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Last updated on April 7th, 2022 at 11:58 pm
Toy clutter. Ugh. Last Christmas our playroom was filled to the brim with toys. A play kitchen, a dollhouse, a roller coaster…so many toys! To make matters worse, our daughter’s birthday is less than a month after Christmas. Overwhelming is one word for it. Another would be chaotic.
After the glimmer of Christmas wore off, I banished toys to the backyard (the new roller coaster) and put away toys to be donated.
The thing is, kids are so much happier with fewer toys. Research has shown that kids with fewer toys are more creative and have longer attention spans than those with more toys. Fewer toys give them more time to socialize and develop interests in reading and the arts.
There are three solutions you can use to get rid of the toy clutter problem in your home.
Solution 1: Toy Rotation
So many parents swear by toy rotation. The idea is to only keep out a few toys at a time and replace them during whichever time period works for you. It’s a methodological system for increasing attention spans and creativity while reducing the number of toys that need to be picked up.
Here’s how it works: after decluttering, sort the toys by similarity, then pick and choose a few from each category for a separate box. Keep out one box and arrange it in your kids’ room or playroom and hide away the remaining boxes. After 2-3 weeks (or whatever you choose) put away the toys and put out a new box. Wha-la! It’s like Christmas all over again with the “new” toys!
Some friends of mine implemented toy rotation and are ecstatic about the results. They’re already very tidy, so they’re happy having less toys to deal with on a daily basis. It keeps their house even tidier!
Solution 2: Toy Rearrangement
We don’t do toy rotation, the main reason being I have nowhere to store the toys, and I have no desire to store toys in other places.
Instead of rotating toys out, I move toys to different places in the playroom. I’m home with her all day, so I notice which toys are played with and which ones never see the light of day.
If I want to know if it’s worth hanging on to those toys, I move them to a different place in her playroom to see if it piques her interest. If it doesn’t get played with, out it goes!
Note: Both of these systems work best when you purge what you already have and teach your kids to clean up after themselves.
Solution 3: Request Non-Toy Gifts
This one can be really tough. Some people will bring toys, regardless of your wishes. Whatever. Once the ball is in your court, you can do whatever you want with them…return them, donate them, keep them, whatever works for you.
For those who do kindly ask you what your child wants for his/her birthday or for Christmas, you can request:
- Contributions to a 529 college savings account or any college savings account
- Contributions toward after-school lessons, classes, or programs like music, swim, art, theater, dance, gymnastics – all those activities that cost money
- Experience gifts such for things like mini-golf, zoos, theme parks, museums, tours
- Does your kid have a favorite charity? Ask for contributions to that charity in your child’s name
One way we have solved the birthday toy avalanche problem is by not having a party at all. Yes, we still received gifts, but not in the multitude we would have with a party. Instead, we gifted our child an experience…an overnight trip to Disneyland. We brought home so many memories from her last birthday trip that I’m game to go party-less every year!
So what solution will you try to get rid of toy clutter forever? Does a toy rotation or toy rearrangement sound more appealing to you? What about the non-toy gift requests? Is it too unreasonable or totally possible? Let me know in the comments below!
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