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Did we all start off by saying “my house will never be overtaken by children’s toys!”….or was that just me?!

Throughout the first year of my firstborns life I was so pleased with myself. My daughter had lovely toys, just enough to keep her engaged but not too many to struggle to store neatly….

After that, the toy situation just exploded.

And so did my tolerance.

We have an average sized house but storage is always a bit of an issue, and I just didn’t want to sit and look at a bunch of toys spilling out of a toy box every evening after my daughter had gone to bed. Plus, there were too many different toy sets with different parts that needed matching together all the time- it was just more stressful than I wanted it to be.

As more of my day was spent tripping over toys (especially as I got pregnant again and became bigger and more unbalanced!) and more time during my evenings was spent faffing about with toys, I decided we needed to change our system.

I’d heard about toy rotations but had decided they were more time and hassle than they were worth, but it turns out it was going to be essential. I needed to reclaim some time in my day EVERY DAY for me, so that is exactly what I did.

What is a toy rotation system?

A toy rotation is a system of organising children’s toys by giving them access to a limited number at any given time. Parents typically do toy rotation by packing away some of their children’s toys temporarily and presenting them with a fresh set of toys to play with.

As a result, when you get the next set of toys out, the experience is always new and exciting, even though they’ve actually had them for a while. This technique engages your child’s creativity, increases their focus, and (best of all!) reduces clutter around the house.

Why is toy rotation important?

Toy rotation can actually play a crucial role in children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development. It encourages children to play independently, which fosters their problem-solving skills and stimulates their imagination. Moreover, toy rotation can help address child behavior problems such as tantrums and boredom (if that isn’t a win-win situation then I don’t know what is!).

Having only a few toys available at a time enables children to focus and play with their toy effectively. It prepares children to become organised, systematic and encourages good habits for their future. All of these things also benefit you as a parent (mostly by giving you time to finish a coffee whilst its still hot more frequently!).

So how does toy rotation work?

The toy rotation system is a simple process that involves clearing out some of the toys from children’s playrooms and storage areas. Keep a small set of toys to play with here each day, and pack away the rest of their toys into boxes.

You can label these boxes with different categories such as seasonal toys, dress-up toys, musical equipment and so on, or (as we do) just lay them out on a shelf to make it easier for you when toy rotation day comes around!

This is our toy storage shelf, inside a built-in cupboard… It ain’t pretty, but it holds the toys we need…for now…!

You can choose how often you switch toys up. Depending on the age of your children, their interests and your time(!), this could be every two weeks or monthly for example. For me, every two weeks works best (because I also get bored of playing the same toys with her over and over again after a while!).

Always ensure that the toys you keep out are easy to store when the rotation is over. Toy Rotation requires conscientiousness and enthusiasm for trying new things with children, but with the tips I’m giving you below, you’ll find that it’s easy to incorporate into your life.

Are you ready to have less toy clutter around your house every day, and quicker tidy-up times? Then lets go…

1. Sort out your child’s toys

Before you start implementing toy rotation, begin by dividing your child’s toys into groups such as dolls, cars, blocks, and musical equipment. Then, pick out one or two toys from each group as well as toys that provide foundational skills like sensory play, fine and gross motor skills, problem-solving and strategic thinking skills. Ideally, you shouldn’t have more than 10 toys out and available at once.

I do like to have some of my kids’ favourite toys out all of the time. If they absolutely love to play with something every day then there is no benefit to withholding that joy from them. A couple of the most treasured toys never make it back into the storage cupboard, and that is okay.

2. Use storage boxes

Once you’ve decided on the toys you’re putting into the daily rotation, choose a suitable box with a lid that will fit them. Ensure all items fit comfortably and aren’t overcrowded or hard to put away when playtime is over.

This one is basically just to make YOUR life easier. If it’s easy for your kids to tidy their toys before they go to bed, then that is one less battle on your hands and one less thing you will end up doing in your ‘me time’ once your kids are in bed for the evening.

3. Use a schedule

Create a schedule that works for your home and your child’s schedule, as well as something that feels manageable to you. You could keep a rotating schedule based on the day of the week if you have the energy and motivation or switch toys out each month.

Whatever you choose, just ensure that you give your child enough time to explore and enjoy each set of toys before switching them. If switching them too often becomes a chore for you and you struggle to keep up then just extend the amount of time between rotations! Don’t make it difficult for yourself, you need to balance family life out, and that includes taking your own capacities into consideration.

4. Include them in the process

Children love to help out, and they will be excited to assist in the toy rotation process. Ask them to help you pack away the toys you have chosen, switch them up, and dispose of any broken or worn-out toys.

Getting your child into the habit of acknowledging when they have outgrown their toys is another benefit of the toy rotation system. Talking to your child about giving their unwanted toys to charity for other children to play with, or to sell on in order to generate money for new toys is a life lesson that, like a muscle, develops well with practice.

5. Place the toys in clear containers

Organise your toys in whatever way works for you and your child, but consider, for example, storing puzzle boxes in clear plastic boxes that will allow your child to easily find what they are looking for.

Once again, making things easy for your child to find and tidy away their toys means less time spent asking you where something is or tidying up afterwards! This takes a small amount of groundwork from you but will save you time in your day- every day!- in the long run. Think of the long term gains and go for these!

6. Don’t forget to bring back toys

Sometimes you will notice that every time you bring out a certain toy, your child doesn’t even look at it, it always gets left in the box. If this is the case then you might need to consider if perhaps it is a bit too advanced for your child and is better kept for them as they get older, or perhaps they just don’t know what it is or how to play with it. You may be able to sit with them for five minutes and play with them to show them what it is and see if that changes anything for them.

If they still don’t play with it then you can have a discussion with your child and see if it is a toy that they are ready to donate to charity or sell it on.

Either way, use the toy rotation as a great way to be constantly trimming down your toy supplies to make sure you aren’t holding on to things that you don’t need.

We have known for a long time now that children’s toys play an essential role in building the foundation for their future growth and development. However, managing a child’s toys can be overwhelming for any parent. Toy rotation helps minimize toy clutter in the house and makes the child’s environment constantly new and engaging, encouraging independent play.

Implementing a toy rotation system is relatively easy and requires only a little effort from parents once it is set up initially. With these tips, you can create an exciting and effective toy rotation system that is engaging for your children and frees up a whole bunch of time for you!

Now, how can you spend the time saved every evening on yourself, doing something you love, instead of on your hands and knees tidying up heaps of toys…?

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