12 mo - how many toys does he need out each day?

[shoobaloo]

DS is 12 mo and the front room of our flat is becoming overrun with his toys. How many toys does a 12 mo need a day to play with? I really want to get into this 'rotation' thing where he has some toys 'hidden away' that get swapped with the ones that are out once a week so that he's always got something 'new' to play with, but I don't know how many things he should have out at one time. His toys range from various shape sorters, to stacking cups, to electronic musical things, various rattles etc and loads of board books, building blocks, mini footballs!!!. I worry also that at the moment he isn't learning about 'concentration' because there are SO many toys out to choose from that he skips from one to the other. Sorry for being so long!

anyone?

I tried to do this with my DS 18months. I have toys sorted into types in boxes and get one or two boxes down each time.............for about 2 days then I get bored with picking them all up again so I just let him have it all out and he generally plays with what he wants. It is this that has allowed him to develop concentration, well two minutes or more on a toy!

I would imagine that if you were told what to play with rather than choosing you wouldn't persevere with it.

I wouldn't worry about not "learning concentration" at this tender age, but I do think when they have too many things around they just get them all out and don't really play with any of them.

I did the sorting into baskets thing, and it works really well. DS now old enough to be able to ask for specific things if they are not out, but is always excited to re-discover stuff that's been away for a while. At the moment he's mainly playing with tons of duplo, a small basket of farm and jungle animals and half a dozen assorted vehicles. That, along with the books,a nd his wheelybug, which never get put away, seems to be enough in one go.