Organizing kids’ toys is no small feat. Just like organizing kids’ clothing seasonally, I organize my kids’ toys at least four times a year. I try to be conscious of the number of items that enter my home. And I sort through our many belongings periodically (at least semi annually) to clear out things we no longer use, or need (like duplicates for example.) But somehow there are always Happy Meal toys, grandparent and samcheon (Korean uncle) gifts, impulse-daddy-purchases (and occasionally mommy purchases), birthday gifts, seasonal gifts, souvenirs, and a host of other items that find their way into my kids’ toy bins. So what happens?
So, to calm my nerves I purge.
After:
Now there aren’t as many toys to sift through to find the one they are looking for. If Tyler wants a car he knows which bin to look in. (I am planning to put laminated pictures of cars, dolls, blocks, etc. on each bin as soon as my daughter stops putting everything in her mouth.)
How do you organize your child’s toys? Do you encourage your child to clean with you? (Mine still are a little too young to actually clean with me, although we try.) Do you put limits on the number of toys you allow in your home? Please leave a comment and share your toy organizing tips with others!
Remember to head on over to SimpleMom.net for more sneak peeks at other clean living rooms!
For other great kid organizing reads visit:
Overcoming Busy Organizing Kids Rooms
I’m an Organizing Junkie Empower Your Kids and Organizing Your Child’s Room is a Process
DIY Organization Organize Kid’s Little Toys
Happy organizing!
I have a 5 and 4 year old and my 5 year old just started kinder. His teacher says that he is excellent at listening and following directions but oh my at home I can not get him or his sister to clean up there mess when hold which even when I help them and organize it doesn’t help. So I have just about flipped out and I know they can d it because they have done it before. Rewards don’t even help anymore.
For very young children (like my grandchildren) I made a toy cabinet that keeps the other toys until they put one back. It is easy for them to put toys away one at a time, especially if it gets them the chance to get a different one. There is never a huge mess for them to clean up anymore.
Here is a video of it in operation.
What do you think?
The RSS feed seems not to be working, can you fix it. I’d really like to add your blog to my RSS reader.
Two chuldren ages 5
Olivia, Oooooh, what a wonderful idea, consumable gifts. I’ll have to try that tip! Thanks!
Leyda, Limiting your kid-toy space is a great idea and it certainly encourages you to get rid of extra items regularly. It sounds like you are so on-top of this organizing challenge!
I almost forgot…Thanks for the link! This is a hot topic isn’t it!
We don’t have much space at our small apartment. That’s why we adopted to keep just two square bins with around 10-15 toys that my son chooses himself and the rest are put away in a box in his closet. Usually we change toys once a month but sometimes he gets tired before that and we do it. When we do, we spend some time purging too.
This technique I learned with Supper Nanny and we love it. It solved our toy clutter problem plus it makes us to be proactive when purging toys. And we have noticed that Robert appreciate his toys more than ever. Plus we don’t have toy clutter all over the house!
Abbie-I have definitely been there !! I do the same thing-dump out everything and go through it, purge and reorganize. I like to use fabric bins and big baskets along with smaller baskets. It is a constant battle to keep things organized! I do try to get the kids to help me clean up (granted it is not My definition of clean, but more for their learning experience)I have a 3 and 6 year old, and I have them pick up their toys before moving to another part of the house to play or do an activity. We have a designated crafting area (I do a LOT of crafts and painting with them) that keeps it seperate.
What a great job you did organizing!
With 5 daughters, the toy situation can get quite out of control. I manage to contain it though and ask (beg!) that our families choose consumable gifts for birthdays and holidays! It makes what is brought into the home for play much more manageable!
We have found that going through and pitching out toys and junk every month or so is crucial or we would get overrun. Clear storage bins work great us. When everything has its place, clean up is easy.
Chris, I grew up with dogs but we never tried that trick. If we had, maybe our sweetie would have put her doggie bone in the “tidy up” bin and we wouldn’t have to find it behind the floor plant pot months later. Thanks for sharing the pet tip.
RE: 5 yr old stuff
We are so at that stage too! I got a rolling plastic cart with clear drawers (I think 7 of them) at Target and it is her “ART CART”. She can save anything like that stuff, crayons, cotton balls, etc…but it has to fit in that cart. Bonus is that I can wheel it from room to room so it isn’t always out if I am not in the mood to clean up glitter. = )
It looks great. I love the idea of pictures on the bins – that should really help the little ones know where things go.
I don’t have children to organize though I am attempting to teach my dog a trick called “tidy up” where she fetches all her toys and puts them in the her little toy basket. It sort of works so far but just like a kid she loses interest fast and, once the toys are all in one place she wants to take them out again.
I do what you do dump everything get rid of what they don’t play with anymore. We use containers with lids. This seems to help. I try to tell them when you are done playing with one thing put it away and get something new. We are still working on that concept. It’s time to purge again. Will you come over and do mine toy room?
Ally, I love your nickname for your daughter. I personally don’t like seeing clutter so I use fabric bins and post picture labels on the outside. You could certainly use small clear plastic bins so that your daughter can see its contents. Perhaps this is better for the aspiring artist? Do you have a designated crafting area that can stay messy (within limits of course?) This way her little table would be messy but the rest of the room might stay neater. My son has a table with a pocket-hole in the middle that has a cover. This might help her “put it away” easily. Readers other 5-year old organizing thoughts?
Just found your blog. Love to organize. My main two things I trying on figuring the best way to organize is my pantry and my 5 year olds room. I do clean her room out about three times a year but give her a week and its back to a big mess.
I am thinking about doing the bin thing but not sure if that will work with her or not. Her thing is not really toys is stuff, Cups, cotton balls etc… Now most would say not to let her have these things but she loves to create with them. So I’m hoping if I can find one place for all of these things and her toys I could have some balance in my home.
My daughter’s mess get so bad some days my husband call her hurricane Alaina.
Buffie, I’ve heard that there is no time like the present to get your kids to help you clean up and organize. My DS is 2 1/2 and my DD is 15mos, so they don’t like the “put in” as much as the “take it all out and spread it around.” I also like your rotate-out tip. My family always did this with puppy toys for the pet, but I think this would be great for little ones too! Thanks.
My daughter’s toys seem to get out of control too. Since she is 17 months we’re working on getting her to clean up with us, but she still doesn’t totally get it. Right now she has so many toys that we rotate them out and she only has about a third of her toys accessible at one time. If they were all out where she could get to them my house would be total chaos.