Decluttering and Establishing Focused Play Areas
for your Children
It seems that you spend so much time straightening and organizing your children’s bedrooms and play areas and then within seconds, the toys are all over the spaces!
You probably don’t love the clutter that comes with having children and over the years the multiplication of gear, toys, and new sizes of clothing is overwhelming to keep up with.
This article will give you tips on how to create safe spaces for both you and your children. You want to minimize clutter to avoid choking hazards of small toy parts for toddlers and tripping hazards on larger toys or toy parts. And to provide tips on less distracting spaces allowing for children to focus on play which is, of course, how they learn and stay happy and contented.
Containing like items in bins is key — for toys, games, art supplies, homework, sports equipment and other hobbies/activities. Find what works best for your children and the space you create within your home. They could be closed or open, in plastic or canvas, clear or in colors. The larger the bin, the harder it will be to locate your child’s favorite toys if they aren’t segmented by category. You may have to empty the large toy chest each and every time and that isn’t recommended. Always remember a label with both a picture for toddlers and words for older children — and they can help create the labels as well! You might want a more colorful look for bins that are not contained within a closet for a more appealing décor.
As your child grows and becomes more independent in their play, the furniture you choose will be important. This article suggests you might want a combination of cabinets for closed storage to tuck away contained bins so items can be hidden and then pulled out when the child wants to work on art projects, for example. But you also might want open shelves for easily accessible toys so children can play independently without your help. Be certain to secure furniture to the walls to avoid them tipping over and hurting your children or their friends.
The Montessori method of only having certain toys available to children and rotating toys to avoid boredom and overwhelm is a great trick for many parents. Too many options of toys does cause a child not being able to decide what to play with or not playing at all. This is where your Professional Organizer can help. We can work side-by-side with you to declutter toys your children don’t play with at all to pay it forward to less fortunate children who you can donate them to. We can help you box up toys that have been given as gifts or seasonal ones to store in a closet or storage room and help you create a reminder to pull out the box when the next rotation should happen.
Your child’s discarded toys are definitely a less fortunate child’s treasures. When the toy has been maxed out with use or no longer age appropriate but still useable, donate to charity or to a friend or neighbor or family member. Or post on Facebook Marketplace or a Mom’s group to try to make some money or exchange in a trade.
Please be realistic about your space and know that your children’s toys will take over your living room if you have large playhouses, tents, forts, tunnels. So many parents want to reclaim their home when they have small children but know that the time period doesn’t last forever and you’ll look back fondly when your children had so much fun playing. Make sure what you buy can be easily dismantled and folded up when you do want to reclaim your living room!
Remember the clean-up song at your child’s preschool? It works at home too when you set up a regular toy clean up with music and reinforce what they learned about sorting and categorizing to put items back in their correct places.
There is danger with stepping on legos and other toys for both children and caregivers. This article suggests child-sized tables and chairs so toys and projects can be on stable surfaces and not on the floor.
Don’t forget about vertical space like easels, whiteboards, chalkboard on the wall. Bookshelves attached to the walls are great space savers.
When your children have organized spaces to play in at home like they did in pre-school, they’ll have wonderful experiences of learning and growing. The playroom and bedroom toy organization doesn’t have to be stressful if you limit the number of toys out at any given time and teach and encourage from the youngest age that everything has a place and needs to be returned to that place at the end of each day. That way your children can find what they’re looking for on the next day without always having to involve the parent or caregivers and develop confidence and independence as well.
Reprinted with permission from
https://thegeniusofplay.org/genius/expert-advice/articles/8-ways-to-declutter-your-childs-room.aspx#.Y_aCknbMK5c
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