It’s that time of year where the weather gets gloomy and the kids head inside to play more. Create a space that makes it fun for them and easy on you.

• Create a space for toys. This may be in a dining room you never use (small children tend to play more when they are closer to where the activity in the house happens and when is the last time you used that dining room), their bedroom, a loft or extra bedroom.
• Get rid of all toys they no longer love. A great time to do this is before Christmas or a birthday where they know they will need to make space for new toys. It is also a good practice to teach children to part with the toys they no longer play with and pass them along to children who are less fortunate.
• Sort toys by category into bins. Remember this is a system that must be very general and easy to maintain. Find bins that are easy for your children to manage. Label containers with words and/or pictures depending on the age of the child. Labels help them maintain the order created.
• Maintain the order daily. Set aside 10 minutes at the end of the day to clean up the toys played with that day. Crank up some fun music, set a timer and make the time together fun. This will leave the room peaceful and inviting for the next day of play.

It is never too early to teach your children to organize and be generous. This time of year is the perfect time to help your kids go through their toys and choose ones to donate to those in need – right before they get new toys at Christmas. Yes, it is always easy to do it yourself but creating a space where children can maintain organization will teach them valuable skills and give them confidence.

At Practical Solutions, we are glad to work with you and your children, helping them make decisions on their toys and showing them how to organize their toys. Call (909)307-4862 to schedule a free consultation!