Managing Toys

When our oldest child got too old for her toys, we sold them, gave them away and threw them away. When dear children #s 2 and 3 came (at the same time!) we had to buy the same age appropriate toys that we had just gotten rid of. Now, we seldom get rid of toys, but keep them in storage tubs.

We have a "room" in our house designated as a playroom. It has no window so we do not use it for a bedroom. Our toys (thanks to the hard work of our oldest and my husband) are arranged by type of toy: the trains are in one tub, Little People in another (actually two very big ones!), dress up clothes in suitcases etc.

We labeled each tub with what was in it. Each bedroom gets a laundry basket or cabinet for their toys. We also keep toys in the sewing room and a few out in the playroom. Once a month we gather and sort what is in the rooms and the children who share a room get to choose "new" toys for their room. For the sewing room we try to choose toys that are safe for the baby.

The playroom gets one active toy (green tube, pop up bus/tent, sit and spin), something constructive (duplos) and one other tub of toys. The rest of the tubs are stored in the playroom behind "walls" made of 1x2 and muslin attached with hinges.

We try to go through them once a year and purge what no one likes or we as a family feel is an inappropriate toy or just plain "junk". If we do not have a garage sale, we give it to our local clothing/food closet.

Pros of keeping, storing and shuffling toys:

toys are always "new" to them

we can care for them better (less breaking and getting lost)

if we need something in a tub we can usually find it

This has been especially helpful in teaching them that "there is nothing new under the sun" and to not want what they don't have because they have plenty.