They are little bits and pieces scattered around the house. A note here, a rock over there and, of course, the favorite stuffed animal. As our kids grow older, they start to collect objects, silly rings and action figures, which become special to them. These aren’t your everyday toys; these items are more than that. Whether the item follows your child everywhere or stays safely tucked away, these little mementos are important.
We also tend to find them everywhere: under cushions, behind their pillows, in cupboards. So what to do with all the wonderful treasures that are scattered everywhere around your home?
The first step is to have your child decide what is truly special to him. Some children may decide every toy they have ever had is special. The trick is to try to help them cull out the things they want to keep without degrading how they feel about their toys. A good barometer of his feelings toward any one toy can be his willingness to share. While sharing is important, children don’t have to share everything they own. Setting aside those toys that he’s not willing to share will help you and your child judge what he really treasures.
After you’ve separated the special items from the rest of the pack, finding the right storage is your next goal. This can be a great opportunity for a fun activity for you and your child to do together. There are several options to get creative with:
- Wood boxes- You can buy these at Hobby Lobby, Michaels or Jo-Ann craft stores. Jo-Ann has little wooden treasure chests in varying sizes. You and your child can have a great time painting the boxes any way you want.
- Shoeboxes- This is a low-cost way to store some of those treasures. These can be painted, cut, glued and colored. They may not last a very long time, but they can be transformed into anything.
- Old backpacks or purses- These can be great for families that move or travel a lot. This way children can always have their little items that help them feel more at home.
- Plastic containers- These can be bought in such a variety of sizes they will fit any amount of toys. They are also durable and keep items clean. Be sure to get a container that your child will be able to open so she can put her treasures away when she’s done playing with them.
Once you have all the treasures organized and put away just the way your child likes, what do you do with everything else? Now is when the real work begins. But before you start culling through old toys, there are a few things you can do to help make this task a little easier.
The right container for toys is an essential part of organizing. Toy boxes hold a lot, but they present a major drawback for most children. They get so jumbled with toys tossed in during clean-up time that it does not take long for smaller toys to fall to the bottom, never to be seen or played with again. Shelves with slanted tubs are great toy holders. Little people find it easy to see what’s inside the tubs and easy to put toys back in.
To help them learn where each toy goes, take some blank labels and draw a picture of the kind of toy that goes in each tub. This way anyone of any age can look to see which tub to put their toy away in. This process will make clean-up time easy for your children and save you the trouble of picking up everything yourself.
Another great way to help curb clutter is to store a good portion of their toys. After a few months of storage, bring them back out to play with again. For your children, those old toys will be new again. If you keep a running rotation, their toys will seem fresh and exciting, and you’ll minimize clutter.
You may come across some toys that, no matter what you do, your little one is just not interested in anymore. Perhaps the toy is no longer age appropriate, or maybe it’s just plain uninteresting. These are the toys that can go elsewhere. If they’re in good shape, give them to charity or try to sell them. Children’s Orchard buys gently used children’s items; they’re one of many such stores. Or, pack those toys away to sell at next year’s garage sale.
You can always use the money to buy the next round of toys.
Kerry Chafin is a freelance writer and guide for About.com Mom Recommends. She is the mother of three little mess makers in Independence.