Wednesday, April 22, 2020

How To Make Sure Your Kids Don't Have Too Many Toys and Play With the Ones They Do Have

Storahe basket full of toys

When kids are young, they develop most of their creativity, awareness, and even social skills by learning through play. Far from just keeping them amused, toys and the games can literally prove invaluable for every stage of their lives.

But, as we're quickly coming to learn, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

According to a research study conducted at the University of Toledo as outlined on http://news.utoledo.edu, kids with fewer toys generally enjoy better play benefits.

In fact, when they offered a group of toddlers just four toys to play with, the researchers unanimously found that children were more creative, played for longer, and generally had what they termed as 'richer play experiences'.

As a parent, this is probably music to your ears. After all, toys have a habit of taking over. They also have the downside of costing a not-so-small fortune when your kids beg for something new every time you head out.

Now, you have a valid reason to say no! The question is, how exactly can you put this rule of fewer toys into practice for kids who are guaranteed to miss its value? I've shared my ultimate guide to toy decluttering before, but here are some more great tips to put into practice when it comes to taking control of the toy situation.
  

Develop a one-in, one-out rule

Many of us do this kind of thing with our wardrobes, yet surprisingly few parents think to implement one-in, one-out rules for kids' toys.

Luckily, a child pleading for a new toy is guaranteed to agree to get rid of something they don't love anymore to seal the deal. As simple as that, you can cut down at least some of their overall supply, thus ensuring new toys lead to maximum benefits while they last.

Start a toy rotation

Many parents are also now choosing to begin toy rotations, which often involves switching toys every season to add interest without adding more items.

Simply get into the habit of putting half your kids' toys into the attic or alternative storage solutions like those found at https://keepsafestorage.com.au/ the moment their attention wanes.

You can bet that, by the time you get those supplies back out in a few months, your kids will play with them like they’re brand new, and enjoy all the play benefits of doing so.

Encourage care

As well as leading to better play experiences, evidence shows that kids typically keep smaller toy supplies cleaner and feel prouder of each item.

As such, our last pointer is to encourage that caring streak in your kids. You can achieve this by investing in a limited number of high-quality toys, or even just providing them with a display case rather than a piled-up toybox.

Either way, learning to care for and feel pride regarding their limited collection is guaranteed to stop them from asking for 'more, more, more' where toys are concerned.

Admittedly, if your kids are used to a lot of toys, you might need to make these changes slowly. But, as you do, you should soon start to see a shift in their attitude and their development as a result.
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2 comments

  1. Great ideas. It's right, you take a toy away for a few weeks or months, and then introduce it back, they play with it more!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Not my idea but a friend's that I think is wonderful. She has her kids sell their old toys at their annual garage sale with the promise they can use that money to buy new toys they want.

    ReplyDelete

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