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We hear a lot about dejunking. It's very easy to say, throw it away if it's not being used. That's not so easy with kids, especially when your 3 year old suddenly decides that the toy he hasn't played with in 6 months is his new favorite and cries for 12 hours after you get rid of it. There is no right or wrong way to get through the toy mountain, but here are some tips that will help you clear some room. Is it broken? This one is the key criteria. If the item is physically broken, with sharp pieces or obvious cracks, get rid of it. It might be a kids' favorite or even an collector's items, but if broken and not easily fixable, it should not be in your child's toybox. Is it dirty? Dirt doesn't kill kids, and most of the time it doesn't really harm them either. But you are looking for criteria in getting rid of toys, remember? If the item is very obviously dirty, and your attempts to clean it no longer work, then it's a good candidate for the trash. A tip when cleaning smaller items with lots of crevices, use an old toothbrush. It works wonders. It is really played with? My kids quickly turn into lawyers when I want to throw away an item that has been collecting dust on a shelf for months. They can plead a good case, trying to convince me that they do play with it and that they will play with it from now on. Nine times out of ten, it's dusty up on that shelf a few weeks later. Watch your kids, pay attention to what they are playing with. If you know they are not using it, they get rid of it. Does it have a lot of pieces? I know that pieces make an item fun. If you didn't have the facial parts, Mr. Potatohead wouldn't be fun at all. Still, the more pieces a toy has, the more items that can get lost or broken. If you have a toss-up between getting rid of two items (and you like/dislike them equally), opt to discard the one with lots of pieces. It will help in the clutter and cleaning. Does it have all of its pieces? If you have a toy that is missing pieces, discard it. This doesn't necessarily mean if one or two non-necessary pieces are gone, but if you have numerous or vital pieces missing. This includes a wide variety of items. Board games (you know that Monopoly where half the game cards are gone), puzzles, build-it-yourself dolls like Betty Spaghetti, etc. Remember, an item is not really fun to play with if the pieces are missing. Can it easily be replaced? Sometimes an item is broken or just worn down and old. Your kids may still love it, but you realize this particular item is beyond it's prime. If it's an item that is easily replaced, tell your kids to add it to their birthday/holiday list. When people ask what to get your kid, mention the toy. My kids love to receive a brand new version of one of their favorites, and I'm sure yours will too. Is it big and bulky? As with many LOK families, space can be at a premium. When debating what to get rid of, remember that size is a big factor. Sometimes you can fit 5-6 small toys in the space of one large one. Also, many times you will find that big item is not as necessary as you believe. For example, my kids love Little People and had many large sets, like the garage, house, farm, etc. These big items took up huge amounts of space. Thing is, when I watched my kids, most of the times they were playing with the people on the coffee table by themselves, using books and other items for their makeshift houses. So, I let them decide on one playset they wanted and the rest I got rid of. The kids still play with the toys just as much as before, and frankly don't miss the big items. Replay power. This is a big consideration, especially for large families with younger children. Does the toy have replay power, meaning if it's a toy made for a 10-year old, will your 2-year old want to play with it in 8 years? Certain classic toys stand the test of time. Legos, wooden blocks, toy phones, etc. Fad items, often based on cartoons or movies of a certain period may not hold up so well. My daughter loved Hercules and we bought a lot of toys for her in that themeall of which collected dust when her younger siblings were old enough to play with them. Certain tried-and-trues like Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh may stand the test of time. Things like Power Rangers and Tickle-Me-Elmo won't. Is it a beloved toy? This one is actually to determine when not to throw away a toy. When I was about 3, I had a stuffed bear from my birth. It's stuffing was falling out and one of it's eyes was gone. I remember my mom convincing me it was time to go in the trash. I pleaded my case, and then cried for a week after it was gone. To this day I remember that bear! Thankfully, the experience did not warrant me entering therapy! What it did do is help me remember that there are toys that children love no matter what. If an item is old, torn, dirty, big, has 100 pieces, but your child loves and plays with it non-stop, it's a keeper. When looking to dejunk, sometimes it's easier to start with the items that are truly loved and played with. Get a good dozen toys as your base "keepers", then start weeding the other toys out from there. Chances are you have gotten through the pains of dejunking the toys. You have the toys you want to save, and there are three trash bags in the kitchen filled with the items you are getting rid of. Inevitably you find yourself with a third pile, those toys that really aren't played with that much, but are still played with enough or in such good shape you don't