Toy Organization – How to Organize Toys So Kids can Clean Up After Themselves!
Back in 2019, I wrote The Ultimate Guide to Toy Rotation. And while rotating toys alone is amazing, I don’t think I did how to store toys justice.
I have a two year old and a four year old. They are both capable of putting away their toys – without being asked. And without help. Yes, sometimes I still have to remind them, or ask them to do it when it is time for meals and such. But generally, our approach to toys is one that gives the children the ability to take care of the toys themselves. And the responsibility to do it.
Sound dreamy? Well let me share our secrets!
1. How The Toys are Stored
Rule number one for storing children’s toys is NEVER use a toy box. No toy boxes ever! Toy boxes are where toys go break and die. Or toy boxes are the source and cause of all toy-tasrophies, wherein everything ends up all over the floor. Get rid of the toy boxes now. You’ll thank me later.
So, the toy boxes are gone. Now what?
Let’s start with some open shelving. We use bookshelves in the girl’s room for their creative/Waldorf style toys. Some things, like the wooden rainbow, sit loose on the shelf. Other things are in trays (like cars or Pokemon figurines). And finally, we use baskets to corral large groups of items (like pretend trees, coloured peg “dolls,” and crowns). Personally, I recommend storing things in trays wherever possible. This way, the items that go in the tray are very visible to the kids. This prevents dumping everything out to find the one thing they are looking for.
Of course, sometimes trays don’t work. There are usually too many building blocks to fit comfortably on a tray. So for those kind of items, a clear bin or a lid-less basket works well.
Using Trays
Don’t know what to put on trays? Make sure you have the toys themselves sorted and categorized. Check out my article on toy rotation to see the kind of categories I am talking about! Put a puzzle on the tray, with all the pieces loose beside it. Or if the puzzle is too big, the pieces can go on the tray, while the board is stored nearby.
Another way to think about it is each toy or activity gets its own tray or basket. Then when you rotate it you can replace it with something different but similar, and the child will recognize where it goes on the shelf.
2. Toy Quantity
The amount of toys out at a time are controlled by toy rotation. I recommend starting with a small amount out at once, especially if you are starting this system for the first time. This way your child is not overwhelmed when learning to put their own toys away.
When Little Fox was 2, she had around 7 toy options available at a time (not including plush animals). Now that Little Fox is four we have separated creative toys from educational ones, or the homeschool works. In the homeschool space, we have six subjects, and three works out for each subject (or less) at any given time. Because of this, now that Little Badger is 2, she has access to about 9 of her own, plus 9 of her sisters choices. This only works because she has grown up with the discipline to only have one tray out at a time, and to put it away before grabbing something else. Little Fox likes to use Little Badger’s toys too, so she has a variety of choices too.
If I ever notice the girls getting overwhelmed, I am always willing to cut back on how many options they have out. It really helps.
In their room they only have about three toy options at a time, plus their princess dress up clothes. However they are allowed to mix and play with these toys all at once. So there is less, but it is all allowed out at once.
3. Play Mats (or Work Mats) for Toy Organization
Play mats are like a miracle for teaching children to be orderly. They reduce arguments about sharing, and seem to be a reminder to clean up the toys when they are done being played with.
So what is a play mat? Well, in Montessori it is also called a work mat, work rug, or a working mat. Typically, these are small pieces of carpet or rug. And it is the location where a child does his work or play. We have different sized mats for different activities. So, there is a cloth place mat sized one for small works, but also a large quilt for bigger activities. These mats zone where each child is playing. It provides a sense of boundary for the activity. It also prevents my children from disturbing each other as they have learned to walk around each other’s mats while playing rather than bulldozing each other’s toys.
Introducing the Mats
To introduce play mats, model using them for your child. Pick one of their toys, set it up on the play mat, do an activity, then put the toy away. Depending on if the toys are in the living room or their own space, you might consider leaving a play mat out constantly, like I do for my toddler. My four year old chooses a play mat and brings it out herself whenever she needs one.
If you are having trouble getting your children to clean up after themselves, I recommend enforcing the play mat for all non-table play. After this becomes a habit, you can loosen up on the play mats being required. Then as problems come up you can go back to stricter use.
The Byzantine Life
When we get rid of toy boxes, and use bins or trays on open shelving instead, we create an organizing system that works for children. Best of all, it prevents the large mess dumping out a toy box makes. Also, having less toys out at once reduces mess. But not only that, it also increases the amount of creativity and focus children have for playing with what they do have out. Finally, using a rug or mat as boundaries for a play space contributes to orderly play and orderly putting things away.
If you enjoyed this week’s article, you might also be interested in reading about Toy Rotation, or my article on Home Organization.
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