Last weekend, my husband Tim and I finally buckled down and teamed up (see what I did there?) to tackle our boy’s ever increasing toy collection and I wanted to share my new rotating bin system and other tips on how to organize toys. I hope this post makes it easier for you if you are in the same dilemma!
1. Make a Goal
My goal was to get the toys out of their main room and into their closet (no matter how many we would have to part with). It’s not that they have so many toys, but the fact we live in an apartment without a playroom or basement, so our space is limited.
2. Choose a System: Rotating Bins for Us!
The system we decided on was bin rotation.
We got six tubs (or five and one basket to be replaced by a tub), and plan on taking out one bin a week to play with.
Each box has a variety of toys, and they are not allowed to open the other bins. We chose this because it keeps their toys relatively novel and they can throw all the toys in the bin quickly for clean up.
When they had access to all of their toys at all times, it was more fun for them to get them all out, and it would take too much time to put them away in the correct spots.
3. Sort the Toys
Once we laid our bins out, we sorted the toys into them. Since we had six big trucks, each bin got a truck, since we have 60 or more matchbox cars, each bin got ten cars, each bin got a puzzle, an action figure, etc. No worries if not every bin has one of each, it’s fun to have a variety.
We also kept a few bins of toys out, things that are only fun if you have all the pieces, like their train table trains/ tracks/buildings, and nerf guns/ammo.
4. Finish Up: Donate, Store, or Throw Away
Overall, once we figured out our goal, and chose a storage system, we were able to move through pretty quickly and got it done in a couple hours.
We were able to take out a lot of toys that could either stored for a new baby, donated to Goodwill, and tossed broken toys. It was also a good time to replace all the batteries as needed.
This system has been working out really great for us, and we enjoy getting to see what’s in the bin for this week!
I hope you liked this fifth edition of my spring bucket list; see these other posts on having a picnic, flying a kite, playing in the rain, and taking a nature walk.
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@lisarimke is my username and I’m sharing how I’m squeezing the fun out of the season. You can join me, with #tinyorangesspring; post your fun adventures, recreation or feel-good spring favorites with other local moms like our own for inspiration, too! Also find Tiny Oranges’ (@tinyorangesoc) Insta-feed too!
This spring my daughter and me donated half of her toys and she was so proud of herself. The other half we cleaned – stuffed animals in the washing machine, bath toys in the dishwasher (because we found some mold in them), other were washed or wiped too. Now she has brand new labeled containers and the toys are not so much, but enough to play with and to pick up when cleaning. Greets!