As we head into the season of “stuff”, now is a good time to assess your kiddo’s toys and declutter anything that isn’t worth keeping. I like to prepare for Christmas and birthday gifts that may be coming by making space and tidying in advance. Creating a peaceful environment for my family is important to me and decluttering toys is one major way that I accomplish that!
We do our best to practice minimalism, but there isn’t a magic number of toys that we aim for. There are just a few factors that I discuss with my girls when we consider whether or not to keep something in their playroom!
1. Condition
Is the toy in good shape? If it isn’t, can I easily repair it? Is it safe to be played with?
There are some instances when I can mend broken toys, but ones that are damaged or present a potential hazard are put in the recycling bin or trash can.
2. Usefulness
Do the kids regularly play with it? Can I use it for learning activities?
Toys that sit in the closet collecting dust immediately get the boot.
3. Space
Do we have room for it? Is there a designated place for it to live?
The only part of our house that we store toys in is the girls’ playroom. If a toy doesn’t fit there, we won’t keep it. Having assigned spots for toys is the best way to keep them organized.
My kids and I actually go through each shelf, bin, and basket and have a conversation about whether or not they’re ready to say bye to every item. If the answer to any of the above questions is no, that toy won’t get to stay in our home. We’ll set aside all toys that no longer serve a purpose for us and we’ll decide if it’s going to be sold, donated, recycled, or trashed. Obviously, toys that are being passed on to other kids will be cleaned thoroughly before leaving the house.
We declutter toys at least a few times a year, usually around the holidays and their birthdays. This process is easy for my kids to understand and keeps their play area from getting out of control.
Do you have any rules for decluttering toys in your house?
Read more about how we control the toy chaos and see how I taught my kids to clean up their playroom!
Talk to you soon!
