5 Questions to Help You Declutter Kid’s Toys

Decluttering your kids’ toys can be a really tough task! There’s a lot of memories and emotion attached to many of these items. But, kids don’t typically gravitate toward every single toy they are given, plus they may lose interest in some of their old toys. These items tend to be either very big and bulky, or have lots of little pieces that can be easily lost. So, it’s a good category to regularly assess if everything needs to be kept. These questions will help you stay on track!

The Questions

1. Does it work?

   Let go of anything with missing pieces or broken parts.

2. Does your child play with it daily?

   It's pretty easy to see which toys your child gravitates toward, versus the ones that are rarely touched. Try putting some of the lesser used toys out of sight for a few weeks and see if your child asks for them. If not, donate them!

3. Is this something I want for my child and in my house?

   Kids receive tons of presents all the time - their own birthday parties, other kids' birthday parties, every holiday, every school holiday, etc. I suggest asking yourself if you chose this item to be a part of your child's life, or if you inherited it from somewhere else. If you don't love it and you didn't choose it, that's an easy buh-bye.

4. Is there empty space for my child to feel calm and get creative?

   Look around your child's play space (whether that's their bedroom, your living room, or any other space where you may keep their toys). If the room is cluttered, children can feel easily overwhelmed by too much choice. Leave blank space for them to be creative, and for each toy to really stand out! You'll be surprised by how often kids play with the same toy over and over again simply because they can't see past the clutter to pick out something new.

5. Is it educational, inclusive, and in line with our values?

   Not every toy has to have educational value, but really making sure that you are familiar with each toy in your kids’ space and making sure they are there with intention will make you feel good. Make sure your collection is inclusive by including books that teach about different countries and cultures, make believe that includes a whole span of careers, and dolls that don’t all look the same.

Where To Donate Kid’s Toys?

The Department of Public Social Services is doing a toy loan out program to children of low-income families. Check this link for a list of drop off centers!

Post your donation items online to Freecycle or your local Buy Nothing group for people in your community to pick up.

This list is constantly changing, but check to see if there’s a current location that needs donations in response to a natural disaster or unfortunate event.

Check your county for your nearest Toys for Tots campaign!

Sustainable Toy Storage

When we are organizing a playroom or kid’s room, we are always on the look out for plastic free storage options like cloth baskets and bins without any metal sharp edges.

Cotton baskets are always super cute for playrooms and can hold big bulky items like stuffed animals. The Marie Kondo line from The Container Store comes in a selection of super cute colors. Their collapsable bins with pom poms are adorable as well! Also check out the cotton baskets from Our Green House. For storage popped onto shelves, we LOVE hyacinth bins (for everything, not just toys). There’s several sizes and they are incredibly versatile and can work in most spaces. We’re also loving these felt bins made from recycled plastic from Verishop - these would be great for smaller toys like dolls, characters, or toy cars.