Another Kid Toy Question...

[chely7425]

So, I have started the process of simplifying my kids toys. We have a 2 year old and a 1 year old and another baby on the way in October. I am trying to keep the most learning oriented/imaginative/multi-use toys but I am having issues with quantities. We have a lot of books, but they love all of them. Same with puzzles. But how many cars/trucks do they need? blocks? music toys?

[Comtessa]

If you can get it from your library, I highly recommend reading Kim John Payne's Simplicity Parenting -- in his chapter on simplifying kids' toys, he offers a really well-thought-out process for choosing which toys to keep and which to toss. He also recommends stringent limits on quantities; he argues that it's difficult to properly appreciate something if you have too much of it. I think for things like books or puzzles, perhaps it might be valuable to do a rotation - like, only six books and three puzzles are out at any one time, and each month you rotate them out so there are a different six books and three puzzles available. If your kids consistently ask for a particular book or puzzle, you could make that one a permanent fixture and rotate the others. The idea is to keep the amount of accessible toys very minimal, because that helps the child focus on what's there rather than feeling a vague anxiety about having too much and needing more. For other large-quantity toys, like stuffed animals or cars, it's good to have a set number before you start trying to get rid of stuff, just keep tossing until you're under the number you've set. For things like blocks, maybe just have a particular storage container for them, and get rid of as many as you need in order to fit them all in that particular box.

Here's my personal toy-simplifying list:

KEEP:
- Beloved Toys, no matter what their condition
- toys that allow for open-ended, imaginative play
- toys that will last for a long time and serve older and younger children equally well
- toys that were gifts from somebody important, if it will create major discord in the family by getting rid of them. But if they aren't otherwise desireable (i.e., the toy cell phone from Grandma that Will.Not.Stop.Beeping), keep them in a box in the garage and pull them out when said Important Person comes to visit.

TOSS:
- toys that are missing pieces or are broken
- noisy toys that run on batteries
- toys that allow only specific, narrow kinds of play (like the everlasting beeping toy cell phone)
- toys that have gazillions of small pieces that have to be kept in order all the time
- cheap plastic toys
- toys that encourage undesireable behavior in play (this is child-specific, but we all know which toys bring out the worst in our individual children)
- toys that encourage ungodly amounts of mess (or at least severely limit the accessibility of these toys) - like glitter, stickers, silly-putty, etc.
- excess toys of all stripes, especially stuffed animals

But really - I can't recommend Kim John Payne's book highly enough, if you're in the process of simplifying. He's just great.

[love4bob]

In need that book! I have three little ones, and with all the birthdays and holidays and overly gifting in laws our playroom is overflowing! I am going to severely downsize their toys and have a garage sale.

[chely7425]

I will definitely look for that book!! I have gotten things pared down a lot compared to many of our friends, but it still just seems like too much. Especially with my younger sons birthday coming up this weekend and a hew baby in October. It would seem like NOTHING if we had a playroom but their play area is a part of our family room right by the front door...

[rere]

Maybe it would help to designate a shelving unit(or whatever)and only keep what you can fit in that space.That way there is a definite answer to "how much?".