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. 

It must take place late at night while everyone is sleeping.  I’m not sure if it’s multiplication, cloning, or mitosis, but some how when I wake up in the morning there are twice as many toys in our house as there were when I went to bed!  And some how my kids seem to know which ones are new and which ones are ‘old’.  Old as in a few weeks.  New toys are, of course, more exciting and entertaining, so now the ‘old’ toys get shoved to the back of the closet or under the bed never to be played with again.  Or maybe not. . .

I’ve noticed a phenomenon that seems to take place every time I try to donate those ’old’ toys.  When I dig them out from the depths of the closet and put them in a box destined for the donation truck all of a sudden they are the greatest toys ever!  “You can’t give it away, it’s my favorite.”  Before I know it my box is empty and all of the ‘old’ toys are now new.  Amazing how that works.

Now if you really want to get the biggest reaction ever to ‘old’ toys take some Rubbermaid bins and toss about one third to one half of the toys in it and stick the bins in the attic or garage.  Wait anywhere from three to four months and then rotate the new ‘old’ toys for the old ‘new’ toys.  Does that make sense?  It’s like Christmas every time we get the bins out of the attic.    I try to get my timing right by rotating the toys out of the attic during times like spring break, the beginning of summer, when we have a new baby, basically any time I need my kids to be self entertained.

So the next time your kids come to you and say their bored simply grab a box and start piling all of the ‘old’ toys in it and sit back and watch the old become new again.

My seven year old son loves to get a set of Legos, put it together the first time by following the included directions, and then takes them all apart and has an even better time building something new and imaginative.  There is no limit to what he can build until he runs out of pieces.  I am all about multi-task toys.  What I mean by that is, the toys can be used in hundreds of different ways and lets a kid freely use their imagination.  Even my husband uses the Legos.  He built a custom fit stand for his MP3 player and portable speakers so that they stand up. 

We keep my sons Legos under his bed in a large rolling drawer so he doesn’t have to dump them all over the floor to play with them.  It saves my feet from the pain and agony of stepping on Legos when I have to get him up in the morning.  It also, conveniently, pushes in quickly so baby can’t get to any of the pieces.

My younger kids love the Duplos (the large Legos) and I love to share these at play groups since they can be easily disinfected.  Just dump them all in the bath with some hot water and liquid dish soap, swish them around, rinse them off and let them air dry in the tub.  Better yet, throw the kids in with the Legos and just use baby soap!

There are all different types and sizes of Lego sets so you can easily find one that your kid is in to and with in your budget.  I do have to admit though that Lego sets can get pretty expensive, so here’s my recommendations on how to get the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to shopping for Legos.  Start with the basic tub of Legos that has the primary colored bricks.  See what your child likes to build with them.  Do they like to build houses?  Do they like to build boats?  Do they build castles for the princess?  Take a cue from that on what set to buy next.

Always check places like Craigslist and resale shops for Legos.  You can get some great deals on massive amounts of Legos this way.  Also check online at Amazon.com.  They have been known to have some amazing deals on certain sets of Legos.  Lego.com also has a clearance/sale section.  I bought my son a Custom Car Garage set for $30 when it was originally $70!  If you have a Lego store nearby be sure to check out the ‘wall-o-Legos’ for cool individual pieces that can be used to build your own custom creations and be sure to ask them if they have any coupons.  Tip: let the Lego Store host your kids birthday party!  Another cool tip:  the Lego Store has a free Lego night where your kid can build a mini set of Legos that usually coincide with the holiday that month.  Check lego.com for more information.  Lego also has a free magazine and catalog your kid can sign up for (my son loves to get mail).

Can you tell we love Legos?    If you have other questions or tips about Legos please feel free to share.  I’m always looking out for more fun ideas!