Toy rotation?

[allie1079]

Ok, I feel like I'm constantly complaining that the toys are winning the war in our house. Anyone use a toy rotation system to cut down on the clutter? How do you do it? How often do you rotate? I need a system badly.

[Deleted]

I don't have a system, but I will probably be following this. I find that we have some toys that she loved, but seems like she's getting bored with them.

[ashiscute]

I rotate big toys but not smaller ones. Books, puzzles, crafts are never rotated.

But we have a small trampoline, slide, big racetrack, kitchen, dollhouse, big little people castle, basketball hoop, etc that are rotated every couple of weeks. We do not currently have a finished basement but are very much hoping to finish it soon and then we can leave all of the big stuff down there and just have smaller stuff up here.

I definitely do not have a system but just notice when a toy is losing it's appeal it's time to go away and bring back a new block set or whatever.

[penguin129]

I set out to start a toy rotation system and put some toys in a storage bin in DD's room and organized the rest. I use a bin system, 3 shelves on a book shelf, and a large storage bin (our toy box) for toys that she is currently playing with. I haven't switched anything out yet. I just started doing this the 2nd week in January. I like rotating out larger toys. We have 5 or so push toys in the living room now. It would definitely free up space. I guess I will be working on this tomorrow.

[earthian]

We have that same problem with there being too many toys. We don't have a "system" really, other than we only keep a few toys out, and once I notice that dd isn't playing with one often, I'll switch it with one that is put away.

Always something different to keep her entertained.

[masonjar]

We don't really have a system. I do what earthian does.

Toys accumulate sooo quickly.

[mrslka]

I do exactly what @daisyblinks does. It works great with my kids. There are a few toys that don't get out through the rotation (wood train set, play kitchen, a couple of the tonka trucks) but everything else does. It keeps then more interested in the current toys and less clutter.

[allie1079]

Feb 17, 2015 17:55:19 GMT -5 @daisyblinks said:

We rotate. I have all the toys in bins and we store some in the basement and then I really just rotate them out whenever I feel like it. I really just keep sets of similar toys seperate--so like we'll only have one riding toy out at a time, one little people set, one set of blocks, 3-4 stuffed animals (not including the ones he sleeps with, those are out all the time), one "large toy" (a tent, a basketball hoop, a largish activity table) I used to rotate books too but now they're all out. Art supplies and puzzles are always out. 

I really like less clutter and I feel like it's just less overwhelming that way. I probably rotates about every 3 weeks and I don't usually rotate every category at once.

I really like this idea of having one of each type of toy out at time. Going to have to give this a try.

[allie1079]

Thanks for the ideas everyone! I'm definitely going to try rotating the large toys too.

[hlm184]

Going to be trying soon.

Can't really rotate the larger things since I don't have the storage space for them anywhere but the playroom. Might swap one or two between the nursery and the playroom though. For smaller things I am going to fill up a plastic bin and set it away for a month, then on the first bring it back and fill it up with different toys, etc.

[redfraggle]

When they are being played with frequently, toys stay in the living room because we spend most of our time there. If they are particularly messy or bulky, I tend to keep them in the playroom in the basement (finished), where we go several times a week to play. (Not every day because it is kind of dark down there and kind of a pain to help DD up and down the stairs.) When things aren't getting played with, I move them into the storage room and rotate other toys out. The kids seem pretty happy with this system. I've thrown some things out when they got junky and had DS ask about them later. He gets upset when I have to throw it out, but if it is just in storage, he is usually happy because I can go get it for him.

[Deleted]

Find all the annoying toys place in box/tub. Pull out old box of obnoxious toys that give me the least feeling of dread.

Do at midnight for least chance of toddler involvement!

[Deleted]

I am a huge fan of the toy rotation! At our house, it weeds out the toys that the kids don't play with very much, too.

I have big rubbermaid bins that are filled with toys that I rotate out. About every two weeks I change out the toys. However, things that are played with every day (e.g. blocks) stay out for longer until they're no longer fun.

I find it works best to pay attention to what gets played with and what doesn't. It can feel like slap in the face if they don't want to play with stuff that you've paid a lot of money for, or was a gift or what have you, but children generally have SO many toys that it really isn't the biggest deal if you end up selling/giving away some toys that they don't like.

[namastebiotches]

Feb 17, 2015 20:53:04 GMT -5 masonjar said:

We don't really have a system. I do what earthian does.

Toys accumulate sooo quickly.

Ditto this.
Or when he goes crazy with one, that gets put away for a little while.

[brynnlux]

I rotate seasonal books and toys (like the holiday books and stuff and santa claus train and junk like that), plus toys that she's getting bored of. I keep 'outside' toys and crafty stuff put away in an outside storage thingy on our patio. Her other toys that are out of rotation are in the top of her closet or in my room.

Sometimes I have to take a toy away from her (like if she throws it, tries to tear it up, or uses it to hit) and I hold it for ransom until she earns it back by doing a chore. Because it takes her so long to earn things back sometimes they end up in the rotation sometimes because she's like, "meh".

She has a giant dollhouse that never gets taken out of rotation just because its huge. 'Soft Pals' a.k.a. stuffed animals don't get taken out of rotation because she loves and plays with every. single. one. God help me. Puzzles, coloring books, and that stuff stay in all the time too. 

Right now the stuff in rotation is: her baby doll pretend play stuff, play food stuff, legos, toy train, my little pony and littlest pet shop and palace pets crap, the dollhouse and dollhouse accessories, her bazillion stuffed animals, and a bin full of odds of ends that were picked off the street (sticks and rocks and pinecones) or stuff she stole from me (kitchen stuff, brushes or compacts from my purse, a collection of qtips, a mesh bag, a torn up knee high pantyhose leg...)

Out of rotation: Duplos and wooden blocks, abacus, nesting dolls, cars, all things Frozen, dress up play stuff, barbies and similar dolls, magnet play toys, and her bells and whistles noisy electronic stuff. 


Editing to say this: 

For Christmas and Birthday (and sometimes more often) we get rid of one toy for every new thing she gets. I used to just get rid of the stuff that she was bored with and hadn't played with in over 3 months or so but now I ask her to pick some things she's ready to part with. She has a cousin a couple of years younger than her who gets her old toys so she knows where they are going and she feels good about it. It REALLY helps keep things under control and my SIL loves getting the new toys. Win win for everyone!