Do you find that you live in a house of clutter? Need space and breathing room?
If you have kids, chances are you have toys in every room of your home. We live in a world where toys are becoming more interactive, creative and beautiful. I’ve actually always loved to shop at toy stores and pick out some of the best ones for my kids. It’s rewarding to gift your children with fun things to play with.
Now that I have two kids, the toys are starting to take over my life and my kids are playing with less and less of them. Most of the time, they just empty their toy boxes and buckets, tossing them onto the floor, moving on to the next thing without actually acknowledging their toys and engaging with them. I was stressed out and felt overwhelmed by the constant mess. Although everyone says, “messy home means happy kids” I didn’t believe it. My kids were bored and I was frustrated. We were not happy. I knew I needed to make a change.
Spring Cleaning is something we all look forward to after hibernating in our homes all winter long. I figured this would be a great time to take a look at our toy collection and decide what will stay and what we can donate to someone else who would love them. Here is what I did to reduce the clutter and bring back fun in our home.
1. Go through all your toys and toss anything that is broken, has missing parts/pieces, or appears to be useless.
2. Sort out the toys into “Categories”; stuffed animals and plush toys, developmental/learning toys like puzzles and games, role play toys, craft items, musical pieces, ect.
3. Choose the ones from each category above that you wish to keep or donate. I recommend keeping the ones you find to be most engaging, with reference to its appearance, imaginative ability, and age appropriateness.
4. Purchase an organizational bin system to sort the toys and clear space off the floors. If you have too many toys for them to all fit in the bins then save the extras in a tote for rotation at a later date.
5. Donate or sell the toys you decide not to keep to places like Women In Need, Value Village, Once Upon A Child, Drop-in Centre or other charities that accept them.
Enjoy your new fresh space and watch the kids rediscover their toys! It worked for us and I hope it works for you too!
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Photo Credit: Heima Photography