To many toys, to few toys... help.. whats in your playroom?

[ohiomommy1122]

I have a 9, 4, 2, anmd 1 year old and we used to have A TON of toys but have goptton rid of at least half now we have 2- 9 cube toy shelf organizers semi full of toys plus a train table and lots of wooden blocks and a play kitchen. All my kids seem to do is throw the toys around the room and never actually play with the toys, do I have to many that thay are overwhemled not enough or just not the right toys for my kids.

I do have more toys put away and I roate monthly to keep things fresh and move furnature around but these kids just don;t play...

Whats is in your toy room ?

Do you have a lot?

Or just a few select toys?

[mommariffic]

We don't have a play room per say, but the living room has:

Wooden play kitchen & little purple wooden fridge
Tree house
Barn & assorted farm animals
Baskets with: blocks (colored and tree stump) and little fairies/dolls
Books galore
And just random puzzles and things like that

In the "piano room" which is some random front room I have:
Art desk
Art caddy & supplies
Music basket


Honestly, I don't mind having "too many toys" as long as they get played with on a daily basis. We are home a lot, and I homeschool and I like to have options.

[jldumm]

we have three toy bins that i rotate the toys every 2 weeks or so. right now we have dolls, puzzles, and kitchen pots and food. There is a toy kitchen dollhouse and lots and lots of books. in the living room. the kids play with these things and so much more. my kitchen dishes, paper, cardboard, washcloths, etc.

It seems to be working. we just switched over to this more streamlined system a few months ago.

[BunnySlippers]

I only have one kiddo, but we have next to nothing in terms of toys as she is not much for playing with them. She has a friend a few doors down and when they get together they bring out thier LPS(littlest pet shops) and play for hours with them. Or she will take them to the tub.

The living room/kitchen (which make up the main floor of our very tiny house) contains board games on a shelf, her two budgies, and a cupboard of crafts.
(and our dogs of course- but she usually plays with them in the yard).

Her bedroom has a dollhouse, a basket of silks, and a doll or two, plus some doll clothes, her LPS, a skip-it, and a few random things.

The basement has some back up doll clothes and dolls in a tote if ever there is need of more, and the play kitchen which does not get used.

Oh and we have a big book shelf upstairs.

I am thinking of adding a piano to the main floor, and a trampoline to the backyard. There really isn't a need for more to do, but she has expressed an interest on a regular basis for these items, so I am considering them (If I can get decent used ones).

She spends hours outside playing with nature, her imagination, and the dogs. I think the more you have, the less there is to do.

[Alyantavid]

We don't have a ton of toys, but we do have a big, very sturdy, plastic bin they go in. DS2 discovered some "new" toys at the bottom the other day and played for hours.

For us, it's all about how it's organized. I've switched the playroom around a dozen times and I think I finally found the perfect setup. We have a table and bookshelf for homeschool/crafty type things. We have a corner with a couch and tv for movies or video games. And then they have the toy area. I blocked off part of the room with the couch so behind is where all the toys go. It keeps them from getting spread over the entire room and since I have it this way, nobody gets in someone else's way.

I probably would clear some toys out. I used to rotate toys, but I don't anymore. There seems to be something coming in all the time, so I just get rid of the older toys they don't play with anymore.

[joanna0707]

We do have a small playroom by the kitchen but not to many toys in there, some cars and trains, animals, blocks and lego, art supplies. Instruments, balls and books are kept in the living room. I want to add a small playstove to the playroom with some pots and wooden veggies, playsilks, rope and clothespins are also on my list.

[Linda on the move]

I think that part of the problem is that you have a 1 year old and a 2 year old, and that they are both boys, and that you have 2 other kids!

Seriously, I don't think it matters what you do about the toys, I suspect your house will be bedlam for awhile. (Sorry I have no advice, just awe that you keep up the laundry and keep them all fed! )

[mrspineau]

We have a lot of toys. But we also have a large playroom and livingroom area and lots of storage and organization. For us the amount of toys doesn't matter so long as the house is clutter free and organized. so as long as our space can accomodate new toys, we don't set a limit on how many the kids can have. We don't allow toys to be all jumbled up together in a big bin/toy box, so there is a spot for the cars, a spot for the blockes, etc. so it doesnt really matter how many cars are in the box to us, kwim?

