Children’s toys and storage.

Children’s rooms and the amount of toys can become very overwhelming.

When children grow from babies to toddlers, young children and teens. Their likes and interests change a lot. I found going from baby to young children easier to get rid of things, you can clearly see the child outgrown their toys and equipment.

However now as my children range from 6 to 10, as well as childminding children under 5. I do find myself hauling more, with thought like “oh x child will like this…I’ll save for when y gets a bit older” then I find myself storing and hauling more things than needed, for that just incase moment, or that memory likes to particular toy.

Quite often, if you really watch your children play 80% of them toys will not be played with or played with on limited time. Removed from box touched and then just left to the side, this creating more untidiness.

Suitable storage for your space and needs is paramount here. My living room used to look like a nursery, when I redecorates it I realised I wanted my home back.

I changed the unit from open toy storage to ikea kallax sysem. This resulted in not only children less likely to get everything out on offer but make more selective choices. It also allowed my living room to look like a home more. These kallax units have great multi functions, storage and display abilities. I have toys in here for all ages, husbands play station accessories and my girls hair accessories and no one knows. They co win variety of sizes,colours and box or cupboard solutions. And not badly priced.

Helping hands.

You can get them to help, although find lot time myself when they help you end up playing with the things or become less willing to part with them due to now being in sight. I love getting the children involved but often say, “well not see you use it in a while, how about we take it to charity then children less fortunate than you can give it a new experience”, this creates the more likely to part with it knowing someone else will love the toys just as much as them.

When sorting toys there maybe broken or have missing pieces, I find emptying out everything and starting a fresh helps you may find it’s all there but in different boxes, that way saving games and toys from landfills then help you them make a decision to keep or charity them.

For younger children, audio like a tidy up song is great use. They will hear song and know time to tidy, many nurseries and ore schools use this system, so find out if yours does and which one then use at home too.

Minimise what they have.

E.g. Lego. Every child loves Lego, but do you really need several boxes of it, are they organised into sets or just all piled into boxes, then if that the case do you keep the instruction manuals to rebuild and if you do are all pieces there. We have millions of Lego and I mean millions, one year we sorted it all out and actually split up our supples to my parents for when we visit, that way they children get to Keep it, just at alternate home. Now too as children get Lego themselves or as gifts and like to keep as sets we ask people or we buy suitable storage box for that set.

Minimising what your children have as toys not only helps the amount they have but also helps encourage the children to engage fully with the toys your keeping. Then as above find appropriate storage solutions and areas.

Everything has its place and a place for everything.

Once you have sorted out what’s staying and leaving the home think where it needs to stay. Find right storage as above and areas for this storage.

We have another Kallax unit on our landing right outside my sons room, actually obstructing doors and light switches. My son has a cabin bed as he has a tiny room, so I have moved this unit under his bed when he resulted in better flow on our landing and more effective use of free space. With a double result of adding all kitchen rolls play next to each other and away from the open stairs.

Quiet often after seeing what your children really play with can be a great opportunity to declutter and minimise their toys. Sit and observe them playing over a few days or weeks, what do they really engage with.

There are many benefits to decluttering a child’s room or toys. And it’s a process that may take time. This is one of the services I can help to provide, decluttering by room. Ask me for more details if you need this support.

Love, Stephanie Jane, x