The Magical Powers of Toy Rotation
Calling all parents out there…Do you feel like you’re drowning in a sea of toys only for your kiddos to forget they have 90% of them?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by their toys, there’s a pretty good chance they are as well. Instead of their toys sparking imagination and encouraging different styles of focused play, it ends up consistently bouncing their attention from one thing to another. Don’t get me wrong here, an array of different toy options for your kiddos to choose from isn’t a bad thing, but having them alllll out at once can often lead to that far too common feeling of clutter and chaos… even for them.
✨Introducing the magical powers of toy rotation✨
Simply put, a toy rotation is having a set amount of toys out for your kiddos to play with and storing the rest away to be rotated in and out. The benefits expand far beyond you as parents having a less cluttered home, in fact, the largest benefit can actually be for your kids. You may have heard of this concept by way of the Montessori method, who encourage fewer toys for more focused and creative play… not to mention the excitement on their face when they see their new (old) buzz lightyear- am I a millennial and was he my personal favorite, mayyyyybe.
* To infinnnnity and beyond….you know I had to say it*
I know what you’re thinking..
this sounds great but there’s no way my kid is going to go for it.
Depending on their age, there my or may not need to be a conversation. If your child is young while implentating toy rotation, they likely won’t fully grasp the concept as a whole and it will simply become their norm. If your kiddo is a little bit older, setting expectations for them is important in addition to recognizing that there are also some fantastic life lessons for them while they wait for their favorite toy to come back into the playroom; hello delayed gratification!
I know what you’re going to say next..
There’s so many toys, how the heck do I choose what should be put away?
I promise, it isn’t as challenging as it may seem on the surface. Categorizing will be your very best friend in this process! Try choosing anywhere from 8-10 categories and keep a small variety of each one out for your child to engage with.
But how do I choose my categories?
Don’t overthink this friends, it doesn’t need to be perfect! Simply evaluate your child’s toy collection and make a list. Have a boat load of games and puzzles? - Category! Building blocks? Category! Action figures? Category! You’re catching the gist right!?
This isn’t so bad. How often should I be doing this?
The short well loved answer- it depends! Some parents swap out once a week, and some every few weeks. There are a few factors that may determine what works for your family including your child’s attention span, the type of engagement the toy requires, and really how often you as the parent want to do the actual rotating. There is no one size fits all, and there is nothing wrong with trying different timelines and evaluating what works best for you.
Where do I put all these extra toys though?
When toys are out of the rotation they should be as the old saying goes “out of sight, out of mind”. Ideally they should be moved to a spot where your kiddo doesn’t have immediate access to them; a basement, garage, a dedicated closet or room,etc. The real ticket here is storing them in the way that you categorized them. You can get them into seperated labeled bins (our personal favorite of course!), or even put different categories in different closets, either way it will make it a whole heck of a lot easier on you when doing the actual rotating.
Often -the little things-can make the biggest difference.. Swapping toys out for some new (old) adventures can not only declutter the mountain of toys taking over your family space but also reignite excitement and engagement with those older toys.
YOU. CAN. DO. HARD. THINGS.
We know this process can be a lot to take on — If you’re located in Portland Maine, or the surrounding areas and this all sounds like a great idea but just don’t have the time or energy to put this system in place, we’re here to help!
Hey, hi, hello! We are Carissa + Emily of the The Little Things Organizing located in the picturesque city of Portland, ME
We believe your time is valuable and that homes are meant to be enjoyed, not stressed over. Our goal is to help create sustainable solutions to make your home more beautiful, organized, and efficient, letting you spend your time how you truly deserve.