Toy Organization

As we have been approaching Christmas, we have been talking with Amanda about how there are several children that aren't as fortunate, and how nice it is to give to others, especially those in need. We decided to clean her room and get rid of things she once loved, and no longer plays with. As we cleaned, I decided it was also the appropriate time to organize Amanda's books and toys so that it would be easy for her to know where to put things away! I decided for her toy bins, we would take pictures of what each bin holds. I have learned that this visual is a great way to teach younger children (who don't know how to read quite yet). I laminated the photos and attached them to the fabric bins with ribbon!

   

Last year, Adam made this cute dollhouse bookshelf for Amanda...we had all intentions of finishing it with a back and painting each cubby, to create a dollhouse for Amanda's dolls but until that actually happens, it works great for storage of extra toys and books. We have found that clear plastic shoe boxes work best for storing kids toys. It is easy to see what is inside, and seems to help when it comes to picking up too. I added photo labels to these boxes as well.

Have you heard of a "toy-rotation"? We thought this would be a great thing to start implementing in our home. The idea behind it is to have a few different boxes of toys. You introduce one box to your children one week, and then at the end of that week, you "pack" those toys back up and introduce a new box. Its fun for the children and gives them a sense of having "new toys" to play with that they haven't seen for awhile. I've seen this toy rotation implemented in other friend's homes, and the children seem to enjoy it..I think we'll give it a try. 

I'm always trying to find ways to save money. I have a love for organizing anything and everything, and organizing containers can be very expensive. To save money, I often find that I can re-purpose food containers...peanut butter jars and condiment jars with the screw on lids are some of my favorites...after you peel the label off, you have a clear jar, or plastic container that works for holding small toys or kids art supplies. These containers are great for organizing kid things, but they work great in all areas of home organization. 

It's amazing how much stuff accumulates when you have children. I only have one child at the moment, I can't imagine what it will be like when we have more. Question: What are your favorite ways to organize kid "clutter"?