These are Steps 6 and 7 of the 7 Genius Steps to Sustainable Toy Organization series where I show you step-by-step exactly how to get your toys organized and KEEP them that way day after day. If you missed Steps 1 through 5, start with Step 1 here.
As you may have guessed from the title, this is the LAST post of the series!
Look at how far we’ve come:
Step 1: Gather all the toys.
Step 2: Sort toys by category.
Step 3: Declutter and minimize. Keep only toys that are loved and useful.
Step 4: Find a place for toys by creating play zones and identifying play spaces.
Step 5: Organize and contain toys.
You may be wondering, but we’ve already organized and put away the toys, what more could there possibly be?
Here it is:
Steps 6 and 7 are the keys to achieving sustainable toy organization.
You won’t want to miss this!
Step 6: Set clean-up routines.
Once you’ve got everything organized and beautiful, take your kids for a little tour.
Point out where everything goes and how it has a special place.
Emphasize how nice it is to have a clean play area.
Then, set clean-up routines.
- Reinforce putting toys away once kids are done playing with them.
- Signal the transition to clean-up time by singing the clean-up song together as you put toys away!
- Set scheduled clean-up times, such as before naps and bedtime. (Kids will do anything to stay up five minutes longer!)
- Take three minutes yourself each night to blitz-clean, especially if your babies are too young to pick up after themselves. (Or if you yourself made the mess, haha.)
Cleaning up a bit every day will keep clutter from becoming overwhelming and eventually ignored until it turns into a weekend task that no one wants to tackle.
Try to make cleaning up a routine instead of a chore. This sets the expectation that cleaning up is a natural part of life.
And it is!
Clean-up Time for Toddlers
Toddlers need a little extra help when you start a routine of cleaning up every day.
Be patient and try breaking up the general task of “cleaning up” into smaller, detailed tasks.
Instead of blurting out, “Pick up all the toys,” and expecting toddlers to make sure everything is picked up and put in the appropriate places, ask them to pick up and put away one specific thing at a time.
Before my two-year-old’s nap, I’ll ask her specifically, “Can you pick up the doll and put it back on the table?” Once she’s done that, I’ll move on to the next area that needs cleaning; “Let’s put all the puzzle pieces back in the box.”
This lets her concentrate on one task at a time while accomplishing the larger goal of cleaning up her room.
Making Clean-up Fun
Singing the clean-up song is one way to have fun as you tidy up, but it’s not the only thing you can do to liven up this chore!
- Make cleaning a race. Who can pick up all their toys the fastest?
- Toss soft toys in their baskets and see how many you can get in.
- Count toys as you put them away together.
- Play music and dance as you put away toys.
Another tip is to harness the imaginations of your little ones to use their powers for cleaning up!
My daughter is a caretaker, so I’ll tell her, “Your toys need to take a nap. Let’s put them all in their beds.” (The “beds” being their boxes or spots on the shelf!)
Try to associate clean-up time with having fun and it will make toddlers less reluctant to put toys away.
Step 7: Be mindful of the toys you bring into your home.
Remember the process we went through to declutter and the questions we asked in Step 3?
Before you bring a toy into your home, use these questions to judge whether it will enrich play time:
- Is this toy going to stimulate your kids’ curiosity?
- Will your child become a better problem-solver or be able to apply new skills (like counting, naming colors or letters, fine motor work, etc.) when using this toy?
- Can this toy help your kids act out real-life situations (a.k.a., pretend play) or deal with their emotions?
Not that you have to ask these three questions EVERY time your kids get a new toy! I’m not trying to stress you out.
I just want to remind you to be mindful of each toy coming in so that we don’t lose the progress we’ve made in decluttering and organizing over the past few days!
RELATED: 10 Toy Storage Ideas That Practically Do the Organizing for You
Besides, some toys will be cheap thrills (like Happy Meal toys and novelty items), and that’s ok!
Play with them for a day or two, but once the honeymoon period ends, give yourself permission to get rid of them or repurpose them.
A Healthy Toy Diet: It’s All About the Variety
Another way to be mindful is to make sure to offer a good variety of quality toys.
Just as eating a variety of healthy foods will keep you well, a diet of different toys will stimulate kids and encourage healthy development instead of causing boredom and chaos.
Children work on developing different skills throughout their day.
They may be fascinated by puzzles and problem-solving in the morning and are engrossed in their own private adventures with Mr. Bear at night.
Offering toys from different categories will continue to engage children’s minds and help them to learn and grow.
This is why sensory play is also so important. Kids need to touch and feel different textures, not just the same old wood and plastic toys every day.
This free toy guide can help you pick out the perfect toys for your kids, ones they will ACTUALLY PLAY WITH.
It will also teach you how to build a foundation of great toys that will be played with for years to come.
The One In, One Out Rule
You could also practice this rule: when one toy is brought into the house, another one must be taken out.
The one in, one out rule will help you and your kids to be more mindful of the toys being brought into your home.
Having less stuff will keep clutter from taking over again.
Summary: 7 Genius Steps to Sustainable Toy Organization Steps 6 & 7
Making clean-up time a routine part of daily life and being mindful of the toys you bring into your home are two things that will keep toys organized and played with.
This is it, you guys.
All 7 steps to sustainable toy organization.
If you missed any of the steps, here are the links:
Steps 1-2: Gather toys and sort by category
Step 3: Declutter & minimize
Step 4: Find a place for toys
Step 5: Organize & contain
I hope you enjoyed these posts and that they helped you get toys organized, decluttered, and contained.
Shoot me a Facebook message or leave a comment below letting me know what helped you the most or what needed more explanation!
More Tips for Better Toy Organization
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And here are a few final tips for miscellaneous toy organization.
- Sort Lego blocks by color.
- Go vertical! Hang up baskets, or even ice cube trays for easy storage.
- Use a drawstring play mat/bag for portable play and quick clean up. (I love the road pattern on this one!)
- Hang up dress-up clothes. Our neighbors displayed superhero capes on a row of hooks. Super cute!
- Use zipper pouches to store puzzles.
- Group books in wood crates.
- Keep stuffed animals in a cozy hammock.
- Use under-bed storage containers for toys. (I use clear blanket storage bags, too!)
- Use zip-top bags or plastic food containers to store little items and keep them from getting lost inside larger boxes.
Looking for even more inspiration? Follow me on Pinterest and check out my board Pretty Playrooms.
And if you liked this series, please share it and pin it!