The holiday season has started. Christmas and Hanukkah are less than 2 months away! So now is the perfect time to gather the kids and organize their toys before more toys come into the home. Depending on the age of your kids and the amount of toys, this project can sometimes span a few days but the end result will be worth it. So here are a few tips and helpful steps to make your organizing toys project a success:

Bring your Kids on Board – Put this purge in friendly terms when bringing up the subject with your kids … “We have to make room for new stuff so let’s pass on anything that we don’t play with anymore or is broken.” Let them get used to the idea. Otherwise you may find them digging their heels in and balking at the idea that you want to give away their stuff. 

Schedule a time when everyone is in a good mood – If the kids are hungry or tired, you’ll get more tears and yelling than valuable input about what stays and what goes.

Brainstorm where you will Donate the Toys – Kids find it easier to pass on their toys if they know that younger siblings, cousins, or kids in need are going to receive them. 

Plan to Work in 15-30 minute chunks at a time – Making decisions like this is draining on a kid and you’ll get burned out too. 

Sort Like with Like, then Weed – It is easier for kids to part with a few stuffed animals when they see that their collection covers the entire living room floor. You’ll also be able to weed out the duplicates.

Limit the Size of the Container – Let the kids know that they can only keep as many stuffed animals as can fit in one plastic tub. Kids will get selective about what will go in that tub. 

Offer a Third Option: Remote Storage – Sometimes kids have a hard time parting with toys or discerning what they love versus what they only like a little. So offer one box for them to fill with toys they can’t part with and put it in an attic or basement. If they don’t ask for the toys after an agreed upon time, you can give them away.

As soon as the decision is made to give the toys away, make sure to follow through immediately by putting all the toys in your car to drop off either with family or a donation center. If the toys remain in the home, the kids will reintegrate the toys back into their play space.

Good luck and let us know what works for you or if you run into any challenges! 

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