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AlaskaParent.com spring 2024 alaska parent 25Toy clutter: It’s a problem all parents face. From the toddler years when blocks, push toys, and board books seem to be scattered down the hallway to the school-age years when kids collect tiny Legos, matchbox cars, and Barbie dolls, clutter remains an ongoing issue. A toy rotation is one way to fight this problem.1. Gather. In the main play area, gather all the toys to the center of the room. You are making a bigger mess at first, but this will help you get organized. It may be best to start this process when the kids are in bed or out of the house. If that isn’t an option, get the kids involved and have them help bring toys to the center of the room.2. Reduce. Go through the pile and throw away broken toys and items that have missing pieces. Take out any toys that are no longer age appropriate. Pick out toys that the children don’t play with and put them aside for a garage sale or consider donating them or passing them on to a friend.3. Sort. Once you have culled the toys, you should be left with age-appropriate toys that your children enjoy. Now divide toys into three categories: thinking toys (puzzles, board games, shape sorters), pretend play (play food, dolls, blocks), and toys that encourage gross motor play (balls, push toys, cars). When you have the items sorted, there should be three piles, one for each category.4. Divide. Divide toys into three to four groups. Each group should have equal amounts of toys from the categories of thinking toys, pretend play, and gross motor toys. Place each group of toys into a large box and label it. Plastic tubs work well and can double as a toy box.5. Store. Once the toys are sorted and separated into three to four boxes, keep one out and put the remaining boxes away. Make sure you have easy access to the stored boxes so you can rotate them frequently.6. Rotate. Decide how long to keep a box out for play. Some families switch weekly, while some switch every two to three weeks, and some may switch every month or longer. Choose a time that works for your family. When each box is out, take note of what toys are most popular and which items get ignored. As you are packing up the box, remove the items that didn’t get played with and donate or sell them.By implementing a toy rotation system, you will be able to cut down on toy clutter in your living space because three-fourths of the toys will be in storage at any given time. In addition to a tidier home, there will also be less mess for kids to clean up and a better chance for all the toys to be utilized.Simplify your environment by clearing out items that you no longer need or that no longer bring you joy and clean up the areas where it tends to get messy and disorganized. Here are some organizing tips:• Set a schedule. By adding decluttering to your calendar, you will prevent it from piling up. Create a routine, like the first Sunday of every month or before certain holidays. During spring break and the end of summer before school starts are perfect times to purge.• Make it fun. Recruit the whole family, put on some music and bring the snacks. Start a contest to see who can organize their room the best or collect the most items for charity.• Stop the junk at the door. When you come home from an event with a handful of giveaways, get rid of the junk immediately. This also is a great way to handle mail; recycle unwanted mail before it ends up on your desk or countertop.• Return everything to its place. Save yourself cleanup time by putting things back where you found them as soon as you are done using them.• Invest in organizational products. Keep it simple – file folders for important papers, a to-do basket for items that need to be tackled right away, baskets or containers to store loose photographs, storage bins for out-of-season clothing, etc.Finally, follow this popular sorting method that most experts suggest:• KEEP items that you continue to need and use, which bring joy to your life.• SELL items that you want to unload online or at a yard sale.• DONATE items to individuals who could use them or to a local charity.• TRASH unwanted or unused items that are too damaged to be donated or sold. Recycle if possible.• STORE items that you can’t decide what to do with. Box them up, and put a date on them. Store them out of the way, and revisit in six months.HOW TO GET ORGANIZEDBy Sarah LyonsReduce Toy Clutter in 6 Easy StepsToy Rotation: