How to Declutter Toys the Easy Way
Every time a birthday or Christmas approaches, I start thinking about the new things that are getting ready to come into my home. And the things that must leave to make room for them.
It’s obvious that we had to pare down a lot of our things before moving from our house into our camper. And I got rid of many toys when we did.
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But since we’ve moved into a home again, our toy collection has grown. And even though I promised myself I’d keep a check on them, they still seem to creep in.
When Should You Get Rid of Toys?
A while back I read the book Simplicity Parenting and I learned a lot about what toys kids do and don’t need. I use some of his principles for minimizing my boys’ toys before they get new ones.
The rule of “one in and one out” works great if your kids get toys during the year. Any time they get a new toy, they need to give one away. Or, if they’re younger it might be up to you as a parent to get rid of one for them.
We don’t buy our kids a lot of toys, but we do generally buy one or two for Christmas and birthdays. And of course they get piles from grandparents and family members.
I like to try to declutter toys before I know they’ll be getting a bunch more. It’s nice to keep a list for “when did I last…” and use it to track each time you do this.
Sometimes toy overwhelm does happen. But I’ve learned that if I try to get rid of some before I bring in new ones, it’s more manageable.
Don’t keep adding to a pile that’s already too big!
Kids grow fast, and they outgrow their toys quickly. When your kids move to a different stage in life, get rid of the toys they’ve outgrown. This is much easier when they’re younger!
3 Toys You Can Declutter Right Now
Sometimes you need a quick decluttering win. So, check your kids’ shelves, toy boxes, and under their beds. I promise you’ll find some toys that are easy to get rid of.
You can quickly declutter these three toys, and it’s pretty painless! Your kids may not even know these are gone.
Declutter Toys That Are Broken
Don’t roll your eyes and immediately move on to number two on this list! When I first read that I should throw away broken toys, I thought it was ridiculous, too.
Who keeps broken toys? But when I started sorting through the toys, I found several that were broken, ripped or torn. This is a good place to start, because throwing away broken things is kind of a no-brainer.
It is a bit more difficult than you might think. Sometimes kids play with broken toys. They might like putting together puzzles with missing pieces. My boys love to read books with ripped or missing pages.
Side note: sometimes toys are broken, torn or worn out from lots of play. Those can stay! Definitely don’t throw away your kids’ favorite toys just because they don’t work right anymore.
Declutter Toys They Don’t Play With
We keep toys for a lot of reasons. Even ones our kids no longer use. Maybe we or someone else paid a lot of money for them. Maybe they hold a special memory.
But if kids aren’t interested in a toy anymore, keeping it is a waste of space. This is especially true of toys that our kids outgrow.
I don’t know why we buy so many toys for babies. But we do. They play with them for a while, but they advance out of those baby stages quickly.
It can be hard to let those toys go, especially if they’re related to a milestone like a first word, crawling, standing, etc.
But life moves on, and we just can’t hold on to all of it at one time! Treasure the memories, but let the toys go, and make room for more.
Declutter Toys That Are Junky
I don’t know where they come from, but we all have them. Bouncy balls. Plastic people. Stickers. Kazoos and harmonicas. Little sticky hands on a string. (You know what I’m talking about!)
Most of the time they come out of those quarter machines, or in party favor bags. And, okay, sometimes I buy little bribe gifts when we spend the whole day shopping.
These little toys generally pile up in the bottom of the toy box, under the bed or in the junk drawer. It seems like no matter how hard I try to keep these little toys out, they keep sneaking back in!
I think these things do serve a purpose, and they are fun for a while. But when it’s time to clean out toys–throw them away.
I’ve found that those come with the least guilt when throwing away—especially if you’re peeling stickers off the furniture, stepping on army men or have ever shouted, “Don’t throw that in the house!” And really, who hasn’t?
How to Avoid Toy Guilt While Decluttering
Have you ever noticed how many things moms find to feel guilty about? Unfortunately, toys can also bring on guilt.
First, there’s the guilt that your kids have so many. Second, there’s the guilt that they don’t play with all of them. Third, there’s the guilt of getting rid of toys. Yep, it’s never-ending.
In his book, The More of Less, Joshua Becker wrote something that has forever changed the way I view getting rid of toys—and unused items in general.
When Joshua decluttered his own home, he had a lot of items that were perfectly good and usable, but he and his family had no need for them. He began to look for local charities and organizations to give them to.
And he found many. So many people needed or wanted the things he didn’t. He pointed out that if you are keeping things you don’t use, when other people could be using them, you are being selfish.
I know, that stings a little! But if you think about it, it’s true. There are many places to donate your kids’ gently used toys, and many kids who can enjoy them.
So, don’t feel guilty about giving them away. Be thankful for the blessing of providing toys for your kids, for the memories they’ve made and fun they’ve had enjoying them.
Then, pass those blessings on to someone else.
A Few More Ideas for Decluttering
As your sort through your kids’ toys, you’ll probably find many things you can throw away or donate. This list is just a quick place to start.
I’ve also cleared out duplicate toys, annoying toys (you know the ones!), most electronic toys and character-themed toys. I’ve kept the toys that my boys love, and the ones that allow them the most room for their imaginations.
Having less toys cuts down on clutter and adds to my sanity. A win-win.
One lesson has been coming back to me again and again over the last few months. It’s the realization that life is about more than things.
I don’t need nearly as many things as I thought I did. And I’ve also found out that my boys don’t need as many toys as I thought they did, either.
It’s okay to get new things, but teach them the importance of keeping the things they really love, and passing on the rest. I promise you’ll have less stress and more space. And we all need those.
