Consider for a moment how many toys your child has right now.
~ And that a gift giving event is only days away ~
~ And that means more new toys! ~
Do you ever get the feeling that they simply have too many?
Are there some they no longer play with? Were some played with for a short while then relegated to the under-the-bed black hole where toys get covered in dust? Do your kids have a life mission to keep every single toy ever given to them?
If you feel that there is an excess of toys in your child’s life and they could do with a little refining, now is the time!
Get your kids involved if you think it will help.
Start with a bit of organising. You’ll be making space for new toys and decluttering while you’re at it.
Choose some toy containers to place in play areas. Big baskets, cubes or boxes are great for easy rehoming by even the littlest family member. Or/and you can be super organised and get stackable clear plastic boxes with lids and shelving.
- Grab a few cardboard boxes or make enough space for a few piles.
- Group similar toys and favourite types of toys.
- As you pick up or eye up each toy think about the last time you saw them being played with.
- If it’s not been played with in a while it can go in the donation box.
- If it’s broken or really grotty it’ll have to go in the bin (it’s often a good idea to put it straight into your Council bin). Some soft toys just need a wash, then can be donated.
- Choose the most usefully sized container to hold each group of toys that you’ve decided to keep.
You can rotate toys too. Make sure they’re in well labeled boxes, store them in a closet out of sight and swap them occasionally to keep the actively used toys fresh. This is especially useful if you’re worried your child will be devastated if certain toys are no longer there. Eventually, you may find they completely forget about them.
Actively donating toys can become a wonderful way to teach your child about others in need. Making a gift wrapped donation box for regular gifting of old toys is good way to keep the sheer volume under control.
Send out a message. Ask grandparents, aunties and uncles, friends and extended family, school and child care friends, neighbours and colleagues, please limit gifts. Explain what you’re trying to do and give them other options like vouchers and zoo tickets or movie passes.
Choose carefully. Do you remember getting that special gift that you longed for and knew you’d be getting at Christmas. The anticipation? The sheer delight as you opened it? Sleeping with it (or wearing it) and taking it everywhere you went?
Give that gift to your child.
Happy giving!
X