With the holidays mere days away, you’re likely sweating sparkles about how all those new toys will fit in your kids’ filled-to-the-brim toy trunk. Here are 5 quick tips to help you pre-plan for Santa’s visit and do away with their ‘playful’ clutter… And bonus: The toys you pass on will make a less-fortunate child very happy this holiday season!
1. DUMP, DONATE OR GIFT: Examine and evaluate all toys and sort them into into three piles for dumping, donating and gifting as you go. Considering the following: Broken/missing parts (dump), age-appropriateness (donate if too young for your kids), and ‘playabilty’ probability (has your child even reached for this toy in the past few months and/or do they traditionally favor this sort of plaything?)
2. CLEAR IT OUT QUICK: This seems simple enough but it’s the step most people find toughest to tackle. Get those piles you’ve worked so thoughtfully to sort and get them out the door fast to their respective destinations. This allows you to immediately see (and enjoy!) the space you’ve created now that the clutter of your piles is eliminated!
3. SET A ROTATION: To make sure what’s left gets appreciated rather than overlooked, consider making only some of the remaining toys available for play, then swapping those out for others in a few weeks or few months time. This freshens ‘playability’ probability and reduces the risk of toy boredom.
4. STICK TO YOUR SPACE: Now that you see how tidy everything looks, you may be tempted to buy yourself more storage to avoid having things pile up too quickly again Don’t do it! Buying more shelves or cubes or tubs will only aid and abet the urge to collect more stuff your kids very likely don’t need.
5. NO ROOM, NO LOVE: Moving forward, ensure every toy you buy for your kids will have its place BEFORE you bring it home. If that 3-story dollhouse strikes you as pretty, try to imagine where it will live in your (now superbly-organized) home. If you can’t picture it, don’t fall in love. Simple as that.
