Author Topic: I need to sort out these toys!!  (Read 8981 times)

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Offline *Becky*

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I need to sort out these toys!!
« on: March 23, 2013, 17:29:28 pm »
seriously the house is just awful by the end of the day  :-[

I need to do some serious toy rotation but feel a bit overwhelmed. I don't actually think we have THAT many toys compared to a lot of people but I have to change something because there is so much out and also that doesn't get much use.

I know we have had a thread about this but anyone willing to share what they do?





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Offline Buntybear

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2013, 18:03:29 pm »
I got some stackable plastic boxes from home base and put  in them. They are stacked in under stairs cupboard. One has his CD Player and CDs etc so they are easy to get out for an hour then clear away back under the stairs.

Offline C&B&E

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2013, 18:11:03 pm »
I got some stackable plastic boxes from home base and put breasts in them.

Does that make for a tidier house Buntybear  ;) ;D?

.....I'm still trying to work out what you must have meant before you got autocorrected!!
Claire x



Offline michaeljacknnugg

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2013, 18:20:48 pm »
Had me tickled too!

We have toys sorted by type - cars, playmobil, dressing up, construction, pretend play etc in some boxes in the bottom of our storage cabinet, freely available. I do ask that if one comes out, another goes away, and it seems to work. We also have some other stuff like games and craft supplies tucked away in the cupboards and a craft area permanently set out ready to go. With the organiser I bought just before xmas the craft stuff can all be out but also tidy - and that's what gets the most regular use in our house.
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Offline Buntybear

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2013, 18:25:49 pm »
Lolol! I don't even know what I meant!!!

I must have meant toys but really??!!

Offline <Catherine>

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2013, 18:47:50 pm »
Yep we have all ours sorted into clear plastic boxes with lids too, and we also get one lot put away before anything else comes out, otherwise I find he doesn't 'play' at all - it all just becomes a mess on the floor that gets thrown about.
Catherine x








Offline *Becky*

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2013, 19:28:00 pm »
sorry, don't think I explained very well. I have great storage but just too many toys and while I love the idea of putting something away before getting the next one out it just does not happen here unless I am on them every minute. M is younger so just pulls stuff out everywhere, lines up the toy cars and shoots them off the end of the table etc etc. But it is getting me down. I guess I need to rotate but it always daunts me.




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Offline C&B&E

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2013, 19:40:48 pm »
We are in a similar position Becky. I know that I need to rotate stuff and I think for me I need to firstly figure out what my 'issues' are with it iyswim  ::).  I think partly I am worried that it is a waste of the toys if they are away for months and that the kids will outgrow them.  BUT I *know* that they would get played with in a better way if I did it, so that is plain silly!!  Also, apart from the playroom we struggle to find space to store stuff - but again, I probably just need to bite the bullet and find space for one big plastic box and put away some of the stuff.  4

What is it that you find daunting about it?  I might just bite the bullet and put a box of stuff away tomorrow and then go from there. 

Claire x



Offline creations

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2013, 19:42:50 pm »
We have 'out' (but in tidy baskets on the shelf):
box of people/characters
box of biggish cars/trucks
box of small cars
box of animals
box of blocks
box of jigsaws/wooden numbers and letters boards
box of books
box of musical instruments
box of 'stuff' - a mega sketcher type thing and some toilet roll tubes (which he wants to play skittles with), a couple of balls. This box is kind of bits and bobs that don't fit in with another set of stuff
busy box - random small bits and pieces for rummaging through
kitchen with pans food etc
work bench with tools
garage, fire station and car wash on his road map rug
box of dress up clothes
box of mega blocks

Sounds like absolutely tons but I don't think it's that much, it all tidies up really quickly and although it is all available he doesn't get everything out to play with at once.  Craft things, play doh etc is kept in a cupboard and I get something out each day or when he asks for it.  Everything else is kept in a room upstairs in boxes on extra deep bookshelves, he has a tendency to ask for 'just one toy from favourite room please' which means he wants to bring something down that is out of rotation.  Like today he brought down the dress up box, the fire station and car wash and I'll leave them all down a few days before reducing a bit.  He's also pretty good at selecting something to take upstairs to put out of rotation when he wants to bring something down too.

We tend to tidy up a couple of times per day so pre-nap if I have time to ask DS to help or during nap if I don't, then pre-dinner and again pre BT wind down.  There will also be times in the day I'll say he needs to clear something up before getting something else out for example today he wanted to paint but has covered his little table with toys so they had to be put away first to make room for painting.


Offline *Becky*

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2013, 19:58:24 pm »
oooh claire - I am so jealous you have a playroom! Our dining room is also the playroom so I have had to be very organised.....I think I am daunted by what to leave out and put away with 2 yk? I just find the place is a tip at the end of the day and it is getting me down plus H finds it hard to play and I wonder if removing half of it would help...or not? There is stuff nobody touches for sure so maybe I should just start with that - I also find M really only wants to play with H's stuff, nothing age related (apart from her kitchen)




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Offline C&B&E

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #10 on: March 23, 2013, 20:16:35 pm »
oooh claire - I am so jealous you have a playroom! 

I know - we moved here from a tiny little flat and I am grateful for it every day!!

I just find the place is a tip at the end of the day and it is getting me down plus H finds it hard to play and I wonder if removing half of it would help...or not? There is stuff nobody touches for sure so maybe I should just start with that - I also find M really only wants to play with H's stuff, nothing age related (apart from her kitchen)

Yep - exactly the same here.  I do think that removing stuff helps for sure.  When I get stuff out that has been away (usually unintentionally lost because our house is a mess  ::)) the kids go crazy for it.  In fact I put some stuff away for the charity shop and ben found it a few weeks later and had a great time playing with it all  :P

I was thinking the exact same thing about E's toys yesterday - that she really is not interested.  I think I am going to put a basket together of a few bits and bobs and then just put the rest away and just swap a couple of things every couple of weeks - as what is the point of having it all out?!  She just mooches about trying to play with B's stuff all day or plays with her kitchen!! 
Claire x



Offline Buntybear

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #11 on: March 23, 2013, 20:22:14 pm »
Not many of Olly's toys are accessible to him and so he doesn't get that much out TBH. COuld you put them out of reach?

I would definately start with putting some toys away.

Offline anna*

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #12 on: March 23, 2013, 21:06:15 pm »
Yep, start with just putting half away - like, right away, somewhere they can't see it. Worse comes to worst you can just get it out again!?





Offline Hedgehog17

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #13 on: March 23, 2013, 21:16:09 pm »
I have 2 large plastic storage tubs with lids which stay on top of DS's wardrobe, each containing 1/3 of his toys. The other 1/3 are available for him to play with either in his room or in a smaller crate in the living room.

The boxes are rotated every 3 weeks.

This is working really well - he has enough time to really play with what is available, but not so long he gets bored with it. If I miss the rotation by a few days (eg this week as I was ill) he actually does start to get bored, so I know I've got the timing right!

You can ask the kids to help decide what they want to put in each box, as they need to be on board with the idea  :)

Offline *Becky*

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #14 on: March 24, 2013, 06:16:13 am »
You can ask the kids to help decide what they want to put in each box, as they need to be on board with the idea 
thing is if i ask him he loves it all, wants it all etc but it is not true ;)




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