Authors: Kelly Be A Fun Mum

Stepping on Lego pieces HURTS! Kneeling on them is even worse! I love Lego but it’s hard to organise. Since I’m away on a road trip, I’ve been fortunate to have some wonderful people guest post for Be A Fun Mum. This post is from Tim, who writes online articles all about organisation in the home.  I asked him to give me 10 top tips for organising children’s toys and here they are.

10 Tips for Organising Children’s Toys

Guest Post by Tim Riley

{Image Credit}

Toys present an organisational nightmare for parents. All around the house, toys create clutter and trip hazards.  Life without an accessible and easy to use toy storage solution makes teaching children to put their toys away almost impossible. The following 10 tips for organising your children’s toys can help you find a organisation system that both easy to maintain and simple to use.

1. Define A Play Area

Toys strewn all over the house present an organisational nightmare. It can be useful to have toys in defined areas in the house. Those with large homes can set aside one room as a play area. Those with smaller residences might consider restricting play to bedrooms, and a corner of the living area. When parents contain the proliferation of toys, they take a giant leap toward organisation and provide for easier cleanup.

2. Limit The Number Of Toys In The Home

Children only need a limited number of toys. Further more, too many toys can easily overwhelm even the largest playroom. To reduce the number of toys in the home, begin by eliminating duplicate toys, broken toys and toys that children do not use.

3. Be Realistic About Size

Children like big riding toys, tents, tunnels and play houses, but storage of these toys can become difficult of your home lacks adequate space for them. When you buy a large toy, choose a model that easily disassembles to save space.

4. Sort ‘n Store

Categorise toys by type (Cars, dolls, puzzles, etc.) These sorts of specific and related toys can be stored together rather than dumped into a huge toy box. Doing this reduces clutter while giving children more options when they decide what to play with.

5. Cycle And Schedule Toys

When dealing with a toy surplus, rotate some of them into the shed or garage. This eases storage issues in your living space, while helps create new experiences when the stored toys re-enter the player areas.

6. Use Toy Shelves

Shelves help children see what toys they have. When storage boxes are used, try labeling them with large words or pictures to help children identify their contents. Shelving gets toys and boxes off the floor and usually is an affordable solution.

7. Fast, Easy Cleanup

With busy schedules, sometimes children don’t have time to get all their toys put back at once. For these occasions, try using a laundry basket or blanket as a way to quickly collect toys for later storage.

8. Keep Some Toys Out Of Reach

Puzzles, models, play bricks and other toys with lots of pieces can create a disaster when children take them out at random intervals. Parents can decide if their children have enough time to get out these complicated objects and help prevent getting the pieces mixed up.

9. Establish Rules

Teach children how many toys they can have out at once. This limits clean up and encourages children to finish one activity before starting a new one.

10. Put Safety First

Toys and storage boxes stacked on top of each other can easily tip over and fall. Find ways to keep toys low and use shelves and cabinets where necessary to keep children safe.

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Throughout history, toys have presented organisational challenges in the home. The 10 tips for organizing your children’s toys can help make playtime manageable and fun.

The Author

Tim Riley has been dealing with vacuum cleaner bags for most of his career and writes reviews on products like Bosch hoover bags for a living.

Need More Inspiration?

Here are some pictures and links that may help.

Emma’s Toys

Read my interview with Emma here: City to Country.

Rachel’s Toys

Read the interview I did with Rachel here: A Room for Everyone.

Pilgrim’s Toys

Read the interview I did with Pilgrim here: Home — Bold and Bright.

Nicole’s Toys

Read more about how Nicole (Planning With Kids) organises her children’s toys here: Organising Toys.

Pinterest Organising Toys Board

If you need some inspiration I have a wonderful collection of pictures on my Pinterest Organising Toys Board. Just click here: Organising Toys.

How do you organise toys in your home?

Read more http://beafunmum.com/2011/07/10-tips-for-organising-childrens-toys/