The 5 BEST Ways to Keep Toys Under Control

Like so many moms, I cannot count the times I've walked into a home and been completely overwhelmed by the toy-xplosion. I am amazed at just the sheer VOLUME of toys that I've seen in just a living room alone. I first witnessed this phenomenon as a nanny and swore to myself that when I had kids, it would be different.

HA!

It is not as easy as all that, is it? I found that as Little A became more mobile, so did her toys. It has been a constant struggle to keep them under control. I think, at least for the moment, that I have found a pretty good balance.

Before attempting these tricks, just realize that there WILL be toy-eruptions during the day... it's OK. Toys are meant to be played with so don't sweat it, just take a deep breath and realize that it's a necessary evil at times.

1. NO TOYBOXES!
If you go back in my archives, you will find that I preached this as a nanny. And I still believe it whole-heartedly today. The only reason to have any kind of "toybox" is for your use, as a mom/caregiver, to store toys.

A toybox is to a baby or toddler or kid what a junkdrawer is to an adult- a place to throw things. You are essentially teaching your child to throw all their stuff into a pile and forget about it. It does seem to be an easy solution but over time a toybox won't teach a child to organize and care for their things. And toyboxes are the perfect way to attain a toy-xplosion (think of how many times it gets just dumped out).

The alternative...

2. Toys/books go on shelves in baskets or buckets.
You want to keep toys in baskets or bins and set out on shelves, preferably where your child can reach them. (So, you can put 12 duplos, or 3 hotwheels, or a baby doll with two outfits in a basket on the shelf.) You want to make sure that the toys all relate to each other and keep them to a manageable number. Also, don't crowd the shelf; make sure that each basket has "room to breath", this will help your kiddo visually manage the space.

Labeling the baskets/bins and the shelf often is a big help. So, for your readers, you can label them "blocks" or "cars" but for your pre-readers, you might want to print a little picture of what's inside. If you do print a picture of what's inside, lamenating it (with a laminator or contact paper) will make it last longer. Make sure to label both the basket and the area of the shelf where it sits.

This is NOT my photo. It belongs to Angie from http://www.manylittleblessings.com. I am using it solely for the purpose of illustrating an idea.

So, how do you put out all your little one's toys on shelves? You don't, it's not realistic and would be super overwhelming. You...

3. Rotate toys/books in and out.
This is a pretty big one. In my house we have two small shelves in the entertainment center, two shelves on the bookcase, one shelf in the kitchen and a little bookcase in Little A's room for toys. That's not alot of space. So, I pick a couple things to go on each shelf and put the rest away, then I rotate them in and out every couple weeks. This keeps the mess down and she's more interested because she has "new" toys all the time.

The frequency that you rotate is not as important as that you do it. I know people that rotate twice a year and some that do every week. Whatever works for you is the best. But do remember, younger kids will outgrow toys faster so don't wait too long or s/he will be too old for the rotated toys.

4. Weed out old, broken and boring toys.
Toys are EXPENSIVE! As parents it's almost painful to get rid of that nice wooden rattle that cost 12 bucks, but you have to do it. At a certain point, your child simply outgrows old toys or, as we've all experienced, "over-uses" them. Don't hang on to those toys, just donate, re-purpose or chuck 'em! Your sanity will thank you.

5. Clean up often.
This one may seem like a given but I've found that too many people just give up. If you've implemented the first 4 steps, then this one will not be that hard.

I clean up my daughter's toys (she's 1 right now) whenever she's asleep. I do this simply because if I do it while she's awake, she goes behind me and takes them all down again. (URGH!) It is important that you show your kiddo how to clean up so make a game of it sometimes, sing a song or simply see who can do it faster. My experience as a nanny taught me that nearly every child 2 years or older can do much of the cleaning themselves. Just stay on top of it and have them pick up often (several times a day).

This is how I've figured out the toy mess issue. Try them out and let me know what you think.

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