Every mother and father knows it: the children's room is flooded with disorder. And if that wasn't bad enough, the toys somehow magically sneak into the other rooms. The result: a messy living room, there are a few toys in the kitchen, and even in the bathroom you can discover things that don't really belong there. Gone are the days of the sparkling clean and perfectly tidy apartment, now the children's chaos reigns. But that doesn't have to be the case! With a little discipline and the right approach, thanks to onepractical organization systemThis chaos could soon be a thing of the past. The key word is “Konmari”. Have you heard of this type of children's toy storage? We explain the system to you.
Konmari was developed by the famous organization expert Marie Kondo, who has already told us a fewTips for an organized wardrobehas given. These tips can also be wonderfully applied to organizing the children's room or storing children's toys. What principles does the Japanese work according to? Be careful, it will be quite minimalistic...
Storing children’s toys “Konmari” – First we sort them out!
Give yourself plenty of time to implement Konmari's toy storage method the first time around. Once you have created a basic order, all you have to do is maintain it.
Gone what can go!
One of the first steps of the Konmari organization system for storing children's toys is the big, scary clean-out. “Impossible!” you say? But necessary! Did you know that children who have fewer toys are happier and play more creatively? This was also the result of a study on the influence of the number of toys on children. How do you proceed?
- Work your way room by room and collect all the toys in one place. This makes subsequent sorting easier. Don't forget everything that has been collected under the sofa, refrigerator, wardrobe, etc. and be prepared for unpleasant surprises (don't worry, you're not the only one who finds mummified grapes, cheese fossils, leftover cookies and tons of stuff takes dust out of these forgotten places). Prepare boxes - one for items to donate, one for trash, one for toys to sell, and one for those that stay. Then the sorting process takes place mercilessly before children's toys are stored:
- Broken toys go straight into the trash. And in the future, not tomorrow, in a few weeks or when there is time, according to the motto “Oh, you can still use it”, but right away, when something is broken and irreparable. If it is a toy that the child truly loves, you can make an exception.
- Discard toys that are not being used or are generally useless. Instead, keep multifunctional toys that encourage creative play.
- Toys that are in good condition but no longer used can be donated or sold.
Involve children, right?
According to Marie Kondo, children as young as 3 years old are already able to assess which toys they value and which ones impress them less and bring joy. It's a good idea to involve the children anyway, as this will teach them to keep things tidy. However, we admit that not every child participates happily and without terror, because for them every toy is usually valuable, even if they don't actually use it. Therefore, we leave it up to you to decide for yourself. After all, as parents, you also have a good idea of what the children are playing with and what is just lying around collecting dust (or serving as a tripping hazard). At the latest when it comes to organizing and storing children's toys, which remain, the children should get involved.
Storing children's toys that last
Crates, baskets and boxes in the children's room for storing toys
Now sort through everything that remainsthematicallyin storage boxes for children and these in turn in shelves, cupboards or other suitable areas in the children's room (!). What does “thematic” mean? Well, one box only contains Lego bricks, another is intended for the train with tracks, another for toy cars, for example, and so on. And every box for storing children's toys should always be closed after playin one and the same placecondition. Every box should continue to contain what it was originally intended for (i.e. not a few Lego bricks in the car box or colored pencils in the compartment with the dolls). This way the children always know where to find something. Also teach them to maintain and continue organizing systems like this in the children's room.
We recommendchild-friendly boxesto make things more pleasant for the children. Personalized or even self-designed boxes, crates or baskets are also highly recommended.
The rotation system
Even after sorting out, there may still be a lot of toys left over that the children can't possibly play with all the time. Old things can quickly become as interesting as new toys again with the rotation system. One part stays in the room to play with, the other part is stored somewhere where the children can no longer see it and “forget”. After a few weeks or even months, the exchange takes place. What was stored is returned to the room and the toys that were previously in use are temporarily sent into exile.
However, if after all the sorting out there aren't quite as many toys left, in keeping with Konmari's spirit, you can of course do so tooeverythingstore in the room. When giving gifts in the future, try to place more emphasis on functional or experiential gifts rather than on material things that will just lie around at some point. Storing children's toys according to Konmari is all about minimalism - only the essentials.
Use creative children's room storage ideas
Nowadays there are really creative storage solutions and organization systems for cupboards, drawers and shelves that make storing children's toys much easier and clearer. Dividers for drawers, baskets and boxes for open shelves, drawers with wheels that you can roll neatly under the child's bed - there are no limits to creativity, making storing children's toys a breeze. You can find ideas for the booksin this article.
If you don't want to clutter up the floor with countless boxes or furniture, wall organizers are suitable for storing children's toys, especially offering space for smaller items or cuddly toys. Of course, it is important that theseat an accessible height for the childrencondition.
