How To Organize And Manage Toy Clutter

How To Organize And Manage Toy Clutter

Toy clutter is easy to end up with. It seems that kids start collecting toys at a very young age and the clutter doesn’t take long to develop. There seems to be an overwhelming need to do something about it, but few ideas that actually seem to work. Getting out a garbage bag may even be tempting; however, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can organize the toy clutter and teach your children to keep it that way.

Go Through The Toys

Whether you are starting out with organizing the toy clutter or you have been at it for awhile, there comes a time when you need to go through the toys with your kids. During this time set yourself up with three piles. One that you will keep, one that you will give away, and one that you will throw away.

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Throw aways are often easiest for parents, but it’s important to remember that while there are bound to be things that are broken beyond repair, it is hard to get rid of your toys. So, give kids a little room and let them say good bye to the toys that they are throwing away. But make sure that all toys that are broken beyond repair and have no use get thrown away.

Next, sort out toys your children no longer play with or have out grown. Yes, this can include toys that they hung onto a little longer then anyone imagined. Let them say good bye to these toys as well. You can also bargain with them. Take the toys to a second hand store and allow them to pick out something new from the toy or book section or let them sell them in a garage sale and take the money they make for a new toy.

Bookshelves

It is a good idea to have a bookshelf or two in your child’s bedroom. You can use the top shelves (where your kid can’t reach) for memorabilia, pictures, or decorations and use the bottom shelves for organizing books and toys. Give books their own section. Get small baskets and totes for different types of toys. These can then be stored on the shelves for easy use. You can mark them with words, symbols, and pictures for easy identification. Then teach your child to put things back as he or she uses them to keep the space clean.

Totes

For inexpensive and easy to use toy boxes, you can pick up totes. Get them in different colours so that you can put different types of toys in different bins. Have one for dolls or trucks and another for the kitchen supplies. This way you can pull out a specific activity and leave the rest stacked up and against the wall.

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Stuffed Animal Rack

There are a few different types of stuffed animal racks, but you can even make one by tacking up a triangle of cloth. This can give them a place to store all their furry little friends when they aren’t using them. Keep it in the corner of a room but at a height they can reach so they can display their friends or take them out and play with them. If your child has an overwhelming number of stuffed animals, then it is a good idea to have one at a lower level and one at a higher level. This can let some be put up for awhile, or you can keep both within reach of your child.

Go Through It Again

It is a good idea to go through your child’s toys at least twice a year, which will allow you to keep thing cleaned up and make sure that the toy clutter you have is really stuff you want to keep. Make this a fun process for your kids and a time of renewing your organization system. You can make sure everything is really where it should be and give new options for organizing new toys.

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You don’t have to suffer from toy clutter. You can have an organized space that your kids can maintain. Just make a habit of going through things and helping your kids get rid of stuff they don’t need or use anymore. And you will be on your way to a well organized room and a whole lot less toy clutter!