Is your home drowning in toys? Here is how to keep your house from looking like a Toy Store exploded.
Kids love to play with toys. And as a parent, it’s your responsibility to get them companions in their adventures, which is Toys. It is a source of joy and entertainment to them, offering them a way to express themselves and have fun.
Of course, kids will scatter their toys, that’s what they do. But that doesn’t mean your house should be looking like a Toy Store exploded.
Staying organised at home with kids can feel like a real struggle, but it’s a skill worth getting good at if you love a well arranged space.
Imagine opening the door to your living room and looking around, it looks like a war zone filled with building blocks, stuffed animals, tiny cars and dolls littered all around, almost taking over the house and the kids are giggling with laughter and having the fun of their lives.
Toys give children the power to imagine. Take something as simple as those building blocks, one minute they’re just squares and rectangles, the next! Boom! They’re a huge castle, which kings and queens live in.
And then, you have the dolls and action figures. Those guys? They’re like little actors that help kids create stories in their minds.
They’re talking, they’re fighting dragons, they’re having tea parties. All that storytelling and pretending actually makes their brains grow, helping them figure things out and see the world from different angles.
Of course, you don’t want to stop the fun, but a well organised and arranged house is still important.
So we will look at some practical, achievable, easy ways to help you get your space back, deal with the toy madness, and bring more calm and order to your home without stopping the children’s play.
Why is there a Toy explosion in your home?
1. The sentimental value placed on toys
Imagine your child’s birthday party, a relative might bring a singing doll, an uncle gifts them a cool vehicle and a neighbour arrives with a set of action figures. That’s just in one day alone.
You haven’t even added major holidays like Christmas and New year’s where more toys will definitely arrive. Grandparents, neighbours or you going to the supermarket and seeing a cute toy. You buy it and add another one to the collection.
It is a common experience to show affection and celebrate milestones by gifting toys when it comes to children. Before you know it, your living spaces are overflowing with toys from various sources.
Getting rid of these collected toys is tough for everyone, both kids and parents, because it’s often tied to emotions.
For kids, there could be one toy that they love a bit too much, it could be their best buddy at night, the one they discuss and tell their secrets to.
So, for them, these toys aren’t just things you can throw away. They’re connected to all sorts of memories and feelings, and they’re a big part of their pretend world. It’s tough because to us it’s just a toy, but to them, it’s often so much more.
The parents are not left out. Maybe, it was one of those expensive toys you saved up for, and it feels like it’s a waste to throw it away when it still looks ‘perfectly good.
2. No clear storage system
When toys have no specific place, they tend to be kept anywhere in the house. The living room turns into a play area, the dining table becomes a Lego building site, and even the bedroom floor ends up full of toy cars. This can make the house look messy.
Yes, you may have some containers and shelves but if there is no plan for what goes in which one. Tidying becomes stressful and toys are put in the nearest place you can find. It makes it hard to find specific toys later.
3. Inaccessible storage
Sometimes storage exists, but they are not accessible to the kids, probably shelves are too high or storage too small for the amount of toys.
This leads to kids simply leaving toys where they last played with them because putting them away is too difficult or inconvenient.
4. Piling too much
Piling is a common way to store things. This is the process of heaping soft toys in one corner.
It might seem tidy for a short time, but it’s not true organisation. Trying to find one specific item in a pile is frustrating, and these piles often collapse and make the mess worse. For example trying to find that one storybook at the bottom of a falling heap of books and toys is almost impossible.
Great storage needs habits to be effective. Without a routine, it fails. So, what does a good toy put-away routine look like?
- Set specific times for keeping away toys: If there aren’t set times for putting away toys, it ends up being done only when someone feels like it which, for busy parents and kids deep in play, usually means it never happens. A quick clean-up before eating, after playing, or before sleep needs to be a regular part of the day.
- Let the kids know what’s expected of them: If kids don’t learn that putting toys away is their job, they probably won’t do it. Clear rules about tidying, explained often and in a way they understand for their age. Just saying “tidy up” isn’t enough; you need to say what that means and when they should do it.
- Model Good habits: Kids copy what they see. If parents don’t always tidy their own things, it’s harder to get children to tidy their toys. Showing them how to do it is a strong way to teach. When Mummy and Daddy put their shoes away and hang their clothes, it makes it clearer that children should also tidy their toys.
- Consistent Enforcement: Be consistent with them on putting away their toys. If toys are sometimes left out and nothing happens, children won’t learn that putting them away is a necessary part of playtime.
- Not allowing the toys to pile up: When there is no plan on where toys go and no habit of putting them in their place, the mess can get so big that everyone, even parents avoid clearing them. It can get to a stage that the mess gets out of hand that nobody wants to arrange it anymore. Picture walking into a room that looks like toys just burst everywhere, you just want to walk away and decide to deal with it another time.
Steps to take in order to Keep Your House from Looking Like a Toy Store Exploded
1. Setting Limits on Toy Acquisition
Use the “One In, One Out” Principle. For every new toy that comes into the house, an old one (that’s no longer played with, broken, or outgrown) needs to leave. This helps keep things from piling up.
Also think before buying toys. That tempting new toy might look great, but try a “think about it” rule. If your child still wants it after a day or two (and it fits your toy guidelines), then consider it. But, often, the initial excitement fades.
2. Create Dedicated Play Areas
It’s about consciously deciding which areas of your home will be used for toy related activities. Consider your space and the types of play that can happen in each space.
For example, a quieter reading nook with soft toys might be appropriate in a bedroom, while a more open area in the living room could be for building blocks.
Clearly tell your children that toys stay in their play areas. This limits the spread of toys all around the house. It also helps children learn to respect boundaries and take responsibility for their playthings within their designated areas.
3. Categorize Toys
Grouping similar items together makes it easier for children to find what they’re looking for and, more importantly, to put things away correctly. Categorize Building Toys, Vehicles, Dolls, art supplies, puzzles, books etc.
Knowing where things belong makes tidying up much faster and more straightforward. You can use different types of containers for specific toy groups.
Please involve your children in the process. The best categorization system is one that your children understand. Talk to them about where different toys belong and why it makes sense to group them together.
When children understand the system, they are more likely to take responsibility for putting their toys away correctly.
Clearly label containers for storage so everyone knows where things go (use pictures for younger children).
4. Introduce “Clean-up time” as part of the daily routine
Make toy tidying a daily habit, before eating (clear table) and bedtime (calm room). This helps children see it as standard.
Try to make cleanup into a fun activity rather than a chore. Sing or dance to a song while cleaning or challenge your kids to arrange the space while timing them and give them a reward for getting the job done.
They will be having fun not realising they were actually cleaning.
Regularly putting toys away prevents the “toy explosion” from taking over your living spaces.
5. Try “Toy Rotation”
Kids get bored. Don’t make every toy available at the time. This can help them focus more on what they have.
Variety is the Spice of Play. Balance different kinds of play when selecting toys to have out, considering various ages and what kids enjoy.
This helps create a more engaging, less cluttered, and more enjoyable play time for your children.
Rotating toys also helps kids value what they have. When old toys reappear, they feel new again, lessening the urge to demand for more toys.
With consistent effort and patience using these tips, you can significantly cut down toy clutter and make your home more organized and peaceful for everyone.
You may also see:
What to do if you feel like you’re failing as a mom
Toddler Sleep Schedules that actually work (and why yours might not)
