Wednesday, October 28, 2020

7 Tips For Storing Toys and Reducing Clutter

It's coming up to Christmas and for most parents, that means a home declutter and toy clear out before Santa arrives! 

 
Despite having lots of toys, children usually take a shine to a few toys in particular, meaning that they usually have a lot more toys then they actually will play with. This means that there are many forgotten toys merely lying around and taking up unnecessary space that could be used for something else.
 
Here are some tips for decluttering your home and having a toy clear out in time for Christmas, without giving up on any sentimental items.
 
1. Toy rotation
Children don't need all their toys at once. By rotating their toys, it will allow them to find the joy in rediscovering certain toys again that they may have forgotten about or didn't have an interest in before, meaning that all the toys will be played with.
 
2. Make use of stackable containers
Stackable containers make for easy storing as they come in many shapes and sizes and can be bought quite cheaply too. These containers allow for toys to be neatly packed away and keeps them safe and secure, all the while reducing clutter in the home. 
 
I use these containers for my children's larger and bulkier toys that we store in our cellar and they are perfect for stacking, keeping everything clean and undamaged.
 
3. Designate certain areas for toys
One way to reduce clutter is to designate certain areas for toys around the house where they are easily accessible. For example, allocate an art corner where all art supplies are kept. Our house currently has two areas for toy storage (apart from the cellar mentioned above) - the boy's bedrooms and the playroom. Each space has a different toy storage area and it helps to keep track of where each toy is and a place to put them away too.
 
Cubed units are great for having toys on display and giving children easy access to their toys. I use baskets with lids for Lego storage and baskets for cuddly toy storage. We also have large fabric baskets with handles for other toy storage - one I keep in my son's wardrobe to keep out of sight and have his room neat and tidy looking.
 
4. Teach your children to pack their toys away
Toys go missing when they are left lying around. Teaching your children about the importance of packing their toys away after use will introduce an element of responsibility to play and this something which I'm currently trying to teach my boys - even if it is a bit of a task I'm sticking with it! 
 
Not only will this help to reduce the clutter lying around the house, the toys will be easy to find for them too as (hopefully!) they'll know where they all go after helping to tidy them away.
 
5. Consider self storage
If you simply do not have space in your home to store excess belongings, an incredibly convenient solution is to move the toys out of your home and make use of a self storage unit. 
 
This way, you can assure yourself that the toys are safe and secure in an accessible unit. The toys will be stored securely until you are ready to use them again. This is also a great idea if you have sentimental toys such as old rocking horses, etc. that you want to keep hold of but have no use for at the moment. Magenta self storage offer great, all inclusive storage solutions.
 
6. Label all the containers
Labelling containers will avoid confusion and reduce time spent looking for certain toys. With the labels facing forward, you can easily pull out the container you require, and you remain well organised.
 
7. Initiate regular clear outs
In some instances, there are childhood belongings that are no longer relevant or used. Some toys never come out of the cupboard and their existence is long forgotten. Take the opportunity to donate these toys to children that are less fortunate, especially in the lead up to Christmas.

You can also use local Facebook groups to offer toys you no longer need for free and usually people within your local community will take these off your hands or know a good cause in your area where you can donate these toys too. This means you'll be doing good while also freeing up space in your home.
 
These are just a few tips to help reduce clutter caused by toys, without removing items that hold sentimental value. If you're looking for even more ways to help keep the toy clutter at a minimum, read my ultimate guide to toy decluttering.
 

Share:

No comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for reading my blog and taking the time to comment. I appreciate all your comments and try to reply whenever I can.

© Dolly Dowsie | All rights reserved.
Blog Layout Created by pipdig