Toy Rotation > Your Sanity

Building blocks, stuffed animals, dolls, matchbox cars and the all-dreaded lego underfoot… Is your kid’s play area is overflowing? Do the contents of the toy cupboard spend most of the time all over the floor, yet it seems that 90% of it just gets tipped out and then left?

If you answered yes to either of those questions, you’re not alone. There are literally hundreds of parents who experience the frustration of toy overwhelm every day. And just to think, Christmas is around the corner… more toys will no doubt join the collection!

So, what’s the solution? Is it possible to achieve a healthy, happy balance between children’s play and a somewhat organized and liveable home?

Welcome toy rotation!

What Is Toy Rotation?

Toy rotation is actually pretty simple.  It’s the concept of having some, not all, of your toys accessible for your child to play with at one time.  The rest of the toys are stored out of sight, and the selection on hand is rotated periodically.

Generally speaking, children love ‘new’ things, and if a particular toy or game has been put away for a few weeks, or even a month, getting it out again is exciting for them, and naturally, they’re more likely to play with it for longer.

Hey, we get it: every child has some all-time favourite toys; ones they play with every day, come rain, hail or shine, and we’re not talking about taking those toys away from them.  But the rest of the toys, the ones that are only played with every now and again, are the ones that will make up your toy rotation scheme.

What are the Benefits of Toy Rotation?

There are oh-so-many benefits of setting up a toy rotation in your home!

Doubtless, you’ve got your own list of reasons to get a rotation started, but here are 5 of the advantages other parents are enjoying:

• Reduce the clutter: cutting down on that toy chaos is an obvious reason for a toy rotation system. Finding that balance between enough toys to keep your kids happy and having adequate clear space to maintain your sanity isn’t always easy, but it is achievable. 
• Improved focus: with fewer toys to choose from, your child is more likely to find something to play with and focus on it, rather than just going from one thing to the next, tipping everything out but playing with nothing.
• Learning thankfulness: teaching children to appreciate their toys and count their blessings is super important. Getting fresh joy and inspiration out of old toys is a great way to learn this lesson – toys don’t have to be new to be fun.
• Streamline pack-up hour: less toys to tidy up means it’s quicker to restore order at the end of play time.
• Regular de-cluttering: each toy rotation offers the opportunity for a quick cleanout – it only takes a few minutes to deal with any broken toys or puzzles with missing pieces, get rid of toys, books and games that your children have outgrown and generally sort and organize everything else.

Where do I Start?  How do I get a Toy Rotation Happening?

It’s ok to feel a bit overwhelmed at times with all the responsibilities of parenting.  Getting a toy rotation started might seem daunting, but it’s not as hard as it sounds.

Follow these #5 simple steps:

1. Get yourself some big, sturdy storage tubs.

Exactly how much storage you need will depend on the number of toys and books your children have, but you’ll need several large, lidded storage tubs.

Your tubs don’t have to be expensive – Ikea offers plenty of options that are budget friendly, stackable and sturdy.

2. Sort, sort, sort!

(Psssst!  Do this when your kids aren’t home!)

Sorting out your kid’s toys can be tedious and time-consuming, but it’ll be worth the effort.  You might find it easier to get everything together and attack the job head on – yes, the mess will get worse before it gets better, but hang in there!

Group your toys: all the matchbox toys together, all the farm animals together, all the dolls’ clothes and accessories together, and so on.  Finding duplicates or broken items? – deal with these as you go.

3. Box and Label

This step is going to be somewhat tailored to suit your family – how do you want to set up your toy rotation?  Think about how your children like to play: for example, do they tend to use toys from different categories when they set up a game, or do they play with only one type of toy at a time?

You can either box your toys according to category (eg: all the puzzles or books together) or you can divide them up and create ‘mixed’ rotation boxes with a bit of everything in them.

Label your boxes clearly – one of the main objectives of this whole program is to streamline and simplify your child’s play area, so you don’t want have to pull out and open each box to see what’s inside each time you swap the toys over!

Encouraging imaginative play is important so you’ll need to have a variety of toys available for your child to play with at all times.

4. Create a Display

Time to get your creative juices flowing!  Think about how you are going to display and store the toys that are ‘out’.  Make sure that each item is easy to see, easy to reach and easy to put away.

Not wanting to spend a packet on storage and display?  Check out Kmart, Target or Ikea for some ideas.

Be prepared to think outside the box (pun intended!) and have some fun!  Baskets, boxes, trays, shelves, ottomans, tables… make your play area fun, inviting and super practical.

5. Set up a Schedule

Now it’s time to set up a schedule for rotating your toys, and again, this will need to be personalized to suit your family – maybe weekly?  Fortnightly?  Every 10 days?  You might need to experiment a bit and see how it goes – your kids will let you know when it’s time for a change!

Keep track of what’s in each box – do you prefer physical lists or a digital system? – so that if your child asks for a specific toy, you can find it easily.

Where Do I Store the Toys that aren’t in Use?

Lack of storage space is a challenge faced by lots of homeowners.  And it seems to be a particular problem for parents of little children, because there are so many ‘bits n bobs’ to keep track of!

If possible, keep your rotation boxes out of sight (we’re hoping that the theory of ‘out of sight, out of mind’ really works!).  If you have a dedicated storage area, you’re in luck.  If not, you might have to think a bit harder and get a bit creative.

The attic, the basement, top shelves in wardrobes, the garage, under the spare-room bed…  you’ll have to do whatever works for you.  If your storage space is vertical, stackable boxes are going to make your job a whole lot easier.

Ready to give it a crack?

Don’t let your kid’s toys beat you!  By setting up a manageable toy rotation, you can enjoy your sanity while allowing your kids the freedom of creative, interesting and engaging play!  So, roll up your sleeves, take a deep breath and dive in!