Toys

[1963]

My kids (boys of 3 and 7) like everyone elses have hundreds and hundreds of toys, all the toys have bits and all the bits get messed up. I am at the end of my tether with them, almost ready to chuck them all out and let them make do with lego. Half the toys aren't even played with, the other half are thrown around rather than used. I am failing utterly at keeping order and the mess is becoming depressing. What strategies have others used for decluttering/managing the toy mountain (and getting kids to actually play with their toys?)

you have to spend a couple of hours filing it into different boxes, it takes ages but it's worth it.

empty the lot out in a pile. i always find old biscuits in ours too

bin bags are my only strategy

I quietly throw then out bit by bit. They only play with their cars anyway. I have four huge toy boxes staked, never touched. Awful waste of money.

I've sorted the toys out into cars/jigsaws/musical instruments/tea set/train into baskets.

The put three quarters of them away (top of wardrobes) and only have 1 or 2 baskets out at a time.

Rotate weekly/fornightly.

Keeps everything tidy and makes sure ds is interested in 'fresh new' toys to play with.

ooo i started a thread similar to this a while ago ! just wanted to throw all of my dc's toys away . they dont play with hardly any of them, they just get left all over the floor by them or any other little visitors so have made up 4 boxes with a mix of toys in each and bring one out each day so they have a new batch each morning - dd has her dolls etc upstairs as well but it seems to work and i dont have piles to clear up each day! also have organised types of toys into boxes as well, lego, puzzles etc - seems to be working!

I think I am going to have to get some very good storage in the attic (which is bunged at present) and keep almost everything in there and only let out one or two things at a time. Thanks for inspiration. I am glad to know that there are those who just throw the stuff out - my plan B. In fact I am planning to get cheques from relatives for Xmas/birthdays from now on and they can buy themselves something useful when they get a bit older instead of this endless stream of tat...

storage boxes/baskets stacked (ottoman type) and rotate toys peridically. DS is only 13 months, but we have 1 large ottoman type thing and 2 smaller baskets FULL to the brim of toys, so we rotate them now.

Put away the ones YOU hate and if they don't ask about them for a couple of weeks get rid.

Rotation is an excellent idea. I always MEANT to do it ...

They'll tip out whatever is in front of them so use drawers, storage boxes so they and their friends actually have to DECIDE what to play rather than just emptying stuff looking for inspiration.

Then think of ways to stop some of the stuff actually coming into the house ...that's a whole different thread.