How to Set Up a Toy Rotation System That Reduces Clutter and Sensory Overload
Take control of toy clutter with these 10 simple toy rotation tips that will tame the toy chaos in your home and reduce sensory overload.
Medically reviewed by Bethany Hernandez Parks, EdD
If you need a strategy to tame the toy chaos in your home, take a cue from Julius Caesar—divide and conquer. By developing a toy rotation strategy, you'll be able to divide up your kids' toys and rotate access to them. Not only will this approach improve your home's organization, but it also can help reduce sensory overload that can occur when kids have too many options to consider.
What's more, this approach will keep you from feeling like the toys are taking over. Instead, your child's room or play space will feel fresh and organized rather than cluttered and overflowing.
Below you'll find tips on how to sort, separate, and rotate your child's toys rather than stuffing them into too-crowded bins or piling them in a corner. Here's what you need to know about developing a toy rotation strategy.
What Is Toy Rotation?
Implementing a toy rotation strategy is a simple solution for a common problem—too many toys and too little space. With toy rotation, you divide the toys into groups and only allow your kids access to one group of toys at a time. Then, you switch (or rotate) the toys to keep the toys they have available to them fresh and interesting.
Toy rotation strategies are typically successful because kids can see and assess what they have and everything gets played with and appreciated. Plus, with fewer toys on hand, clean-up is a breeze.
Best of all, research shows that when toddlers have access to fewer toys at playtime, this leads to better quality play and more learning. Having fewer toys also builds their concentration skills, encourages them to focus, and boosts their creativity. And they don't need to be expensive—even toys under $20 have benefits!
Plus, the anticipation of having something new and different to play with every few weeks makes every month feel like their birthday month. Find out how to implement a toy rotation strategy with these 10 tips.
Put All of the Toys in One Place
Having all your toys out in one room at the same time may seem overwhelming. But if you want an effective toy rotation system, you need to know what you're working with.
Once your kiddos are tucked safely into their beds, round up all of their toys. Every. Last. One. Look under the couch and bed, in the closets, and even in the car. Search the far-flung corners and crevices of your home until you are certain you have brought all of the wayward toys into account.
The goal is that you take control of the chaos and tame it—especially since having fewer toys will build important skills in your little one. When they only have a few toys to focus on, at first they may be unsure of what to do. But this scenario encourages the development of problem-solving skills as well as frustration tolerance.
Dig Out the Obvious Offenders
Once you have your little one’s army of toys where you can see them, it’s time to start purging those that no longer belong. Start by tossing out all the obvious junk. The broken toys, the puzzles and games with missing pieces, the Happy Meal prizes, and the party favors all go straight into the trash.
Also, box up any toys your kids have outgrown and donate them to a local charity or a friend with younger kids. If the toy is no longer developmentally appropriate for your child, or if they no longer have an interest in it, it no longer deserves a place in your home.
Sort the Toys Into Groups
Once you’ve pared down your toy collection, sort the remaining toys into groups. You can categorize them however you want. Just use a system that makes sense to you and that's easy to follow. Here are some common categories you can use.
Action-oriented toys (like balls, frisbees, and Nerf toys)
Arts and crafts supplies
Books, coloring books, and sticker books
Building or making toys (like Legos and blocks)
Dress up or pretend play toys (like costumes, toy tools, and kitchen stuff)
Games and puzzles
Moving toys (like toy cars and ride-on toys)
Sensory toys and musical toys
Social/emotional toys (like dolls and stuffed animals)
Related: Do Tech Toys Hurt Baby's Language Development?
Pare Down the Toy Collection
After you organize your toys into groups, attack each category individually, paring it down as much as possible. Think about which things your kids play with. If the toy hardly ever sees the light of day, why hold on to it? Your little one probably won’t even miss it.
Also, address your child’s toy collections. Ask yourself how many stuffed animals or toy cars your child needs. Your kiddo may have dozens of each, but in reality, they probably play with the same few toys regularly. Pull out their favorite items, and donate the rest.
