How have the past two weeks of our spring cleaning challenge gone for you?! How are you feeling?! Let’s take a deep collective breath because this week is ….. toys. If you are anything like me, I shudder with the thought of organizing all the legos and books and bajillion stuffed animals. Thank goodness Tonya of Sorted 30A is here to hold our hands to get this done!
“Let’s Talk Toys!
Do you feel like you are constantly picking up toys? Whether you keep toys in a playroom, in the bedroom, or even in the family room, the same process can be applied. The goal here is to create zones that your little one can help to maintain.
The first step is to declutter. Go through every toy bin and categorize into Trash, Donate, Keep, and Store.
Remove the little broken pieces that will never be repaired, grab the used bubble wands and dried up play-dough, and gather up all the pieces of torn and discarded crayon wrappers…and put them all in the trash! Doesn’t that feel good? You’ve made a big first step.
Now for the toys that are still in good shape…it’s decision time.
First up is donations: If the toy hasn’t been played with in ages, if it’s been outgrown, or if it has non-stop ear-piercing music (you know the ones), donate it!
*Donation tip: if you’re worried a favorite toy might make its way into donation, put the box away for a few weeks. If your child doesn’t ask for it, you’re good to donate. If they do, it can easily be “found”.
I always talked to my boys about how happy their donation could make another child. Rather than a toy sitting at the bottom of a toy box, it could be loved and played with. This often resulted in a few more toys being added to the donate pile.
Storage: If there is a younger sibling or friend that you’d like to save toys for, put them in the Storage box. Clearly mark the box so that you remember what is inside and put it away until needed.
Now for the Keepers! It’s time to organize.
Start by sorting like with like…books with books, Legos with Legos, dolls with dolls, you get the idea. Use this system to create zones: Reading Zone, Building Zone, Doll Zone, etc. By keeping like items together everything can be easily found AND easily put back.
Time to contain those toys. Use bins, baskets, or boxes that little hands can easily open, close, and carry. This way they can play and tidy without frustration.
Label, Label, Label! Let me say it one more time Label! Your little one isn’t old enough to read yet? Label with pictures and words. When kids know where items belong, they know where to put them away.
Location is important. Keep zones lower so that they can be easily reached by your children.
Now that you have your zones set up, contained and labeled, let’s discuss maintenance. The last thing you want to do is organize only to have to do it again daily. Let your kids help! Saying “Clean your room” can be overwhelming. Be specific when asking them to tidy. You have zones that are clearly labeled so use that. Now you can say “Please put your cars away in the car basket”. Much easier to understand, right?
Good Luck Moms!”
Want to catch up or need a refresher?
