Child’s Play: Organizing One Toy at a Time
Adrienn is with us today to share some simple tips for keeping toys organized and engaging for the little ones in our lives…
” The small child cannot live in disorder. Order is for him a need of life” -Maria Montessori
This is the first in a series of posts about organizing children’s spaces one toy at a time…
Toddlers require seemingly different organizational approaches and systems than teens. But our goals should be nonetheless the same, establishing good habits and incorporating them into our daily routines so that clean up time is fun, fast and effortless.
No one loves more to give you a helping hand with all kind of household chores. You can’t take the broom out without them begging to use it. This is the perfect time to invite them to work alongside you, and to teach them valuable organizational skills and the joys of a neat home. But it becomes a dreadful chore and can quickly escalate into a power struggle if we don’t watch out for some common traps. Traps like too many toys, a lack of designated shelf space, and no daily, weekly, or monthly decluttering habits.
Here I have corralled some easy to follow tips to keep the clutter in the playroom and/or home at bay. My favorite is the last one!
1. Less is More…
- Rotate toys on a regular basis with a back up system of boxes stored in the attic or basement.
- Give access to interesting utensils and everyday objects. The kitchen is a gold mine!
- Swap instead of shop. Family and friends with same aged children will be more then happy to get some “new” toys.
- Use small and medium sized containers, trays and baskets instead of big ones to avoid rummaging around.
2. Start Collections…
- Displaying them artfully will be a treat for your eyes and kindle a love for curated objects in your child.
- Invest in quality, not quantity.
- Discuss with family what your child is into before holidays/birthdays and make it easier for them to buy presents.
3. Store toys at a kid-friendly level:
- Encourage them to play on their own by presenting their beloved toys in inspiring ways.
- Let them clean up after themselves with the help of easy-to-change picture labels (click on photo below to download these handy labels from Jill Dubien!)
4. Establish dedicated play zones
- Set up micro-play zones throughout the whole house instead of just one room. Use baskets or drawstring bags on doorknobs as toddlers will follow you and need supervision.
- Create organizing solutions that work for the whole family, depending on how much time you spend in each room.
5. Get grown-up storage systems you can use over and over in different configurations.
- Opt for a timeless style and mix canvas, wood and wicker.
6. Establish a family rule that before going to bed every toy should be put away.
- Adding this to your routine will do wonders as it becomes a way of winding down and preparing for a good nights sleep.
Try one or more of these tips for a couple of weeks and tell me how it went!
Photo credits and links from the top: one /two / three / four/ five / six /seven / eight
If you are interested in discovering more practical tips for creating inviting spaces for the children in your life, check out our Playful Learning Spaces online class…