Having multiples of toys also will undermine your toy rotation efforts. If you have more than one version of the same toy, pick a favorite and move on—or sell them at a yard sale.
Create Toy Sets
Once you have established your groups of toys, select several toys from each identified group to create three to six separate toy rotation sets. When making your selections, try to think about how your child would play with the included items, and look for opportunities to encourage creative cross-play. For instance, you might include a family of small figurines in a rotation set alongside Lincoln Logs, or put a tea set with their dolls.
It’s also a good idea to keep toys featuring the same character or theme together. If your little one sees their favorite My Little Pony puzzle, you can bet they are going to ask for their plastic pony friends. Likewise, if your child likes to play with their Army men, you also might want to include their remote-controlled SUV. Save yourself the tears and trouble, and include them in the same box from the start.
When you’ve finished curating your sets, pack each into a large plastic tub or box. Be sure to label the box so you can easily find what you need when you need it.
Be Willing to Make Exceptions
If you're worried your little one will miss their favorite things, be willing to bend the rules slightly and leave a few toys out regularly. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to toy rotation. It's simply a strategy to reduce the amount of stuff that is out at one time.
Remember, the key to a successful toy rotation strategy is for your children to enjoy playing with their toys. If they love their Legos and happily play with them every day, there’s no need to tuck them away to entice their interest in something else. It's what you add alongside the Legos that will encourage creativity and different types of play.
Related: Ms. Rachel Is Launching Her Own Line of Toys—And We Are Jumping out of Our Overalls
Put In-Rotation Toys on Display
When you have toddlers or preschoolers, putting away toys is a waste of time. Instead of storing toys in baskets and bins, try setting up several themed play stations where toys remain largely on display. The Montessori method suggests having eight to 10 activities out in your child's play area.
For instance, create a costume station or domestic play area. You also could set up a station for arts and crafts and a cozy reading corner with a few readily displayed books. Even having a corner where they can play with their action figures or Littlest Pet Shop animals is a good idea. Then, cycle new toys in and out of each station with each rotation.
By exposing your kids to a variety of easy-to-access toys, you’ll encourage them to use their toys in new and imaginative ways. They also will have an easier time deciding what to play with, and you’ll have an easier time keeping up with the mess.
Hide the Goods
Remember: “Out of sight, out of mind.” Wherever you store the out-of-rotation toys, make sure your kids don’t lay their eyes on them. In other words, avoid clear plastic bins, and store the tubs or boxes somewhere the kids can’t get to them like a locked closet, the basement, or in the garage. That way, the kids are less likely to ask for them.
And when it is time to rotate the toys, wait until they are asleep to switch out your toy sets. Waking up in a playroom full of new toys is fun and exciting. But watching your toys get boxed up and put away for a while is not.
Related: I'm a Mom and a Play Expert: These Are the 8 Everyday Household Items I Give My Kids as Toys
Create a Rotation Schedule
How often you rotate your toys is entirely up to you. Some parents may switch out their toy sets like clockwork every couple of weeks, while others could opt for a month or even bi-monthly rotation. Some prefer to simply pull out the next box whenever their kids get bored with the toys they have.
There’s no wrong way to go about establishing a toy rotation schedule. The key is to be flexible. Find out what works for your family, and make changes to the plan as you go.
Decide How to Add New Toys
If your child has a birthday or holiday coming up where they will be getting new toys, think about how to integrate those new playthings into the mix. Provided there's not a lot to contend with, you could just add them to the set of toys that's currently in rotation.
Or, you could consider getting rid of a few things so that these easily fit into the mix. You also can encourage your child to give away some of the toys that they no longer play with to make room for the new ones. This teaches kids generosity and reinforces the concept of sharing.
Key Takeaway
While implementing an effective toy rotation strategy takes some work upfront, it's worth it in the end. Not only will your kids benefit from having fewer toys to choose from, but it also will encourage them to get creative with what they do have. Plus, toy rotation keeps them from being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of toys—and there's less to clean up when playtime is over. In the end, toy rotation may even boost your child's learning and development.
Related: Best Toys Awards 2022
For more Parents news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on Parents.
