Does anyone do a toy/game rotation?

seeker

Sun, Jan 15 2017, 12:33 pm

Continuing onward in my quest for a sparkly joyful home.

I want my toys and games to be easier for the kids to take out and put away, and I also think rotating would help them use more variety. I find that while they enjoy all of their toys too much to give them away (I do give away things that are really not used, but I'm talking about what's left) some get ignored for really long times.

I'm a little hesitant to do this on my own because you never know when they're going to pop up and ask for something specific.

But I'm curious if others have a toy/game rotation kind of system and if so, how do you work it. I'm trying to visualize how to make things fit in their places when their places are subject to change.

I'm thinking maybe I'll make a picture catalog of all the toys and each (or maybe every other?) erev Shabbos they'll choose one shelf worth of building toys in bins and one shelf worth of games/puzzles. That should give them enough to choose from while still allowing a lot of things to get stashed on a higher shelf (I.e. less valuable real estate) That still leaves a lot of things out but solves the problem of some things becoming invisible and other things them needing me to help them take out and put away.

Does it work to have kids plan what to play with? How often would you rotate?

For reference, the kids are 4 and 6.
Bin/building toys include legos, clics, blocks, zoobs, etc.
Boxed games include Candyland, Trouble, some puzzles. Zingo, Smatch.
Things that don't fit neatly into boxes are a much bigger problem but thank G-d there aren't too many. I've thought about finding boxes to put them into but haven't found ones that don't waste too much space. I'd really love to put everything possible into one of those shoebox size containers but I don't have room for that many shoeboxes! It would look really nice, though!

OK, time to get off the computer and back to sparking joy.

Jeanette

Sun, Jan 15 2017, 12:36 pm

We don't have a very structured system for rotating toys, but we do alternate keeping some toys within reach and others in a locked closet or in the basement. When we bring out a toy they haven't used in a few months it feels like a "new" toy. Also the locked closet becomes alluring for them because it's only opened on rare occasions. So if I want them to behave for the babysitter, for example, I give her the key to the closet and let her decide when to open it.

seeker

Sun, Jan 15 2017, 12:52 pm

Hm. OK. I just don't want the kids to feel like I'm taking away their toys. But I do think some could be switched out without their noticing. That's now. The issue is going to be when I take out a new toy, they're not going to want one of the current ones to go back in the closet in exchange. Unless I happen to notice one is getting forgotten anyway... Going to get to work on that.

I just need to figure out how to work out the shapes and sizes. Most things are pretty boxable but some are oddballs. Like Alphabet Scoop - they like it but it's big and round.

seeker

Sun, Jan 15 2017, 1:13 pm

Got it

Still in middle of sucking out the joylessness from the top of my closet (there wasn't much but I straightened up the things that were already there, mostly in containers) and then maybe the toys/games will be next.

I think another big issue with my home makeover is that I have too many similar things in different places. My kids are a little confused by having to go to a different part of the bedroom for their underwear/shirts and tights/skirts but that's just where they fit! At least for the closet things I'm going to try to consolidate, I just noticed that I have things stashed away for a "rainy day" in like three separate places, and art/craft supplies in two different places plus in the stash, and that's not including the art stuff that's always out.

This is the reason I can't stay away from chocolate.

ra_mom

Sun, Jan 15 2017, 1:21 pm

I totally get it. I'm trying to figure out how to get craft items organized in such a way that the kids do have access to some / don't have access to others / all in one place / organized / easy to keep organized... I totally haven't mastered it. I keep throwing out some craft supplies like open packages of stickers and accessories cuz I don't know how to deal with them. Still trying to figure out a system.
Just bought some container drawers this morning for the bottom of my own closet and trying to figure out if more of those, within the cabinets, would work for our crafts.

amother

Ivory

Sun, Jan 15 2017, 4:29 pm

There was a time when my kids were all small that I'd box up 2/3 of their toys at a time and switch them out every couple weeks. It was like getting all new toys again. If you haven't played with something in a month it suddenly is very interesting again. It worked well at that particular time/ age range. Once they got a bit older - old enough to firmly request what they wanted to play with - forget it.