It wasn’t how I wanted to spend an entire Sunday, but seeing how devastated my oldest son was when he realized he had lost one of his favorite toys, I had to do something. As we spent hours combing every corner of his room, searching for the elusive plaything, I came to an epiphany: My kids have too much stuff.
Studies have shown that an excess of toys can overwhelm children, leading to less creativity, learning, and skill growth during playtime. However, by implementing a toy rotation system, you can reduce clutter and ensure your children have a variety of toys to play with, while also promoting the development of their cognitive and motor skills development.
If you want to cut down on the clutter but aren’t ready to throw out your child’s toys just yet, you can try a toy rotation. According to Parents, you should divide toys into groups based on their type, age-appropriateness, or interest level, and children can access one group at a time. Groups are switched after a certain period, helping previously stashed toys feel new and exciting again while keeping children engaged and interested.
Speaking of overwhelming, starting a toy rotation can be a formidable task that can be frustrating for both parents and children. Below are some simple steps to help you get started so your children can have a tidy room and you can regain some sanity.
Gather all your child’s toys (and throw out the broken ones)
That’s right. Search every corner of your home, check out those storage bins in your garage, and look under the deep, dark recesses under your child’s bed. You might get your children to help you, but if they are anything like mine, they will protest this process every step of the way.
Gather every toy your children have in one spot. Once you see that ginormous pile, you might wonder what you’ve gotten yourself into, but this will lead to better organization in the long run.
While gathering things, toss out any toys that have missing or broken pieces. See all the small gifts they got at that birthday party and those Happy Meal toys that take up valuable space on your child’s end table? Throw them out. There’s also a good chance your kids have outgrown many of the toys you’ve gathered. If your 8-year-old is still hanging on to that Tickle-Me Elmo you gave them for Christmas when they were 2, it’s time to give it away.
Start sorting
Now that your child’s toys are down to a (hopefully) reasonable number, it’s time to start sorting them into categories. You can categorize them based on type (e.g., dolls, action figures, building blocks), age-appropriateness (e.g., for toddlers, for school-age children), or interest level (e.g., educational toys, outdoor toys). It doesn’t matter how you categorize them as long as you can make sense of it all.
Divide and conquer into sets (and make some exceptions)
The next step is to put several toys from each category into rotation sets. The secret to success in this step is to think like your child. For example, suppose you include a dinosaur jigsaw puzzle in a set. In that case, incorporate some action figures from Jurassic World that they might enjoy. If you’re including some dolls in a set, encourage some cross-play by including a tea party toy. Then, label the box and put it away.
If you want to get a project done as soon as possible, this blogger swears by this system: Take 10 toys and put them into a storage container. Then, put the container away.
You can (and should) be flexible about the toys your kids play with every day. For example, my youngest son plays with his Magna-Tiles daily. Storing them away seems counterintuitive to promoting the cognitive and imagination skills that this particular building toy encourages. They also work well with any of the toys he has in rotation.
Create a schedule
Remember, the toy rotation system is flexible. You can rotate toys monthly, weekly, or whenever your children feel they need a change. Now that the hard part is done, a rotation schedule can be adapted to your family’s needs.
How do I add new toys to the rotation?
Around the holiday season or your child’s birthday, chances are some new toys will be added to the rotation. You can integrate them into their current rotation or insert them in a set where they best fit. You can even ask your child to donate some older toys so their new ones fit into their current set. This system keeps down clutter and promotes sharing and gratitude, which is why you created a toy rotation system in the first place.
