Have you stood in your child's bedroom or playroom at any moment during the past month and thought "there is no way my child needs anything for Christmas. Their room is overflowing with toys!" then this blog is for you!
As a professional organizer and busy mom of 4, I know how overwhelming toy clutter can be and it only seems to feel more intense as we get closer to Christmas shopping.
So let's walk through the simple guidelines I follow in my home (before Christmas) to declutter toys in preparation for Christmas gifts.
Step 1: Sort
When sorting through toys, remove everything from the closets, shelves, and other parts of the home to create one staging area for the toys. This allows you to visually see everything in one place.
As you gather items, sort them into like categories. Don't micro-organize during this step, macro-organize. For example, sort all kitchen toys into one stack instead of kitchen food and kitchen pots/pans. Or all things Barbie into a pile versus Barbie and Barbie accessories.
Step 2: Edit
Editing what the kids currently have in their bedrooms and playrooms is the key to preventing overwhelm during Christmas.
Here are the guidelines I follow when editing toys:
If the toy has missing pieces - toss it
If the toy is broken - toss it
If the toy isn't played with - donate it
If the toy no longer fits the child's age - donate it
These guidelines can be applied to children's books, puzzles, activity kits, and other child related items that aren't specifically toys.
Please be advised, if your children are around, there is a strong chance you won't be able to edit as much. I do like to involve my children in the process, but I have trained them on the above guidelines for whether I toy stays or goes. Believe it or not, they are so much happier and better off when their rooms are tidy and only their favorite toys remain.
Step 3: Organize & Contain
Organizing after the edit is how to create a system that is easy for the whole family to maintain. The broad categories that were created in step 1 should now be organized and contained in a practical way.
Bins with lids or stackable containers are not great for children. But open bins are perfect for children to be able to quickly return their toys.
Depending on the age of the child, you may only want to put some of their favorite toys at arms length. Toys the children enjoy playing with, but only for a short time, can be placed a little higher.
This is also the step where you can create a toy rotation system!
Step 4: Label
A simple label is great for all family members to know where to return toys. Etsy has some great options for labels with pictures for younger children, but as long as there is some sort of label, there is an increased chance that the toys will be returned to the correct location and the room will be easier to maintain.
If this all sounds great to you, but time is limited as a busy mom, reach out to Southern Sort to get the toy chaos under control in your home!
Hey! I'm Tiffany - a passionate, decluttering expert serving the Golden Isles. As a mom of 4, I quickly learned how clutter creates so much stress in our lives and impacts our home in a negative way. And learned that having systems in place can help create a more stable home for our families.
That's why I am on a mission to help busy women in Brunswick, St. Simons, Jekyll, and the surrounding areas declutter and create systems that help their homes function with ease.
If you are interested in learning more about my organizing services, click the link below.
Want more content delivered straight to your inbox? Subscribe to our newsletter. Be the first to know about promotions and happenings with Southern Sort along with organizing inspiration!
Comments