Theresa shares some toy organization wisdom…
This past week, I have been trying to de-clutter my life. I am trying to tackle all of the piles, projects and lists. I have projects that I have started and need to finish…..piles of papers, piles of laundry, and piles of dishes. And, then there are toys all over the house. And this week, I decided to tackle the toys.
After the holidays, our house was filled with so many toys. But, a few months of playing with all the toys, I realized that my 3 year old daughter wasn’t playing with many at all. I often found myself saying to her to play with this toy or that toy—all these toys lying around our house and she wasn’t playing with them. I could see the dust!!!!
Recently, I was reminded about the importance of organizing toys as our house was getting out of control. Organizing toys will allow your children to actively engage in learning through play. Play supports research on brain development. Rotating and organizing toys allows children to focus. When there are too many toys, children become over-stimulated and they engage in scattered play—less focused and wasted play. And, this scattered play doesn’t allow children to master skills. So, when it comes to a play room, less is more to allow for brain stimulating play experiences.
How does someone rotate toys? My friend shared a wonderful blog with a guideline to accomplish this task. Check it out: http://thelittlestories.com/three-lessons-from-rotating-toys/
So, I still have piles of laundry and papers around my house. But, I may be able to dive into them knowing that my children are actively playing with their toys in an organized and simplified play room.
“Simplicity Parenting—Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids” by Kim John Payne is an informative parenting book to support simplifying life as a parent.