[mrspineau]

We have a lot of toys. But we also have a large playroom and livingroom area and lots of storage and organization. For us the amount of toys doesn't matter so long as the house is clutter free and organized. so as long as our space can accomodate new toys, we don't set a limit on how many the kids can have. We don't allow toys to be all jumbled up together in a big bin/toy box, so there is a spot for the cars, a spot for the blocks, etc. so it doesn't really matter how many cars are in the box to us, kwim?

[MJB]

My kids have:
-stuffed animals (one big basket full)
-Legos
-Schleich animals
-puzzles
-blocks
-cars
-Playmobil (only a couple small sets)
-trains

And of course art supplies and books. We also have a Wii and outdoor stuff (balls of all kinds, bikes, a scooter). I'd say the puzzles, blocks, Playmobil, cars and trains would not be missed if they vanished. They are rarely played with. They play with their Legos and stuffed animals every single day, and with Schleichs fairly often. They play Wii for 30 minutes a day and use the outdoor stuff almost every day (bikes, scooters, and soccer balls especially).

[junipermuse]

who's doing the throwing? If its the toddlers, it may not have anything to do with how many toys you have, its just kind of the the way toddlers are. If its the older kids there could be a couple of issues. I often have found that certain kids are throwers and certain aren't. It can help to reduce the amount of toys the kids have access to down to a bare minimum to break the habit of throwing them around, and then slowly add the rest back in as they learn. Also is there enough for the older kid to do. Sometimes older children can be destructive in environments that are more appropriate for younger children. If the activities available aren't challenging or interesting enough than they entertain themselves by acting inappropriately in the environment. I know I see this from big siblings in the baby play place at the local children's museum. The baby activities no longer hold their interest, so the big kids are climbing and jumping and running around in ways that are inappropriate for the space (not saying the behavior is inappropriate of course, just that it isn't safe for babies). Maybe you need to set up an area for your oldest child to play with his more sophisticated toys away from the younger kids. Also It may not be the amount of toys but the kind of toys, you know. So it sounds like maybe what your kids really want right now is a place to use their gross motor skills. Is it possible you could put most of the small toys away (or at least in a closed cabinet) and turn the space into a big movement area. I would fill a laundry basket with balls that are okay for inside (i like gertie balls and O-balls). I would get some push toys (like shopping carts or wagons) for the toddlers. A laundry basket of stuffed animals would be good because they are safe to throw and the little ones could use them to fill the shopping cart or wagon. You could get some floor cushion or large pillows as well which would be great for laying on, or piling up and jumping into. You could even look into getting a very low small trampoline, they make one's with a handle for kids to hold while jumping. I don't know I could be way off base, but I just thought if the kids were just throwing things around, maybe they aren't currently interested in playing with regular toys per se. Good luck figuring it out.

[ohiomommy1122]

Originally Posted by junipermuse

. Is it possible you could put most of the small toys away (or at least in a closed cabinet) and turn the space into a big movement area. I would fill a laundry basket with balls that are okay for inside (i like gertie balls and O-balls). I would get some push toys (like shopping carts or wagons) for the toddlers. A laundry basket of stuffed animals would be good because they are safe to throw and the little ones could use them to fill the shopping cart or wagon. You could get some floor cushion or large pillows as well which would be great for laying on, or piling up and jumping into. You could even look into getting a very low small trampoline, they make one's with a handle for kids to hold while jumping. I don't know I could be way off base, but I just thought if the kids were just throwing things around, maybe they aren't currently interested in playing with regular toys per se. Good luck figuring it out.

good ideas!. It is the really 2 yr old doing all of the throwing he takes EVERYTHING off of every shelf dumps all bins out on the floor then when thats done he starts throwing toys and putting all toys in ine big tub then dumping them all over himself and everywhere again. Very into the dump and fill stuff. ( but not and of the dump and fill toys lol)Then it;s a HUGE mess for me to clean up because everything has its place in our house, maybe I do need to get rid of all little stuff for awhile and fill with bigger stuff. I do have a mini trampoline with the bar that I have never put together ( hubby says its a hazard) not anymore than jumping on the bed, probably safer!.

I love all of your ideas they are all so great thanks