Toy Clutter Control

My kids have TONS of toys also...I know what you're going through. We have recently decided to rotate their toys. We were able to take a little over half of their toys out to the garage and still have PLENTY for them to play with. After a few months when it seems they start getting bored with their toys, we take some out and bring new oens in. It's like Christmas everytime we do it!

When our son was smaller, we had a plastic tote in each room that served as a toy box. This way he had to learn to pick up his toys without the hassle of making a toddler keep it all in one space. And it had a lid, so it didn't look aweful sitting in the corner of the living room. Because they play all over the house, it's hard to keep it in one area when they're done. We just bought rubbermaid, they were about 4 bucks a piece. Pretty cost effective, and it kept my sanity. Even now, his toys are in totes, but now we have the flat ones that fit under the bed, and a toy box for the big stuff. I'm a neat freak, so the reality of a toddler's organization hit me like a mallet.lol. And if you want something a little more decorative, look into baskets with cloth liners. They come in all kinds of colors and sizes, and will fit in with lots of decor.
Hope this helps. :)

Diana,
I found a great thing at Walmart that I am going to get more of, because I have 3 kids and the same problems. Anyhow, they have these laundry hampers that fold up and have handles and they come in all colors and are only like 3.98 for one of them. I bought two for hampers, and they would also be great for toys and they are cute. I am going to get a few more. And they are cheap and they fold all the way down too and also sit up like a hamper but they are mesh. I love them.

S. Bailey CLD
Aurora
www.tendermomentsdoula.com

You don't say how old your son is, but I think you can teach him to put away the toy he is done playing with before he gets another. "Before we play with the Power Rangers, we have to put away the blocks, honey! Let's see who can do it the fastest!"

We replaced our coffee table in the family room and living room with soft-sided storage ottomans. They're faux leather and were like $70 a piece at Target. It's wonderful for toy storage and still maintaining an adult space.

Hello, we also have tons of toys! I bought a bunch of big beach pals, and we keep the smaller toys in them. I bought some of the big bins for larger toys. I allow my kids to fill one crate of toys for the living room. We have a toy box in both of the kids' rooms. EVERYTHING else has to go in the playroom. I keep the toys pretty organized. All of the games are in a cabinet that I bought from Home Depot. I only let them open the cabinet when I am around and take out one game at a time. I organize all the toys by type. The trucks, dolls , little people, blocks, ect. all have there own bin. I have one shelf for toys that do not fit well in bins. All of the toys that are one piece, and do not have anything that comes loose on them, we throw in a toy box. I think the key is making sure that every toy has its own spot.

Good luck. You will feel so much better once you get all the toys organized, and it will make cleaning up sooooo much easier.

Diana,

I have a three year old and the same problem only worse. I saw a suggestion in a magazine I was thinking of trying. Put some of the toys away in a container for awhile and then rotate toys every couple of weeks or so. He can still play with all of his toys but they aren't all out at the same time.

I bought this organizer from Ikea and while I wasn't too fond of how it looked it has really worked great! It has a ton of "organized" storage and the drawers are removable.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10091453
(you can also see how it looks in a room on the website and that has all the drawers in it) (You can pick what color and size drawers you want)

You could also consider baskets around the house to keep toys in such as in the bathroom. As for the closet you could get an Elfa or other organizational system, maybe with removable drawers. This way he could play with the item in the drawer, and ideally, clean it up and put in back the closet.

I know he likes all his toys but a suggestion could be to hide half of his toys. After a week or two the toys he has been playing with hide those and the toys that were hidden bring those out for him to play with. That way it eliminates at least half of his toys all over in your home and he still has all of his toys.

Hope it helps.

J.

I have two girls (5 and 3) and I watch two kids (4 and 19 months) Periodically throughout the day I have them pick up a room. I stand over them and tell each one what to pick up and guide them at first. I don't have to now. I just tell one to pick up the Leggos, one to pick up the puzzle, one to pick up the babies...and so on. When it is done they can get back to playing. I usually do this before lunch and again before 5 when mom comes. I then make sure that my girls pick up any straggling toys before dinner and their last dvd of the day. Then when they go upstairs for bedtime they have to pick up their rooms real quick and put their dirty clothes in the hamper. Sometimes I forget and have to pick things up myself after I clean the kitchen, but that isn't the norm. All the kids will pick up without a fight now even the 19 month old. Even the Sunday School teachers comment on how helpful my girls are when it comes time to pick up the toys. Start early with guidance and diligence. When they were little if they said no...I walked them over gently, made them pick up each toy and put it where it goes. After one or two times they knew I wasn't kidding. Just takes persistence and it will save you a whole bunch of work. It also creates good habits at a very young age. It takes some time and sometimes you will just want to do it yourself because you are faster or do it better...but you are only hurting yourself by doing that. Try to make it organized too...like leggos go here, action figures go here, games go on the shelf, books go this way and so on. Creates some organization in your child as well that will be very helpful to him in adulthood.

Good luck!!