As a pre-minimalist young mom I didn’t realize that my own desire for less chaos might actually benefit my kids, making room for them to more easily engage in creative play. Why oh why was everything dumped on the floor at all times?
More toys = more opportunities, right?! Wrong!
But, just as we adults are overwhelmed by the visual clutter around us, often without even fully realizing it, so are kids. They pull and dump one thing, and then the next and then the next, and then the mess is overwhelming without having had any deep meaningful play.
This really started to click for me when I embraced quiet times.
When my kids stopped napping, especially when they had younger siblings who still did nap, I followed the advice of some mom friends and instituted quiet times. This was not without it’s challenges at the front end. But as with most parenting, after lots of redirecting and repetition, new habits begin to stick.
For us quiet time equals time alone in your room to do as you wish (quietly). This could be napping, reading (or flipping through picture books), building, playing with stuffed animals or drawing. When they were toddlers/preschooler I would give them one or two bins to play with, like magnatiles or puzzles, mostly because all their toys were stored downstairs in the playroom except for books + stuffed animals. These bins would provide an invitation to play, but they would make their own fun as the time went on. What I observed was that they didn’t need much to use their imagination. Quiet time was a gift for mama as they also built life skills like learning to be alone.
These quiet times prompted our toy rotation to begin.
Aside from the train table, kitchen + toys, something to build with, and dress-up always available in the playroom, I realized that every single toy being available at once was frustrating for all of us. I loaded different items into separate bins like small creatures, fine motor activities like lacing cards, toy cars + road floor puzzle, art kits, and duplos or wooden blocks, all stored on extra shelves in the hall closet to pull out one at a time. This was also a way to hold new gifts received at Christmas or birthdays when there is a lot at once. We are able to spread them out over time or save them for a rainy or snowy day.
Even today, as my kids are 6, 8 and 10, we still implement quiet times during the summer when everyone is at home, but we had gotten away from toy rotation. With lots of minimizing, it didn’t feel as necessary - that is, until everyone was home all day every day (thanks Covid-19). After the first couple of chaotic weeks, I packed a number of toys, games, and art supplies away. They are welcome to ask me for something, or I sometimes pull something out as an invitation to play. And I’m being reminded that this is a helpful way to review what your kids actually use and play with. If they aren’t asking for it, they probably won’t miss it if it ends up in the donate pile.
Here are my tips for setting up your Toy Rotation:
Decide on 1/3 of your GAMES to make available
Decide on 1/3 of your TOYS to make available
Decide on 1/3 of your ART supplies to make available
Store the rest in labeled storage bins - they don’t have to match, but they should be easy to pull individually.
Store bins in the hall closet, guest room closet, or their own closet upper shelves
On a rainy day, pull something out they haven’t seen in awhile and replace it with something from the playroom they haven’t picked up in awhile
Following each birthday or holiday, or seasonally, reset your bins. If they haven’t requested something that has been stored, considering donating.