How to declutter and minimise your children’s toys

Ever looked around your house and wondered when it became one big children’s playroom? No matter how minimalist or tidy your home was before you had kids, without a decluttering strategy and some serious toy storage, their toys will quickly take over - and the worst part is they probably don’t even play with half of them!

That’s because children’s interests change over time, so a toy they loved 12 months ago will now likely be at the back of the toy cupboard along with all the other former best dolls, toy cars and teddy bears.

Decluttering your child’s toy collection has lots of benefits – apart from just a clearer carpet - for you, your children, your finances and the environment. If you feel it’s time to organise and reduce your toy clutter, we’ve put together a handy guide to help you get started.

Why should you declutter your children’s toys?

We all want the best for our children so it can be very easy to get caught up in the latest fad toys and gadgets. But with doting grandparents, aunties, uncles and friends also buying gifts, you can soon end up with a house full of toys.

However, there are benefits to having fewer toys - for parents, a clearer home means less mess and toys to pick up, which can reduce stress and increase focus. This works for children too. A study from the University of Toledo in Ohio found that having fewer toys can lead young children to focus and engage in more creative, imaginative play. It’s thought that children will play longer with one toy whereas having too much choice can be overwhelming and distracting, potentially causing them to lose interest. With fewer toys, they may also feel more appreciative and take better care of the ones they have.

Environmentally, it’s better too - fewer toys means less landfill waste. By opting for quality over quantity and only spending your money on toys your child will play with again and again, you’ll save money in the long-term too.

When should you get rid of toys?

The simple answer here is: when they get too old for a toy or stop playing with it. This can be hard if parents struggle to get rid of anything that has sentimental value, but try to get rid of baby and toddler toys when your child is around three.

Before you declutter, spend a couple of weeks monitoring what they play with and then hide unwanted toys away for a bit to see if your child misses them. That should give you a good idea of which toys your child enjoys playing with and which ones are just taking up precious storage space.

Then, either store the toys away for any younger siblings, donate to a charity or recycle any dirty or broken toys. It’s a good idea to do a declutter at least twice a year - this could be before birthdays and Christmas.

How to declutter toys

1. Rent a toy (or two)

A great way to see what your child likes without cluttering up your house is a toy rental service. You can regularly swap toys when they’re not being enjoyed or fully played with, which means you never have unwanted toys taking up valuable storage space. The ever-changing selection can also help to provide children with a more varied but focused playtime.

Mumsnetters say:

“I use Whirli for my son. We started when he was one and it's been really good. We have been able to play with toys and then send them back when he's bored of them. We were able to borrow toys that we just wouldn't have been able to afford, like the Wobbel Board which he loved but was bored of after three months. You don't have to deal with any packaging either which I love. The toys come in drawstring reusable fabric bags. We have swapped toys three times so far.” Renting brand recommended by Mumsnetter, drunkenflamingo2

2. Get your child involved

This is a great opportunity to teach your child how to organise and recycle. You could start doing this from around the age of three when you can explain that the toys they no longer play with can be given to someone else, whether this is passing them on to another sibling or a friend or giving them to charity.

While you may worry about upsetting your child, it can make them feel good about giving their toys to someone else. If you’re worried, try and make it fun - maybe play shops as you do it. They can also help choose where to put the toys they are keeping.

If your child has lots of one item, such as dolls or toy cars, let them decide which ones they want to continue playing with. Don’t rush them though, as you don’t want them to regret their decision later - if you’re worried, keep the toy hidden away for a while in case they ask for it.

Mumsnetters say:

“I went with ‘let’s make room for new toys, so why not give some of your toys to schools/charities for kids who need them?’ Once they hit secondary school it happened naturally. My older two cleared out their rooms and went minimal before the end of their first term of Year 7!” Top tip by Mumsnet user, GoodwithRocksandGems

“I’ve always made them have two major clear outs per year - one during Advent (there’s a tradition of preparing for Christmas and deep cleaning, etc). Then again before birthdays. We’ve never bought lots of things in one go without getting rid of the things being replaced.” Clean out tips by Mumsnetter, CherryPavlova

3. Organise into groups

This may seem obvious, but if you have toys all over the house it can be hard to keep track of how many you have. Start by grouping the toys together – so for example, all the small cars in one box, bigger vehicles in another, making sure toy sets are kept together. If they have lots of little things – think party bag toys and collectables - that have no home, group them all together in one box.

This helps you see how many of one toy your child has, so you can choose whether to get rid of some or make sure to say ‘no’ next time they ask for more at the supermarket!

Finally, label the boxes (with pictures for younger children) so everyone knows where they live when it comes to tidying up.

