Kate Bosch Professional Organizing
  • Home
  • Work with Me
  • About
  • Happy Clients
  • Blog
  • Free
  • Resources
  • Media
  • Let's Talk

Organizing Tips
to motivate and ​​inspire you!

SUBSCRIBE & GET A FREE DOWNLOAD

Fewer Toys, More Play

7/13/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
​When my daughters were little, they only had four toys. Organizing toys sure was easy!

OK, that’s not exactly the full story. When my kids were six and one, we lived in Italy for two months while my husband was at an artist’s residence. For those months, the only toys they had were a doll, a stuffed animal, a miniature set of blocks, and a box of crayons.

It was a great experience, not only of living in another country but also of living with less. Packing for that trip was a real test of my organizing abilities! To make space for my husband’s art supplies and still fit into our teeny-tiny Italian car, our personal belongings were relegated to two carry-on suitcases.

So, I packed minimal toys and one storybook treasury, so we’d have all our favorite books in one relatively compact volume (This was a pre-Kindle, pre-iPad trip)! To supplement the toys, I printed out this kite template for us to use.
It amazed me that, instead of being bored by having so few toys, my daughters were actually much more creative, socially interactive, and played for longer periods of time. This is borne out by plenty of studies (Check out these articles here and here). I saw first-hand that limiting toys helped my children be more engaged in their play.

The lesson is that the best thing you can do to boost your children’s creativity and organization skills is to help them have fewer toys.

At times, especially after stepping on yet another Lego left on the floor, you’ve probably been sorely tempted to get rid of all the toys.

Realistically, that’s not going to happen. Without being that drastic, there are things you can do to reduce the volume.

1. Pare Down: Eliminate the Excess

I know you’re tempted to do this on your own, but involving the kids in the process teaches valuable decision-making skills and lessons. They’ll learn how to tell a toy that has a lasting value from one that’s just a fad, and how to be generous by passing along toys they no longer want to other children. Here’s how to do it:
  • Mini-sessions:
    15-20 minute decluttering sessions will match your kids’ attention spans.
  • Narrow the focus:
    Work on one section of a room, one bin, or one toy category at a time.
  • Out of sight, out of mind:
    ave an opaque bag or bin for toys you’re donating and discarding, so after the decision is made, kids don’t see the toys again and reconsider.

2. Rotation: Limit the Selection

After you’ve pared the toys down, try creating a rotation of toys. This is a wonderful way to limit the amount available at any given time, helping focus the play and make cleanup quicker. The way you do it will vary by the age of your child.

  • Babies and toddlers: 
    Keep toys in your control. Just as you set out a choice of food at mealtime, set out a selection of toys at playtime.
  • Preschoolers:
    Keep a selection of toys in the play area and, every couple of weeks, swap them for other toys you’ve stored away.
  • Older children:
    When they’re ready to take on more responsibility, give them control by creating a toy library in a closet or storage bins. When they want a toy from the library, they have to trade it for one that’s currently out.

​Keep reminding yourself that fewer toys means more playtime.
Picture
It’s tempting to buy your children the latest toys or that new thing they’re bugging you for, just one more for the collection. But just as you don’t buy them candy all the time, you know that more toys aren’t necessarily good for them. Challenge them to see how high their creativity soars when they’re limited to just a few toys.

While you’re at it, you might just see what “toys” of your own you can do without. Will limiting them boost your own creative capacity?
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Basement
    Bathroom
    Beauty
    Books
    Closets & Clothes
    Clutter
    Digital & Electronics
    Garage
    Holiday & Seasonal
    Housekeeping
    Kitchen & Pantry
    Motivation & Mindset
    Moving
    Office
    Organizing Basics
    Paperwork
    Pare Down
    Productivity
    Recycling & Repurposing
    Schedule
    School
    Sentimental
    Shopping
    Storage
    Toys & Kids
    Travel

    Archives

    July 2025
    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016

    RSS Feed

Home

work with me

About

Happy clients

Blog

RESOURCES
MEDIA
LET"S TALK
Copyright © 2025 Kate Bosch Professional Organizing LLC
Providence, Rhode Island | 401-699-4878
  • Home
  • Work with Me
  • About
  • Happy Clients
  • Blog
  • Free
  • Resources
  • Media
  • Let's Talk