When it comes to storing kids toys I like to think in three words – sort, label, tidy!
Children play in a more focused manner and maintain their own belongings much more successfully when each type of toy has a dedicated home. Putting all of their toys into one big toy box often means that EVERYTHING gets pulled out of the toy box each time they are searching for a specific toy. I use a combination of baskets and clear plastic containers for our toy storage.
I like the natural look and feel of baskets – they have the added bonus of being easy to match the rest of the decor in your home.
When you have a dedicated kids play space, clear plastic storage containers make it easy for children to actually see what is inside each tub before they pull it off the shelf!
Alternatively, custom designed toy storage solutions like this one from All Things 4 Kids can also help provide children with a system to sort their toys easily.
Help children learn to be more organised by making simple labels for their toy storage boxes with them. For younger children, add a picture clue (photos work just as well as drawings) as well as the word. Older children can design their own labels. Give your child a sense of ownership of his belongings by getting him to help sort the toys and to add the labels.
Building a regular tidy up time (or two) into your daily routine will help young children learn to be responsible for their belongings. Try just before lunch and dinner or before afternoon TV time (this one is particularly motivating!)
To help young children stay focused during your tidy up allocate each person (including yourself) a pack away chore and try singing a simple tidy up song, something like, “Everybody pack away, pack away, pack away, everybody pack away, just like this.” Or try setting the oven or microwave timer to see if each child can complete their individual pack away task before the timer goes off!
How do you store your children’s toys?