Emily Chan
Divide Keepers Into Categories
Next, divide the remaining toys into several different categories. You can sort them however you want, but here are some common categories that make organization easier.
- Action-oriented toys: These toys, such as balls, tricycles, and frisbees, encourage your child to move around, targeting their gross motor skills.
- Arts and crafts: These might include crayons, coloring books, stickers, paint, and clay, facilitating creativity.
- Books
- Building toys: Things like stacking blocks/cups and Legos help with fine motor skills.
- Musical toys: Small pianos, drums, shakers, etc can fall under this category.
- Pretending toys: These toys target social and emotional development while allowing your child to expand their imagination. They include kitchen sets, stuffed animals, and costumes.
- Thinking toys: Games, puzzles, and shape sorters contribute to cognitive development.
Create Sets Of Toys
Compile sets of toys, including a toy from each category, and put each set into separate rotation boxes. You can create three to six sets. Think about how your child will play with the items and provide opportunities for creativity. Save yourself some trouble by keeping toys of the same character or theme together.
When you’re done curating each set, pack them into boxes and label them with quick descriptions so you can find things easily. Store them somewhere that’s out of your child’s sight. If you’re getting questions about where the other toys are, tell your child those toys are on vacation and will be returning soon.
Place In-Rotation Toys In Plain View
Set up an area where the toys that are in rotation are on display. Then, you can cycle out the toys with ease. You can rotate the toys however often you want. There are no established rules you have to follow when it comes to toy rotations. The key is to be flexible. For example, if your little one enjoys playing with a certain toy every day, there’s no reason to tuck it away.
