If you’ve got kids, you’ve got toys and if you’ve got toys, you probably know that they seem to take over the entire house. I can handle little messes but on the days that every.single.toy. gets taken out, I go a little crazy. So do my kids. It can be overwhelming for them when they don’t have a clear and defined way to clean up. When I give them simple directions like “Put all the cars on the car carpet” things get cleaned up a lot quicker. That’s why it’s important to keep things organized, for the whole family’s sanity! Here are my tips for organizing toys:
- Drawers — We have a set of rubbermaid type drawers in the “kitchen” area. It serves as a “cupboard” of sorts. It has three drawers and holds all of the dishes and play food. It’s easy for the kids to pull open the drawers and toss things in when it’s time to clean up.
- Puzzle Pods — Keep puzzle pieces from getting lost with these handy envelopes that stick right to the back of board puzzles. You can make your own if you are the crafty type. They also work well for board games.
- Rain Gutter Book Case — I really want to make one of these! It sounds so simple and it keeps books right within kid’s reach to encourage them to read more!
- Animal Bag — Have stuffed animals gotten out of control at your house? These Animal Bags by Boon give them all a nice place to rest while providing a soft seat for the kiddos to play on.
- A Place for Everything — Like I mentioned above with the cars on the car carpet, if everything has a defined place, your kids will know exactly where to put their toys when it’s time to clean up.
- Toy Box — We use our toy box for all of the random toys that don’t have a defined space. Anything that doesn’t have a “home” goes in the toy box.
- Play Games — Keeping the toys cleaned up and organized can be a challenge. Turn it into a fun one by setting up a competition such as “beat the clock” or “who can clean up the fastest”. When you turn it into a game, cleaning up gets done a whole lot quicker!
- Keep Toys Contained — We have a play room and that’s where all of the toys stay. My kids are allowed to take one or two toys to bed at bedtime and each have a basket of books in their room but that’s it. It keeps things a lot more organized than having toys spread out all over the entire house!
- Set up Circuits— Make bins of toys and rotate them on a regular basis. This keeps the toys fresh and interesting to your kids. Keep bins in a closet and only bring out a few at a time.
- Don’t Go Overboard — Don’t go crazy buying your kids toys. Regularly go through them and donate ones that aren’t getting played with. Too many toys can be overwhelming in itself
What do you do to keep toys organized? I’d love to hear your tips!
I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Hot Wheels® blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.