This could be over the course of a few days or just one afternoon. Take some time to observe your children play at home. The 4 Steps to Declutter Toys Step 1: Observation Of course, the steps below can be done whenever the need strikes. Naturally, if there was an ideal time to declutter toys it would be before the holidays and gift giving season begins. It can offer donations for children in need - always a great lesson for kidsĪ toy declutter can be done anytime of year.It lowers the overwhelm of so many toy choices.Let’s start with reasons why you want to tackle the project of decluttering toys: 10 Ideas for Organizing After a Toy Declutter.It’s easy to get caught up in the consumerism of kids’ stuff and with birthday parties, holidays, and well-intentioned grandparents, toys can accumulate quickly. The four-step process used to declutter toys is about finding what your child(ren) truly love so you know exactly what to get rid of and what to keep…plus ways to organize what’s left. It somehow seems to grow like weeds and be everywhere!Īlthough it can be overwhelming to start (plus heaven forbid we remove something they ask for a week later), it’s healthy to declutter toys every so often to make space in their world for non-plastic goods and remove the excess when it becomes too much. You know how much stuff and clutter they acquire.įirst, it’s traditional toys like puzzle pieces, Hot Wheels and Barbies then as they get older, art supplies, sports equipment and Lego sets. It also clues you in to when it's time to "age up" to a different toy level if child(ren) aren't excited to see what comes out of the bin or if there's stuff they don't bother to play with once it's out.Inside: Declutter toys for both little and big kids with these four clear steps and be able to organize what they truly love. But overall this system worked well for our large family in that toys got regularly rotated in and out of being played with and every few months we had a chance to figure out what could be kept for future play and what needed to go. Obviously keep out a few things all the time - special lovies, books, etc. Wait three months, pull out the next bin. Get rid of anything broken, reduce amount to fit in the bin. Bring those toys out - pack up whatever is already out. What worked for us was to buy 3 large storage bins - divide the toys equally into 4 parts - one into each bin, making sure each contains different types and all parts for each toy are together in each, and leaving the 4th out to play with.Įvery change of season (approx. Managing one's own possessions is an important skill! And as a parent, what a win! Our goal is to make sure our kids are prepared for life. Doing this with your child will help him make better decluttering decisions independently as he grows up. This is a lot of work for you as the parent as well. As he makes progress, point out positives and make sure to praise. Grouchy, disinterested declutterers are not good declutterers. Make sure to take some breaks and know when to call it quits for the day. Do not discard anything without his permission unless it is harmful to his health to have it.ĭecluttering is hard for adults. You can offer it to him later if you would like, but don't push it. If you really want him to have it, keep it in your space. Do not persuade him to keep a toy that you want him to have. Make it clear to your son that if he doesn't like a toy, he can get rid of it. "I don't have enough space to put the tracks down to play with it." -> "If you had space for it, you would play with it? Ok, let's make some space! Is there anything that is taking up space right now that you don't want any more?" (If no, it's ok to set aside this one and revisit it a little later.) "I don't know." -> "Can I put this in a box so you can decide later?" Do you want me to give this to a kid that doesn't have as many toys?" If the answer is no, "why haven't you played with it?" Make sure to frame your questions in such a way that the child takes into account what value the object brings to their life. If he's younger, he may always answer the question "Do you want to keep this?" with "yes" without thinking about the answer. You and him work together to figure out what stays.
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