Help! we are drowning in toys and need organizational ideas the kids can keep up with at age 6. It makes me sick that after less than a week, new toy parts become so scattered to the wind that it takes a hurculean (multi hour) effort to do what i fondly refer to as THE GREAT TOY SORT to try to make sense of everything.

I work FT outside the house and my sweet over-indulgent MIL can't keep up with the toy thing. They have a play room with shelves, bins, etc but it just doesn't work for us -

Anyone have any ideas? I am ready to make a massive donation to goodwill just to thin it down before Christmas.

Thanks!

AmyC
BBG 2004 at 36 weeks

Amy~

I don't think you'll ever get a handle on the kids' toys! LOL! Sorry.

I am constantly going through things, giving things away, straightening things, weeding out things, throwing out things. It's constant. And the feeling of organization is short lived. At least it is in our house.

I think certain kinds of furniture like armoires are the key. They look nice and they hide the kids' stuff.

Nothing beats cubbies, baskets and pieces of furniture with doors that can hide all of the stuff!

When we go through things, it's nice, too because it gives us a chance to talk about giving things away to other kids who will enjoy playing with their toys. So, make the kids a part of the straightening process.

I just took a garbage bag to Easter Seals, FILLED with stuffed animals. It made me feel great.

My MIL just GAVE us a garbage bag FILLED with Beanie Babies!

See? You'll never get organized!

Lisa

Hi Amy how are you??? Haven't talked to you in SO long! I would love to see a pic of your trio!!

I agree with everything Lisa said. I am about to purge my kids playroom & bedrooms any day. I swear they have become hoarders! I don't know where the stuff comes from either. Seems like it just grows. I end up tossing so much crap that they collect from birthday parties/school etc. I will make a big donation to Goodwill also. It feels so good to purge stuff. Then their birthday & Christmas come and it gets all cluttered up again. My boys are big into Lego's. I use big Rubbermaid containers for those. They slide right under their beds out of sight. DD has a HUGE collection of Littlest Pet Shop animals and the big clunky houses. Right now they go in her closet. But her closet is a mess. We definitely need to purge some stuff!

Okay well I hope all is well with you and yours! Talk to you soon!


Terri~
12/21/01 at 33 weeks

Hi Terri!

Thanks for the suggestions - I plan the purge this weekend if I survive soccer. Here are pics of the kids (hope i did it right) - they are all playing soccer and i was insane enough to put the boys on separate teams - won't make THAT mistake again! hahaha

Hope you and yours are well. Man, how time flies!

Amy C

BBG born 9/04 at 36wks

Attachment #1, (jpg file)

OMGosh Amy they are so big! They are just adorable! Love the pics!!

Oh and I can NOT even imagine having the boys on separate teams! WOW! Last year DD played soccer the same time the boys did baseball and OH MY..I thought THAT was crazy! The boys have always been on the same team. I can't imagine 3 teams!

I am having a hard time with them in 3 separate classes. I know it's good for them. But holy cow it's SO hard on me. 3 different sets of vocab & spelling lists. All their tests are on different days. Different homework & projects. Oy Vey you would think the teachers would work as a group/team and do the same type of things. But nooo that would be too easy I guess! lol

Good to hear from you! Have fun purging the toys!


Terri~
12/21/01 at 33 weeks

Hi Amy,

We(just like you) have toys everywhere. What we got, that helps a lot, is these black book cases that we got from Ikea, we have baskets that fit inside. The baskets hold dolls, video games, crayons, almost everything. For our boys we too have bins that slide under their beds for their Legos. Our dd has all her toys in her room all stored in bins, baskets, pretty boxes.

As for sorting things out I use to rotate their toys (old toys seem new when they don't see them for a while). Now I give them away or throw them away. I cant ask them what they want or don't (they will keep everything).

I think bins, baskets, anything that you can just toss the toys in when not in use are the best, it's also easy for them to help clean up. Oh and my bookshelves also hold their board games very nicely.

Good Luck

Donna proud Mom - Tyler, Samantha, Zackary

The good news is as they get older, the number of toys they use dramatically decreases. They become more interested in sports, video games and bikes. I use really big bins and throw all of one type into each bin...all legos into one bin, all train tracks into another, etc. They can fish through the bins for what they are looking for.

Kim
Nate, Nick & Noel(36w4d)and Nia.

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We have different bins for each toy type (legos, balls, dressup, baby doll stuff, dollhouse stuff, train stuff, etc.). At one point when I cleaned out each bin, I took a picture of the stuff that was supposed to be in the bin, put it in a page protector, and used clear packing tape to attach it to the bin. So it is VERY easy for them to see what is supposed to be in each bin, rather than trying to remember. They are pretty good about getting everything in the right bins. As soon as a tag comes off and gets lost, it becomes a catch-all junk collector bin, so I know the pictures are what makes this work.

BGG born 4/25/05 at 31w1d




New baby girl born 9/19/06

i was the same. here is what works for us. beds are captain beds (draws underneath) small personal toys like bags, pally pocket jigsaws (PP in clip box of her own) (girls). ALL small cars go in two draws in my sons bed. the other is other toys. then he has underbed containers holding big cars on the side of his room. Downstairs toy room is now orderly, i have two trofast labled with other toys some draws are just girls toys some just boys toys. they look nice step up. the steps also hold this like tea sets. in the middle is the dolls house. and there is a coffee table to be used for sylvanian families when Christmas comes around. the trick is before they get a toy, organize where it will go even it that means giving to the poor. I found it fun, labeling everything and have made huge contributions of EVERY stuffed toy my daughters inherited only to add to it every Christmas birthday, i have one daughter who crys when leaving a toy shop because she loved the stuffed cat. We are lucky their birthday is in may, so its not too long before they get new toys.

Oz GGB May 05

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