Adulting has taught me a lot of lessons, one of which is that too much clutter can impact my mental health in more ways than I can imagine. I was one of those kids who wanted to own many things that others had – gadgets, toys, dresses, games and a great collection of books and CDs. I was obsessed with stuff of any kind because I used to believe that owning many fancy things was a sign of superiority. And the more I owned, the greedier I became. It took me a while to realize that I need to stop finding happiness in things that brought me nothing but false pride.
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After learning that ‘less is more’, I made it a point to not let my younger siblings derive happiness from the stuff they owned as clutter impacts the mind of a child as much as it impacts the mind of an adult, if not more. It’s easy for kids to demand the toys that other kids have which can lead to a big pile of clutter – mental as well as physical. And it takes some real efforts and motivation to keep clutter to the minimum.
If you find yourself struggling while decluttering kids’ toys and want an easy way out, here are some effective and full-proof decluttering tips that can help you in the process:
1. Divide The Task Into Categories
Given the mess that kids’ toys can create, there’s no way you can declutter the entire playroom at one go. The most effective strategy to tackle this problem is to divide the entire task into categories wherein you start with decluttering the stuffed toys first followed by board games, puzzles, dolls & animals, electronic toys and plastic toys. This decluttering technique will allow you to take rest for a while if you feel tired after going through a particular category of toys.
2. Set A Limit On The Number Of Toys
It’s hard to convince kids to decide which toys to keep and which ones to get rid of. And with the limited space available, you just can’t afford to keep all of them. In order to make the decluttering process easier, set a strict limit on the number of toys your kids are allowed to keep with them. Ask them to choose a set number of toys, say 20 or 30, and move/donate/sell away the rest. By setting a specific limit, the kids will be tempted to pick only the ones they absolutely love and frequently play with.
3. Get Rid Of The Toys Your Child Has Outgrown
There are chances that your kids have been hanging on to the toys that they’ve outgrown. Maybe they have given up dolls for action figures. Or they’re just too grown up to play with those stuffed toys that you bought them when they were 5 years old. Decluttering toys would be much easier if you can simply go through the entire toy collection and get rid of the ones that aren’t age appropriate for your kids.
4. Are There Toys That Aren’t Played With Anymore?
Given how moody kids can be, it’s only wise if you ask your kids to choose the toys they don’t play with anymore. There are chances that they are bored with the game of Chess and are now hooked to the game of Ludo. Or those Barbie Dolls might have been replaced by remote controlled cars. After they’ve made their choice, move the unwanted toys to a place where they can stay until the kids want them back. If you think that your kids are not going to touch these toys or games again, you can sell/donate them.
5. Set Aside The Toys With Damaged/Missing Pieces
Board games/puzzles with missing pieces are of no use and it makes no sense to hold on to them when they can’t be played with. So make the decluttering process a tad bit easier by setting aside the toys or games with missing pieces and get rid of them at the soonest.
6. Toss Away The Duplicates
If your kid has a giant collection of action figures or construction games or stuffed toys, ask them to get rid of the duplicates. As a kid, I hated letting go of my toys which is when my Mom would step in ask me to donate some of my toys to the needy. Kids love being generous and once they know that their toys can make someone else happy, they’ll be more than willing to donate them.
7. Rotate The Toys
If your kids have got a huge collection of toys while there’s only so much space in the playroom, you can opt for a monthly or quarterly rotation of toys. Make your kids choose half of the toys that they like to play with while packing away the rest half for the next season. This will leave you with a lesser need to organize the stuff while your kids can enjoy playing with the limited toys.
8. Downsize To Fit The Dedicated Space
If you are actually serious about decluttering the playroom, you will have to purge like crazy. Make your kids recognize the need to keep clutter to the minimum and make them purge away everything that isn’t needed. Tell them that they only have a toy chest and a drawer to keep their toys and anything that doesn’t fit in shall go out.
9. Ask Your Child A Set Of Questions
You need to make your children a part of the decluttering process if you don’t want them upset. Ask them a series of questions while going through the toys and be clear about your intent to get rid of the stuff that has no reason to stay in. Some of the questions you can ask them are:
– Do you love this toy?
– Do you still play with it?
– If I were to give it away, would it make a difference to you or will you miss it?
10. Give Home To Every Toy
Decluttering won’t be of any use if it isn’t accompanied by organization. Once you’re done with decluttering the toys, make sure that you give every remaining toy a home to stay in. Get a nice toy chest, a big drawer or some beautiful storage boxes to toss the toys in. You can have some large Ziploc bags for the ones that your kids play with on an everyday basis.
11. Ask Your Kids To Make Daily Decluttering A Habit
It would be easier to manage the toy clutter if kids somehow learn to make decluttering a daily habit. Tell them to put their toys back into their rightful places after playing with them or before going to bed. Having a daily clean-up time is important for them to be more organized as they grow up.
If there’s anything that a kid needs apart from a loving family, it’s the toys. And with toys comes the need to keep them organized so that your home doesn’t look like a mess. I hope these tips help you in decluttering those kids’ toys without putting in much efforts while also keeping your kids happy and content.