Can you believe we’re six months into this pandemic?! I can’t either. I don’t know about you, but I’ve learned a lot about myself and my family these past few months. One thing I learned for sure is this: kids are messy!
Ok, not all kids. But as a mother of three boys, I know the kind of havoc they can sometimes leave behind.
Having your kids home for this length of time has made you realize things too. For starters, I’m sure you’ve realized that wow, your kids have A LOT of stuff. And it’s everywhere.
How can you possibly organize it all?
It’s possible! I swear, it is. This one’s for all the moms out there pulling at their hair, wondering how to best organize a playroom for your kids.
The art of decluttering and organizing toys
You’re not going to like this, but the first step to decluttering toys is to remove EVERYTHING! And I mean everything.
You have to clear the space to see what you’ve got to work with.
But you can save yourself a step later by separating like-items early on. As you take toys out of the play area, separate them into sections on the floor. If you have spare containers, use those.
Pile all similar toys together. Dolls with dolls. Trucks with trucks. Costumes with costumes.
Once the area is clear, scope the space out. You now have a better sense of what you have to work with. Map out how you’d like to set up your zones.
Some questions to ask:
- Do you want to keep your son’s toys on one side and your daughter’s on the other?
- Do you want to section off designated areas for certain items? For example: A LEGO corner there; a kitchenette corner there; and so on.
- Do you want to store toys so they are visible or hidden away?
The more you know, the better you can organize the space for functionality.
After the area is mapped out and the zones are set up, it’s time to put the toys back.
Before that, however, take an inventory. How many dolls do you have? How many firetrucks? Do really need four pink tutus? Is one of the six firetrucks broken? Are there any dolls missing an eye?
Deciding what to keep and what to toss can be scary. Just because you don’t have a sentimental attachment to something doesn’t mean your child doesn’t. When taking inventory, ask yourself when was the last time your child played with the toy in question. If it’s been more than six months, add it to the donate pile.
Don’t keep anything that’s so broken there’s no way you can possibly fix it. But don’t discard items just yet.
Kids are weird. They won’t play with that one specific doll for months and then all of a sudden, they need her for a tea party.
Try the “out of sight, out of mind” method.
If there’s a toy your kid hasn’t played with for a while, store it away. Get it out of sight. If they don’t mention it after three months, donate it. If three months seems too long, go down to a month.
Trust me, if your kid hasn’t thought about a toy for more than three months, it’s rare they’ll remember it. And if they do, tell them it was time for another little boy or girl to play with it. Your kids will find something to replace it in no time.
The more you know, the better you can organize the space for functionality.
After the area is mapped out and the zones are set up, it’s time to put the toys back.
Before that, however, take an inventory. How many dolls do you have? How many firetrucks? Do really need four pink tutus? Is one of the six firetrucks broken? Are there any dolls missing an eye?
Deciding what to keep and what to toss can be scary. Just because you don’t have a sentimental attachment to something doesn’t mean your child doesn’t. When taking inventory, ask yourself when was the last time your child played with the toy in question. If it’s been more than six months, add it to the donate pile.
Don’t keep anything that’s so broken there’s no way you can possibly fix it. But don’t discard items just yet.
Kids are weird. They won’t play with that one specific doll for months and then all of a sudden, they need her for a tea party.
Try the “out of sight, out of mind” method.
If there’s a toy your kid hasn’t played with for a while, store it away. Get it out of sight. If they don’t mention it after three months, donate it. If three months seems too long, go down to a month.
Trust me, if your kid hasn’t thought about a toy for more than three months, it’s rare they’ll remember it. And if they do, tell them it was time for another little boy or girl to play with it. Your kids will find something to replace it in no time.
