Author Topic: I need to sort out these toys!!  (Read 8991 times)

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Offline anna*

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #15 on: March 24, 2013, 08:15:18 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 ;)

Stan's the same, but didn't even notice when I took half away!





Offline *Becky*

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #16 on: March 24, 2013, 08:38:49 am »
I think I get a bit stuck when I think about it too much yk? I have been onto toy rotation websites and they suggest sorting it all into groups which is  a great idea but I find myself constantly asking questions - i.e. do I have enough of this set out etc....




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Offline anna*

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #17 on: March 24, 2013, 08:48:19 am »
Yeh don't overthink it. I started by putting away anything that I found obnoxious (noisy, irritating) in any way. Anything broken or with bits missing obviously just goes in the junk.  Anything he NEVER plays with (or gets irritated with when he does) gets put away or saved til he's older. Anything you find that he used to love but no longer really plays with could go in the 'keep' pile. Beyond that, just divide the number in half. Doesn't matter about sets. If you leave 6 tractors/trucks out and he desperately needs more for some reason, you can always go get a couple more from the 'put away' box.

After all, if he (and you) love all his toys and play with them all happily and regularly, then really you don't need to do anything to the toys per se, but maybe get a system for tidying up regularly. I agree it is exhausting with a toddler whose main game is 'get everything out' - we really don't have many toys out (although I do need to cull again) but even so, a box of little beanbags, a small box of toy animals, a box of big buttons and a box of Duplo can make an incredible mess. Then add toddler with ride-on bumblebee, scattering them all even further...
« Last Edit: March 24, 2013, 08:50:49 am by anna* »





Offline amayzie

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #18 on: March 24, 2013, 09:45:18 am »
Sounds like you may also have an issue with a smallish house like us? it only takes one or 2 sets of toys out (like the blocks AND the dolls house) and the house seems 'FULL' of toys. And we are also in the toddler phase of tip ALL Of the toys out at once ::) Still loving reading this...
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Offline Hedgehog17

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #19 on: March 24, 2013, 09:47:33 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 ;)

He can still love it all, but it needs to be divided into 2 or 3 boxes  ;) It's only going away for a week or two, then he can have it again (or sooner if he really insists upon having a certain item!)

If it's going to be more chaotic to involve the kids then do it when they're not around / asleep  :)

Offline Hedgehog17

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #20 on: March 24, 2013, 09:54:27 am »
Sounds like you may also have an issue with a smallish house like us? it only takes one or 2 sets of toys out (like the blocks AND the dolls house) and the house seems 'FULL' of toys. And we are also in the toddler phase of tip ALL Of the toys out at once ::) Still loving reading this...

We have small rooms so this is why I have to be careful - our iving room has about 2m squared usable floor space, and we only have 1 chair and one sofa in there, no coffee table as there isn't room! Fortunately it opens onto the dining room so DS has a corridor to run up and down (half the dining room is taken up with our very small dining table and chairs!)

If toys were out everywhere it would be a major trip hazard for all of us  :(

Offline *Becky*

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #21 on: March 24, 2013, 10:48:52 am »
Sounds like you may also have an issue with a smallish house like us?
yup!




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Offline *Becky*

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #22 on: March 24, 2013, 11:31:14 am »
done, just did not think too hard about it and put away quite a bit. Going to change it around in about 3 weeks. Feel I have kind of just spread the clutter about but hopefully this will help downstairs




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Offline cath~

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #23 on: March 24, 2013, 12:00:10 pm »
I agree with putting toys right away.

Don't ask him about which ones cos he will of course say he wants all of them.  Do it when he's asleep for example. If he then notices something is missing and asks for it to come out again then fine, but tell him he has to choose something to swap it with.

We do this with L and she totally gets the idea of swapping toys in and out of use now. Sometimes she even gets a bit overseen on putting toys away lol. But it works really well and she plays so much better when she only has about 1/3 of her toys out (ie in accessible storage) at any time.
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Offline koe2moe

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #24 on: March 24, 2013, 13:29:27 pm »
Too late to the party!  Well done, Becky for having done it!  One downside for a tidy room: DS started to explore my drawers and other places and kitchen cupboards! Lol. I have managed to delay that till now, serves me right!  :p



Offline Hedgehog17

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #25 on: March 24, 2013, 13:58:13 pm »
Well done Becky!  8)

You'll be glad you did it :)

Offline MasynSpencerElliotte

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #26 on: March 24, 2013, 15:49:26 pm »
I just put away a lot of toys as they are only playing with dolls really. So I kept out dolls, barbies, play food (we have a toy kitchen and they like to feed the dolls). Everything else is put away in a huge armoire with a childproof lock on it. They are able to clean up after themselves much easier now.

I still think we have way too many toys, but at least they are contained well.
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Offline michaeljacknnugg

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #27 on: March 24, 2013, 18:07:04 pm »
I do wonder about this - how many toys is too many?
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Offline MasynSpencerElliotte

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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #28 on: March 24, 2013, 19:21:52 pm »
Good question! I had probably 1/10 of the toys my kids have! But, insaying that, a lot of their toys are my toys passed down and gifts. I very rarely buy toys and for birthdays and xmas now I get craft supplies instead and get the grandparents to give books/dvd's or even money towards lessons like music.  Even at their birthday party, most gifts were craft related or books, so a lot of parents here must be at max toy capacity too!

Its sad, but I can't wait for this baby to be here and use the baby toys and then be able to be rid of them when he/she is older!
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Re: I need to sort out these toys!!
« Reply #29 on: March 24, 2013, 22:58:46 pm »
how many toys is too many?
For me too many is when there are toys that are age inappropriate (so not played with, so should be packed away for later or got rid of altogether) or broken (so should mended or got rid of).  My mum gave DS a wooden Noahs ark shape sorter for xmas close to his 2nd birthday, it was appropriate for maybe up to 1yr old or longer if the child didn't have any other animal toys.  For us it was 'too many' from the day it arrived.  It didn't fulfil any of his needs, as a shape sorter it was too simplistic because the animals fitted into any slot so didn't challenge him and he already had a wide range or animals for imaginative play.  She also gave him a remote control car suitable for maybe a 5 yr old at the youngest (prob more like 10 yr old) so it was stored away.
I'm mostly happy with the toys DS has, I have been quite careful to get things that have multiple uses to prolong their life and offer a variety of play at different ages.  So if the living room feels like there is too much I just reduce and take out of rotation, there's rarely anything that is totally superfluous or 'too many'.

I had probably 1/10 of the toys my kids have!
Same here, but I also remember spending a lot of time complaining that I was bored, there weren't enough age appropriate books, crafts materials, or toys and most of what I had was passed down from older siblings and either worn out or not age appropriate.  The risk I suppose is to go the opposite to this and have too much for DS, but I see good value in everything he has.

Well done Becky!  I know what you mean about spreading the clutter. We bought 3 bookshelves to store DS's out of rotation toys and books, they are all full and then some and our guest room looks pretty tatty as a result.  But our living space is usually tidy enough and that's more important to me.