Organizing Kids' Toys After the Holidays

By Jessica Hoelzel

Got kids? Well, then you’ve got stuff. Lots of stuff. Believe me, I know. I have two little sweeties of my own, and even though I am a Professional Organizer AND Feng Shui Consultant that doesn’t mean I don’t struggle with kids’ clutter. The most important thing you can do to get full rein over the clutter? Purge. That’s right. I’m sure your kids got the latest and the greatest as gifts – so what about all that other stuff that they’ve forgotten about? You’ve got to let some go. Think about it this way – by age 10, your child will have been through (the math is easy) 10 holidays. That’s adding stuff into your home 10 times. It sure piles up – especially if you have more than one kid. (And we are not even talking about birthdays, toys as rewards for good behavior, or toys “just because”).

The point is, keep what your kids love (what they DO play with) and store or let go of the rest. If you don’t have a lot of storage, you are going to have to do a lot of the purging.

Use these handy tips to help make the job easier:

1. For every toy that comes in, donate an old one to a thrift store or shelter (when in good shape).

2. Get rid of things your children don’t play with, and toys that are broken, missing parts, or dingy. This will lighten the load incredibly.

3. Have children pick toys to pass on. They will be happy to have a stake in the process. Store them for the next youngest, or share with cousins (but only if they aren’t burdened by clutter!)

4. Store toys for future siblings or generations by age (i.e. 1 year, 2 years…). Keep in sturdy plastic tubs. They’ll be easily retrievable when company comes or when the next child is ready for them.

5. If putting toys in a garage sale, encourage children by letting them keep the money earned, or use it for a fun family outing.

6. If you are getting too many toys as gifts, encourage gift-givers to donate to the child’s college fund or towards an extracurricular activity instead of piling up material goods. The savings will be much more valuable, and it teaches children an important lesson.

And as far as corralling the new stuff – here are some helpful tips to keep things in good condition, and keep the pieces together:
1. Buy clear plastic bins for each “set”. Cut out part of the box it came in to label the outside and identify. Kids love making their own labels.

2. Help kids put things away. Teach them about sorting. A good activity for brain development!

3. Plastic dressers work great for storing dress-up, Barbies, action figures or Little People things. Kids can easily open and close the drawers. (And they fit in kids’ closets because their clothes don’t hang too low.)

4. Put small pieces in plastic storage bags or small food storage containers with lids.

5. Save warranties/instructions for toys in a plastic Velcro wallet. Label the front.

6. By all means, avoid dumping everything together, mixed up into a toy box or bins. You will regret it later!!!