The Toy Brigade
Children need games, toys, books, and arts & crafts, but sometimes the toy room can get out of control. If you don’t have a designated toy room or toy area, it can become even more challenging to keep it all together and organized. This toy room was off to a great start. For one, there was already a designated playroom in this home where al the toys and books already lived. Secondly, there were bins and baskets galore, with plenty of room to store various types of toys. Lastly, my client had a good understanding of what her son actually used and liked to play with.
For this toy room, I sorted all of the toys into groups by play type and activity type. I sorted the games into learning-based games and entertainment based games. I did the same for the books, putting learning books on one shelf, narrative books on another, and holiday books on another. I was also able to stage this toy room to make it look more inviting, more like a toy store. I color-coded all of the bins, and ordered picture labels for this mom to put on the bins after our session. That way, her son will easily be abel to see where his toys are, AND where they should be put away. That is KEY!
All of my sessions are always customized to fit the individual needs of my client, but if you are looking for a more DIY approach, these simple tips below are very helpful and applicable to almost any situation.
Tips for Organizing Kids’ Toys & Games
Limit access toys: Kids do not need to have all of their toys at once. This can lead to toys getting out of hand, and the accumulation can be overwhelming for your kids and for you. Instead, rotate toys. A rotation of toys is a great way to keep your children engaged, it eliminates the need for extra storage in your living space, and makes cleaning up much easier.
Create Labels: Labels make it easy to know where everything goes, and keep everyone in the household accountable for cleaning up. If your kids are old enough, have them help you make the labels. If not, use fun pictures to go along with the labels. For example: a picture of a train or art supplies will help them know where things go.
Routinely have you kids go through their toys: Have your kids evaluate what they like to play with and what they feel they’ve outgrown. By including your kids in the sorting process, they will have a sense of control and ownership of their things, which will lend itself to improving the process over time, and make them more excited about the items they choose to keep. Many kids enjoy donating their toys to others in need, someone just like them, who will be able to enjoy the toy in a new home.
Store toys with many pieces in bags: Ziplocks, make-up bags, or any kind of pouch will work well. Storing toys in pouches eliminates bulky cardboard boxes that are hard to store, and tend to break and rip easily, losing pieces that belong with the toy. Bags and pouches are easy to store in bins or baskets, which especially helpful if you have limited shelving space.
Zones: Have zones for things that belong together. Stuffed animals in one place, games in another, art supplies in another. This ill help the whole family easily keep inventory of what you have, and know where to put everything back.
