How to Declutter Toys for Kids (A Helpful Guide)
The one thing I hear from mom friends is how stressed they are about their kids’ toys. Their kids have a lot of toys and they don’t know what to do with them. They feel overwhelmed and stressed by the number of toys in their home. It shouldn’t be this way. Our homes should be our peaceful havens, our resting places when the world feels out of hand. Several years ago, that was me, and now, as a mom of 5, I’m so thankful for the decluttering journey I started years ago in our itty bitty old house with 5 of us. That journey led me to figure out how to declutter toys for kids in a way that actually works—and lasts.
I’m guessing since you’ve landed on this page, maybe you’re that mom, too, and you’re not alone! It’s time to stop feeling overwhelmed and stressed, and it’s time to gain the peace back into your home you’ve been missing! I’ve written this post with you and even your children’s toys in mind. I break down step-by-step how to declutter toys for kids. By the end, you’ll be prepared and motivated to declutter those toys, mama! So hang on, here we go!
Why Decluttering is Important
The health benefits of decluttering have been shown to reduce stress and anxiety and help improve your mood and focus. But decluttering does more than improve your overall health and mood. It instantly gives you more space, organizes more easily, and saves so much time cleaning! What’s not to love? These benefits aren’t just for you either, younger kids and older kids will have less stress and overwhelm with fewer toys! They will discover being creative and the joys of independent play. And yes, decluttering becomes addictive! Once you get started, you’re not going to want to stop!
​Too Many Toys = Less Play
You might be asking yourself how too many toys can equal less play. But here’s the thing, having less toys leads to more focused and independent play, especially for young children. When kids have fewer toys in their toy collection, they’re less likely to be distracted, overstimulated, and can engage on a deeper level with what they’re playing with. This is especially true for those open-ended toys like blocks. Blocks do not have a single function and so they can spark the imagination to be used in a variety of ways.
If you find your child is constantly moving back and forth from one toy to the next without actually playing, this is a sign they’re overstimulated because of the number of choices they have of what to play with. So, cutting down the toys and choosing better options is truly the best way to foster creativity and calm for you and your child.
Declutter Toys for Kids Step-By-Step
Who Helps Declutter Toys for Kids
I’m often asked if kids should participate in the decluttering process. This is a personal preference; you make the best decision for your family, but it’s a good idea to take into consideration your children’s ages (older kids vs. younger kids). Generally, my children do help, especially when it comes to their toys. Sometimes this can become difficult because you may have a child who wants to keep everything. I understand that, as I’ve had children who have done the same. A great way to encourage children to let go of toys they don’t use or play with anymore is to allow them to give their toys away to another child or take them to a donation center where the toys will be given to someone in need. This is a perfect opportunity to teach your children responsibility, generosity, and boundaries.
In my ebook from Chaos to Calm: A Mini Guide to Decluttering Toys, I have a SMART goal worksheet, coupons, and a reward chart to help your child with decluttering their toys.
Gather Supplies for Decluttering
You will need trash bags, boxes, and/or plastic totes to separate objects into categories of keep, donate, and trash. You may also wish to use a permanent marker to label bags, boxes, and totes.
Step-By-Step How to Declutter Toys for Kids
Gather Toys
The first thing to do to declutter toys for kids is grab a basket, storage bin, or tote and walk through every room in your home and collect the toys. And yes, head out to the vehicles and grab the ones from there. Don’t forget about under the beds or even the kitchen drawers. I once opened a kitchen drawer for a pan and found a Play-Doh dinosaur, I may have screamed!
Don’t worry. This is probably going to look even worse than you imagined. But keep going! Once you have all the toys, put them into one room so you can see everything at once. Believe it or not, this is a great place to start when you feel overwhelmed. You’re making progress!
Assign Piles and Find Trash
Next, you will assign your keep, trash, and donate piles. Begin by trashing any old toys, broken toys, or missing pieces, like missing puzzle pieces. Then, remove any toys that are in good condition but not being kept and place them in the donate pile. This is the time to declutter duplicates and toys that your children have outgrown. Now that all the unwanted and broken toys have been removed, you should be left with your favorite toys and what you want to keep.
Organize What You’re Keeping
Sort toys into piles of similar items. For example, put all action figures into a pile, all wooden blocks, all dolls into a pile, and so on, until all toys have been categorized. Use bins, baskets, shelves, etc that you already have around your home. If need be, you can purchase baskets or bins for toy storage. But I always recommend shopping your home first. Keep items that are similar together and decide where these toys will be stored, whether that’s a bedroom, play area, basement, or living room.
