Toy Clutter-Real Life Ideas That Work

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Can you keep a clutter-free house with kids? 
I'm here to tell you that it is certainly possible, however, you'll need to be armed with the best of tips and tricks a whole lot of patience :)

​Keeping a tidy home with littles running around is a challenge. The never-ending need to pick up everything in every room can lead to increased stress, anxiety, and sheer exhaustion.....Here's the good news, you are not alone! and there are action steps you can take to ease this season of life.

​Here are my favorite tips to help you take and keep control of your kids' toy clutter:

1- Pairing Down
Some categories that can grow quickly and take a lot of physical space like Stuffed Animals.  Include the kiddos in the decision of which to keep by asking them: "Go find your 3 (whatever number works for you) favorite stuffed animals". Then talk about what to do with the rest "These 3 you chose are so special! the others can be special to someone else, I bet they'll be great to give to kiddos that don't have any". If the stuffed animals are not in great shape, consider animal shelters, my kids LOVE donating stuffed animals for doggies to play with (there are other considerations like plastic eyes that may do harm, check with your local shelter) .
Another quick purge category is any toy that is broken or is missing parts, in some cases, we may think that it can be fixed, but think of the time investment, will you truly make the time to fix a broken toy?

2- Control what comes into the house
Often, we are the ones creating the clutter problem in the first place because we buy unnecessary items, and sometimes, you'll notice the kiddo has lost interest in the toy rather quickly.
Before your purchase something for your children ask yourself:

• Is this something they need and want?
• Do we have a home for this?
• Am I just tempted to buy this because it’s a good deal?
• Are we out shopping today just out of boredom? 
• Is this toy enriching and engaging?

Consider engaging your family members right before celebrations, we are big fans of gifting experiences instead of toys. It can be a difficult conversation to have but explain what your goals are and discuss how a trip to the zoo or the aquarium is so much more enriching than the latest toy.

3- Sort by category
There's a certain age when kids love sorting, use this time to your advantage! spread out and give your kiddos some room and have them practice their sorting skills. 

• Building toys (blocks, lego)
• Stuffed animals
• Barbies
• Dolls
• Shopkins
• Cars and other vehicles
• Dress up clothes
• Craft Supplies
• Musical Toys

Once this process is complete, you may see more items that can be paired down, are there Barbies that have seen better days? are there 4 xylophones? perhaps only one is needed.
*Side note- just came across this amazing organization, if you come up with lots of toys to donate, consider www.secondchancetoys.org
their story is all-inspiring and they understand the need to keep plastics out of landfills

Keeping it tidy 
Now that you and the kiddos have worked through the clutter, keep it that way with these simple tips

• Create a routine around tidying up after play. When the kiddos have helped sort and declutter, chances are it will be easier for them to take ownership and return items to their homes, make it a game! after playtime set a timer, put on a fun song, and challenge them to who tidies up the quickest
• Chose storage product carefully. Toy boxes can seem like a good idea at first, they make tidying up a breeze. However, toys just get thrown in on top of each other, they may be broken when they get tossed in, and everything on the bottom is forgotten. Most kids will play with their toys more often if they are visible. Consider open shelves or clear boxes when creating toy homes. Also, keep in mind what containers work for certain pieces, you may be a huge fan esthetically of wire baskets...of course, they wouldn't work for crayons or small pieces like legos.

If your toy collection is rather large, hasn't been addressed for a while (or ever) and it all feels overwhelming, first-give yourself some grace, then- start with one category- maybe today just focus on legos...
If you need some support in taking the first step, reach out, we are always here to help

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