental service and they will credit your account $5 for every pound of Legos. Pley features some great toys and is an affordable way to try new toys and you simply swap out for a different toy. Pley features toys for kids of all ages and offers a wide variety of toys from some of our favorite toy brands including Legos, American Girl, V-Tech, K'Nex and more.
Tip 4 Baby Steps
Don't try to organize the room in one day. Set aside a few hours a week to get the room in order and be patient. Rome wasn't built in a day and the playroom didn't become this big mess in a day either. Above all remember toys bring joy to our children and play is key to developing creativity.
What are some ways you and your kids keep your toys organized? Let me know, leave a comment below.
Disclosure: Many thanks to Pley and their PR partners for the opportunity to partner in exchange for this review. A free product and/or monetary compensation may have been received in exchange for this post. However, the opinions expressed above are mine. For more information on the Disclosure Policy of Three Boys and an Old Lady blog, please visit http://threeboysandanoldlady.blogspot.com/2010/01/advertisecontact.html
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