Stress-Free Toy Organisation Tips to Reduce the Clutter for Good

Six Ways Kids Benefit from an Organised House

You just feel better when your house is tidy, and so do your kids. Here are five reasons to make organisation and decluttering a priority for your children.

1. Teaching your kids about organisation and decluttering is like giving them a superpower. They find toys faster, get through homework more quickly, and clean their room easier.

2. Your kids get to school on time. You won't spend crucial minutes in the morning trying to find car keys, your purse, last night's homework, and your kid's missing sock.

3. Since you'll no longer be recreating your version of a three-ring circus in the morning, kids have time to eat a healthy breakfast.

4. A study in Building and Environment discusses how the physical work environment influences well-being and performance. This concept translates to your home. A well-organised house operates like a well-oiled machine. When things run smoothly, everyone is happier.

5. Organising with kids teaches them essential skills that last a lifetime. It's an opportunity to teach kids selflessness and contribution, which helps set them up for future success.

6. An article in Infant Behavior and Development found that having fewer toys improves the quality of play.

Encourage Kids To Take Ownership of Their Belongings

As we've said, kids and clutter go together like pavlova and Christmas; you rarely find one without the other, so encouraging kids to take ownership of their things has many mutual benefits for you and them. You’ll be doing yourself a favour by relinquishing yourself from a lifelong membership in the "I'll just do it" club by resisting the urge to pick up and declutter everything on your own.

When kids take ownership of their belongings and the spaces they inhabit, they feel a sense of pride and self-worth, which can help to improve their self-esteem. It creates a happier atmosphere for them to play and grow, and having fewer toys also helps kids develop a deeper appreciation for the things they have. 

It can also enhance the family environment because when everyone takes responsibility for their own belongings, fighting, nagging, and friction are less likely to occur, causing (you mostly) less stress and improving the family dynamic.

It's vital to involve your children in decluttering so they learn good organising habits moving forward. Encouraging your kids to take ownership of their stuff plants the seeds of responsibility, developing independence and building practical life skills. It takes time and patience, but the end result is worth it.

Make Organisation and Decluttering a Fun and Positive Experience

Decluttering doesn't have to be boring. Kids love games, so it's all about coming up with creative ways to organise kids' toys. Make it a game.

• Give everyone a plastic bag, set a timer, and see who fills their bag first.

• Crank up the music and have a decluttering dance party.

• Don't underestimate the power of a good bribe, er, motivation. Offer rewards and incentives for various organising goals.

Also, keep the process stress-free for kids. Have a ‘dunno’ box for things they're not sure about so they won't get hung up on a particular item and become discouraged.

Use Simple Methods to Make It Easy for Kids to Stay Organised

Be honest. How likely will you stick to a cleaning routine if it involves 50 complicated steps? You need to clean the house, cook meals, run errands, and meet deadlines, all while standing on your head and singing the national anthem.

If kids think decluttering and organising are like that, they won't do it. Instead, follow these practical decluttering tips with your kids.

• Make it as easy to put something away as it is to leave it out. Keep belongings within kids' reach. Think about it. Do you want to put a book away if you need to drag out a stepladder every time?

• Provide your kids with containers for various items and label them accordingly. For younger children that aren't reading yet, use picture labels.

• Keep organising categories broad for children. For example, have one bin for vehicles. It's a lot easier for kids to handle than separate bins for planes, trucks, and orange cars with pink polka-dots -- you get the idea.

Set Guidelines for Keeping Toys and Things In Check

It's natural for stuff to accumulate over time. Even with the most fantastic toy room ideas, you need to practise maintenance. It's like when you finally fit into that pair of jeans (you know the ones -- we all have them). Now that you've reached your goal, it doesn't mean you go back to old habits; if you start eating more cookies and ice cream, well, you get the picture. 

You put in the effort to organise the playroom for kids. But then you start bringing in more dolls, cars, and books, and they simply don't fit in the jeans anymore.

Use these tips to keep your home's inventory in check:

• Practise the one-in-one-out rule. When you get something new, donate or sell something.

• Set visual limits. For example, a specific container for your daughter's soft toy collection. You don't understand the obsession, but she loves them. Fine, but they all have to fit in one container.

• Borrow instead of buying. Try a local toy library to choose from a variety of options.

• Give toy swapping a try. How awesome is giving your kid a new-to-them toy without spending money? Sassybae lets you trade your kids' old toys and things for something they'll love. It's kind of like Tinder® for toys.

• Get in the habit of a nightly two-minute tidy. Set a timer and challenge kids to put everything back in its place.

Yes, Children and Clutter Management Belong in the Same Sentence

Kids and clutter are pretty much a package deal. But it doesn't have to be that way forever. Involving your kids in your organising efforts helps keep things manageable and lays the groundwork for them to become something extraordinary -- an adult that picks up after themselves. 

Use fun decluttering ideas for kids to make tidying up engaging. Be intentional about the things you bring into your home. When you get something new, let something go. Start toy swapping instead of buying everything new.

Ready to take back the reins and conquer the clutter? Be one of the first to join the Sassybae waitlist so you won't miss a beat when it's time to tackle the toys. We're all about creating happy homes and helping parents raise successful kids. And it all starts with a swap. You’ve got this, Tiger