How to declutter toys: A guide to cleaner rooms and happier kids

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One evening, as we were getting ready for the bedtime routine, I walked into our playroom and found a huge mess.

There were toys scattered all over the floor – cars, LEGO bricks, pretend food from our toy kitchen, wooden blocks, stuffed animals, puzzle pieces, and craft supplies left behind from a project my son didn’t even finish.

It wasn’t the first time our playroom looked like this, and I knew something had to change.

As my son reluctantly started cleaning up, I realized the way we were handling toys in our home was only causing frustration and overwhelm.

I didn’t want him to play surrounded by clutter. I didn’t want to spend time every day picking up toys only to have them back on the floor a few hours later. And I didn’t want the constant nagging about cleaning up to turn into unnecessary power struggles.

So that evening, I grabbed a big empty storage box and started filling it with most of the toys on the floor. Then I took the box, along with a few larger toys, into our laundry room and set them out of sight.

At first, my plan was simple: sort through the toys the next day and find a better way to organize them.

But then, something unexpected happened.

The next day, my son played with the few toys left in his room and didn’t ask about the ones I had removed. The same thing happened the next day.

On the third day, as he was playing with his train set, he asked about a few missing toy wagons. I took them out of the box and gave them to him, and he happily returned to his play.

As I stood there, watching him move his train along the tracks in a much emptier (and cleaner) playroom, I realized what I had been missing all along.

We didn’t need better organization or faster cleanup strategies. We needed fewer toys.

Without even realizing it, that night when I removed most of the toys from the playroom was the beginning of a change that made a huge difference in our home.

It’s been a few years since that moment, and I can say without a doubt that decluttering our toys has had an incredibly positive impact on our family.

We still have times when the kids end up with too many toys (especially after birthdays or holidays), so we declutter regularly. Over time, I’ve learned a few strategies that make this process easier and more effective.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by toy clutter, here’s what has worked for us.

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The benefits of decluttering toys

As parents, we sometimes believe that having more toys will keep our kids busy longer and give us more quiet time.

But in reality, too many toys can have the opposite effect.

Here are some of the biggest benefits I’ve seen from having fewer toys in our home:

• Less overwhelm, more focus. When kids have too many toys, they jump from one to another without really engaging in deep, creative play. A simpler space allows them to focus.

• More independent play. When kids aren’t surrounded by clutter, they are less distracted, more engaged, and play for longer periods without constantly asking for attention.

• Easier cleanup. Fewer toys mean less mess and less time spent picking up after playtime.

• A calmer home. Studies show that a clutter-free environment has a positive impact on mental health, for both kids and parents.

• More appreciation for what they have. With fewer toys, kids tend to play more creatively and take better care of what they have.

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How to declutter toys the easy way

If your house feels overrun with toys and you’re ready to simplify, here’s a step-by-step guide to decluttering without the stress.

Step 1: Sort toys into 4 categories

The first step is to go through all the toys and decide what stays and what goes.

To make the process easier, create four boxes and label them:

• KEEP – Toys your child plays with regularly.
• DONATE – Toys in good condition that your child no longer plays with.
• DISCARD – Broken toys or ones with missing parts that can’t be used anymore.
• SAVE – Toys your child isn’t using right now but you want to keep (for younger siblings or later use).

Go through every toy and place it in one of these boxes. Be honest about what your child actually plays with. If a toy hasn’t been touched in months, it’s probably time to let it go.

Step 2: Remove the extras

Once the sorting is done, take action immediately:

• Donate toys as soon as possible so they don’t end up staying in your home.
• Throw away broken toys instead of keeping them out of guilt.
• Store away special toys (like sentimental ones or those for future use) in a labeled bin.

By the end of this step, you should already notice a big difference in how your space feels.

Step 3: Organize the toys you’re keeping

Now that you’re left with only the toys your child actually plays with, it’s time to organize them in a way that makes playtime easier.

There are two simple methods to do this – both work well, so you can choose the one that best fits your family’s needs.

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Option 1: The “use or store” method

This method is perfect if your child has too many toys in certain categories but you’re not ready to part with them completely.

1. Sort the remaining toys into categories – cars, dolls, building blocks, craft supplies, puzzles, stuffed animals, etc.
2. Decide how many to keep out – For each category, choose a reasonable number of toys to leave in your child’s play area.
3. Store the extras – The rest of the toys from each category go into storage.

For example, if your kids have 40 toy cars, you might keep 12 out and rotate the rest later.

With this method, your child still has access to a variety of toys, but without the overwhelming clutter. And when toys wear out or your child gets bored with the ones available, you can simply swap them out from storage without buying anything new.

This method keeps toy clutter under control while ensuring your child always has something fresh to play with.

Option 2: The toy rotation method

This is the method I first used when my oldest son was a toddler, and it’s the one I continue to use now. It’s a simple but highly effective system where you rotate toys instead of keeping everything available all the time.

Here’s how it works:

1. Choose your rotation schedule. Decide how often you want to switch out toys – weekly, monthly, or whenever your child starts to lose interest in their current selection.
2. Sort the toys into rotation bins. Divide the remaining toys into several bins, making sure each bin has a mix of different types of toys (e.g., a few cars, a puzzle, a stuffed animal, some building toys).
3. Keep only one bin out at a time. Store the rest of the bins in a closet or out of sight.

Types of toy rotation to consider:

• Weekly Rotation: Changing toys once a week (works well for stay-at-home parents with young kids).
• Monthly Rotation: A simple system where you swap toys every month.
• Random Rotation: Instead of a set schedule, rotate toys when your child gets bored with their current selection.

The beauty of toy rotation is that it makes old toys feel new again. When you bring out a toy that has been stored away for a while, kids often react as if they just got a brand-new toy.

It also means less mess to clean up, because there are fewer toys available at any given time.

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Decluttering your kids’ toys isn’t just about having a cleaner home – it’s about creating a simpler, more peaceful space where kids can truly enjoy their play.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by toy clutter, start small.

Pick one area today – a shelf, a toy bin, or even just the floor – and sort toys into the four categories. Once you see the difference, you’ll never want to go back to the clutter.

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