As you begin to put toys back into place throughout your home, consider how each space is set up. Make sure you’re allowing this to work for your current family situation. You want the children to be able to play and clean up independently. Keep things low and within reach. I don’t always recommend labeling each storage bin because you might have children who can’t read yet. And honestly, cleanup goes smoother if you say to clean up by placing similar items in one container, rather than trying to find an exact container they need to go in.Â
All toys need to be assigned a home and your kids should know where that is so they can clean up after themselves. Since every home is different, you will have to decide what works best for your space and the ages of your children. Keep in mind to have toys accessible for children so they’re more likely to play with the toys. For example, if you have an older child who plays with Legos, but you also have an infant or toddler, you may want to store Legos in a bedroom away from the infant.
Toy Rotation
Toy rotation is a great option if you feel like you have an overwhelming amount of toys. Toy rotations are easy to manage and allow the toys you’ve kept to be played with often. This is also a great way to keep your kids engaged and interested in toys. To set up a toy rotation, use some totes or boxes and pack up toys to store away, and then rotate as needed. You can choose to rotate weekly, monthly, quarterly, or however you choose is best for your family. When you notice your kids becoming bored more frequently, try rotating the toys out with what you’ve stored away, or set up a reminder in your phone calendar app to rotate. Each time you rotate, the kids will think they’re playing with new toys again!
Another option would be to create quiet time boxes. Use toys that are not loud. Make 4-5 quiet time boxes that can be rotated throughout the week. I have a blog post about quiet time boxes I have made in the past for the postpartum time after our 4th baby. These also work well for established nap or rest times during the day.
Realistic Storage with Mixed Ages
Our children range from 2 years old to 14 years old and so we have a variety of toys. We keep a mix of toys in bedrooms, the living room, a hallway closet, and the basement.
Bedrooms
Our kids share bedrooms. The boys have a large woven basket, which I’ve had for probably 12 years, in their bedroom with toys. They also have a bookshelf with books and 2 baskets of toys. The girls do not store many toys in their bedroom. But they do have a large bookshelf with books and the bottom shelf has a small basket of toys.
Living Room
In our living room, we store items that are safe for our toddler to play with. These toys are stored in cabinets on the sides of our fireplace and in three baskets under a side table. I make sure to have easy access to toys; some are on constant display, while others are in the cabinet. This keeps the toys organized, easy to clean up, but still allows the kids to have the freedom to play. Sometimes I will even rotate the cabinet toys with the toys that are under the table to keep the kids interested.
Hallway Closet
This is where we keep all of our board games, card games, a bag of Legos, a few puzzles, and even blankets. The closet has several shelves, which work great for keeping little fingers out of things. This has worked so well for us because they can grab what they want to play with easily, it’s out of sight, and keeps the toddler out of small pieces.
Basement
In the basement is where the bulk of our toys are stored. These toys are organized in centers. Examples are dress-up, camping, balls and bats, baby dolls and accessories, and a store. I also have a small basket of toys for the toddler in our homeschool room, along with an Ikea sensory table. The majority of our books are also stored on bookshelves in the basement.
Additional Items
We keep ride-on toys in the hall closet on the floor where the games are. Electronics like tablets are stored in the office closet. Find what works for you in the current season you’re in. This may change from time to time. I frequently find myself rearranging things when we’ve had a new baby start crawling or walking and getting into things. Just rearrange to make it work for your family when you need to.
Simple Habits to Keep the Toy Clutter Away
You’ve done the hard work now! Don’t let it go to waste. The easiest way to stay on top of it is to do mini-decluttering sessions on a regular basis. Time these sessions with upcoming birthdays or holidays like Christmas.
Create a donation bin to keep in your home. You could store this in your child’s closet to get rid of clothes or toys as you see they’ve outgrown them. We currently keep one in our mudroom closet because I will use it when I declutter the kitchen.
Buy less. When you decide to purchase any toys, go for quality over quantity. A good idea would be to purchase experience gifts instead. Experience gifts do not take up any space in your home and you get to build precious memories instead.
Be sure to assign homes for new toys that are coming in. Your kids need to know where to store each toy so they are able to clean up on their own.
Set boundaries with family members. If they want to buy something, have them opt for experience gifts or non-toy options like magazine subscriptions.
Final Encouragement and Next Steps
Remember, you do not have to do it all at once. Gather the toys in one room that you can close the door to so you can take a break or set a timer for 20-minute increments until it’s completed. Use an audiobook, podcast, or your favorite music to keep you motivated.
The goal is not perfection. The goal is progress and peace. Every step you take to clear the clutter, the closer you are to less stress and more peace.
If you’re feeling unsure about where to start to declutter toys for kids or just want some extra help keeping your kids motivated, my ebook From Chaos to Calm: A Mini Guide to Decluttering Toys is a great place to begin. I wrote it specifically for the busy, overwhelmed moms. Inside, you’ll find a SMART goals worksheet, printable reward coupons, and a fun chart to track progress. Whether you’re tackling toys with younger kids or older children, this guide gives you the tools to make real progress without the stress. It’s also a helpful resource to revisit before birthdays or holidays, especially when new toys are about to roll in! It’s designed to make the process easier for moms and more enjoyable for kids—because a peaceful, organized home is totally within reach, mama!
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