Our Toy Story
At our house with four kids of varying ages and both genders I’m sure you can only imagine how many toys we have. Between birthdays, Christmas and them buying their own toys, it seems like a constant wave of toys. To help keep us from swimming in them we do a few things that keep it all in check.
1) When the kids receive money for their birthdays or holidays they save most of that money to pay for sports and lessons, instead of buying more toys. It’s a great way for the kids to learn about saving money and spending it on something they really want to participate in. It also saves me from having to constantly organize toys, and we wouldn’t be able to afford activities for four kids otherwise.
2) With the toys we do have we go through them 2-3 times a year and clean out anything they have outgrown, don’t play with or is broken. We usually donate the toys in good condition, unless I’m ambitious enough to have a yard sale and let the kids sell the toys. I let them keep whatever money they raise, which is a good enough incentive to help them to get rid of toys that might have been on the fence about keeping.
3) Finally, I take about one third of the toys and put them in large Rubbermaid bins and put them in the attic. Then two or three times a year we rotate the toys. It’s a great way to keep the amount of toys manageable and organized and the kids absolutely love it when we get the toys down out of the attic! It’s so exciting; it’s like opening Christmas presents! This keeps my kids entertained for hours on end, playing with all of the “new” toys. If you can get your timing right its great to rotate the toys during the long winter months, spring break for entertainment, and back to school time for the little ones who don’t get to go yet. 
Check out more posts like this one on home organization and kids at www.organizedmom.net . I post there every Monday so be sure to stop by.