Mumsnetters say:

“For kids' stuff, keep a 'small toy' box for each child. Put every Kinder Surprise, Happy Meal toy, party bag toy, stuff out of crackers into that box. You can include some small things that are otherwise homeless e.g. yoyos, card games, small binoculars, magnifying glasses, etc. Occasionally they will pull it out and have a good play. Occasionally you can also sort through it and thin it out a bit. This stops a LOT of clutter in the kids’ rooms!” Organising idea by Mumsnetter, PositiveNegative

4. A toy a day…

… keeps the clutter away. If the idea of a massive overhaul sounds a bit overwhelming, why not set yourself a target of sorting a toy a day over a week or a month? You could set yourself a category a day, such as books.

For example, gather them all together and get rid of any damaged ones, any that aren’t age appropriate and any that they don’t read anymore, then put them aside for charity or recycling. Maybe try arranging the rest into sections - such as picture books, lift-the-flap and chapter books - so you can easily find your child’s favourite book at bedtime.

Mumsnetters say:

“I sold a child's board game yesterday. Just tidied up the playroom for DS3's playdate after school and realised that I need to declutter that a bit as they are outgrowing some bits - the obvious things being Orchard games, picture books and toy cars (we currently have two drawers full but that could be reduced to one).” Decluttering tip by Mumsnetter, confusedofengland

5. One in, one out

To prevent clutter gathering again, set an area for toys, such as a large shelving unit, a cupboard or a box. This will be helpful for those who live in a small flat or house. For younger children, you could have one area in a communal space and one in their bedroom.

Explain to your child that, once this area is full, they can’t have any more toys. Operate a one in, one out rule so if they want more or have Christmas or a birthday coming up, they can choose some to get rid of. This helps to teach them the value of their toys as they’ll have to think about what toys they really want in future.

Mumsnetters say:

“One big storage wall, built in if you can afford it. If it doesn’t fit there then it goes. Have furniture that doubles as storage - chests, benches with storage. Kids have to put away toys. Gift toys that aren’t used.” Storage ideas by Mumsnet user, MaryIsA

6. Organise your LEGO

If your child is a big LEGO or DUPLO fan, then there’s a good chance you have various bags, boxes and baskets full of bricks. How to organise LEGO is a frequently asked question on the Mumsnet forums and with good reason - those little pieces get everywhere!

The most common answer is to group the LEGO together. You could do this a few ways:

• Colour-coding - buy a set of drawers, such as the Mumsnetter favourite IKEA Trofast, which has various trays in different sizes and shapes, and divide the LEGO into different colours, with a drawer for characters and another for instructions. Even the children will be able to tidy this up.

• Size/type - arrange drawers into different shapes and sizes, such as flat pieces, medium bricks, etc. You can also sort them in different ranges and sets.

• Mix it up - the easiest method is to buy large stackable plastic boxes or a big drawstring bag which opens out onto the floor, and throw all the LEGO in together. After all, part of the fun from LEGO is hunting for the pieces – and it will keep your children busy for longer too.

Mumsnetters say: 

“We sort it by colour. We also have a couple of specialised drawers – bases, Chima, shinies, people, tyres and instructions. The rest are simple colours – except the brown, orange, purple drawer as we don’t have many of those.” Colour sorting idea by Mmsnetter, Spaghettio

“We have three of the shallowest IKEA Trofast trays and use those for general bricks. We've also got a selection of marge tubs and similar which can sit inside the trays. One has wheels and windscreen, one has minifigures and accessories, and one has lights and fancy bits like that. Others sometimes hold the bits of a complete set if we've sorted one out. Instructions live in an old wallet file.” LEGO sorting idea by Mumsnetter, NoCryingInEngineering

“I really don't see the point of 'sorting' LEGO, apart from by actual set of course. We just have one of those drawstring bags which opens out into a mat, and it all goes in there.” Idea suggested by Mumsnetter, RockyFlinstone

7. Rotate, rotate, rotate

If you have extra storage space, such as an attic or garage, try rotating your children’s toys. Store away a few boxes of toys and swap them when your child gets bored. You could do this by age and bring out the more advanced toys as they get a bit older.

With fewer toys around, they are more likely to play for longer and it will feel like they’re getting new toys each time.

Mumsnetters say:

“I got four big plastic crates and put a load of the toys in there and have set a reminder on my phone to swap the toys in a month. It helps with having less stuff out and also is apparently good for the kids to play better as they are not overwhelmed. When the stuff gets switched it will be like new toys as they haven't seen them for so long!” Toy rotation idea by Mumsnetter, Yorkshirepuddingforever