Keep Those Toys Organized!

Laura Ingalls Wilder provides the engrossing and magical details of her life in her series of Little House books. It's in those books that we learn that although Mary had a doll, Laura played with corncob before she too received a doll one thrilling Christmas. What a different world we live in today!

Get the Kids Involved

• Keep it fun. Set a timer for a 10 minute clean-up. A timer that loudly ticks the seconds by can quickly turn this chore into a game. Once the timer is set, everyone races around putting away as many toys, books and games as possible.
• Set up some simple rules. "Put away before you walk away" is a good one. This means that kids need to put away what they are finished with before they move onto something else.
• Establish an end of the day clean up ritual. Like the other suggestions, this may take some practice, but it quickly becomes an expected habit. Some families like to clean up before dinner, others prefer cleaning up before bed. Be sure to select a time that works best for your family.

Toy Storage Solutions

• Toy boxes, shelves, storage bins on wheels and clear plastic containers are some of the more widely utilized options. Each of these storage options provides an effective solution for different types of toys.
• Keeping dress up clothes, shoes and accessories organized can be an especially challenging task.
  One idea is to mount hooks the length of one wall - one for each dress up outfit. Placing boxes or baskets below the dress up items provides storage for shoes and accessories. Or, you might prefer Play and Store Revolving Carousel which offers shelves for shoes, bins for accessories and pegs for hanging clothes. The two mirrors give little ones a way to easily admire their outfits.
• Toys with small pieces like Legos, Polly Pockets and Playmobil can be frustrating to keep track of. The Moon and Stars See and Store item is great because it is on wheels, which makes it easy to wheel from bedroom to playroom. It offers plastic see-through storage bins that allow kids to quickly see the toy they are after and carry it off in a contained way to the play place.
• Perhaps storing craft supplies is an issue in your home. If so, the 10 Tray Mobile Storage and the 12 Paper Tray Cubbie makes a great solution, especially when combined. The 10 Tray Mobile Storage can hold beads, glue, markers and more, while the 12 Paper Tray Cubbie can hold a variety of papers.

Whatever storage solution, or combination of solutions you decide on, keeping the kids involved and maintaining some simple, easy to follow rules will help to keep clutter to a minimum.