really want to get rid of them. Here's some ideas of how to deal with those items. Car toys. Most parents run into that situation where you are on your way to somewhere and the kids are just not having a good time of it. Perhaps the car ride is too long, it's a bit past their bedtime, or they are simply bored and want something to do. Make a toy bag for the car. Place smaller items inside, like action figures, dolls, play phones, and other like items. This is also a good way to deal with those Happy Meals toys. On a long trip, you'll be amazed how much your kids are interested in that toy that got barely a glance when it was in their playroom. Don't worry about the item getting broken or lost. Remember, your goal is to get it out of the house. Another plus of this is that when you get to your destination, you can bring the toys with you. Having a small canvas bag of toys for the kids to play with can be a lifesaver when going to a doctor's appointment or other place where there may not be a lot for your child to do. Grandma's House Toys Okay, this should really say: Grandma, Grampa, Aunt, Cousin, or other Relative's House. You may visit a relative's house on a regular basis. If they don't have kids, there is a good chance they don't have a lot of toys for your kids to play with. Or, they may have a few here and there, but it's not really the kind of thing that will keep your kids occupied visit after visit. In those cases, compile a package of toys that will stay permanently at that relative's house. Now, it's not very polite to just dump a bunch of toys at anyone's house, so do ask if they wouldn't mind first. Also, don't just bring the toys, bring a place to store them. Buy a plastic container with a lid so that the toys will be out of sight when your kids are not around. You can even decorate it to fit the decor of your relative's house. The only thing you should be sure to tell your children is that the toys now belong to grandma, and that means other cousins or relatives can play with them too. Donate. Donating items is a great way to feel good about something, even when parting with them. There are charities and organizations, like Goodwill and the Salvation Army, that will take good items and resell them to help fund their projects. Many churches will have "garage sales" where donated items are sold and the proceeds go for upkeep and special programs. Your church may also have a nursery or other area where children are cared for that could use toys. A local preschool may also be interested in your gently used items. Care Packages. While it's not proper etiquette to re-gift used items, there are instances where used toys are appropriate to give. Perhaps a family in your neighborhood has hit hard times, unemployment or such and can't afford presents. Like-new toys will certainly be appreciated. A family might have experienced a fire, flood or other natural disaster where they lost everything. Even used toys will seem new to their children and be greatly appreciated. Sell. Nothing quite makes you feel so good about getting rid of an item than making a little money! Have a garage sale, post them item on eBay, or work with a consignment shop to sell it. This is also a good motivator for kids to give up certain toys. One family decided that they would take the money they earned from selling the used toys and add it to their vacation fund (their kids really looked forward to their yearly getaway). Another family used the money to buy a new video game for the kidskeeping mind to get something that would not take up a lot of space and therefore defeat the dejunking purpose! Another family put the money in savings for the holidays, allowing the children to buy gifts for relatives with the money earned from selling their toys. Swap Out. This option only works if you have some storage space, usually in a basement, attic, or garage. Take the items that are good, but seldom played with and store them in a sealed container where the kids can't see/play with them for 3-6 months. After that time, take the toys they are currently playing with and swap them out. You'll be amazed at how these old toys will seem new after that time, and the ones that were losing their playing power will be stored away for the next rotation. Toy Exchange You will need several other families in order to do this, and they should have children about the same age as yours. Get a box of toys that are in good shape but seldom played with. You need to decide on a number or size limitation with the other families. Then, simply exchange boxes with the other family. Note, this is not a borrow, but an actual exchange. Your children's toys will be enjoyed by the other family, while their toys will be new and exciting to your family. This doesn't necessarily get rid of the clutter, but you'll feel better knowing the "new" toys are getting play-time. If you have never really dejunked the toys before, the first time may be painful, both for the kids and you. Sometimes realizing how much money you wasted on an item can bring serious feelings of guilt when getting rid of it. Remind yourself how much time and energy is lost cleaning up the toys and the storage space they take. If you do a periodic dejunk, say once or twice a year (especially before the holidays), you will find that it gets easier for both you and the kids. You'll also be more in tune with your space limitations and keeping them in mind when purchasing new toys, or making suggestions to relatives and friends as to what to buy your kids. Which leads us to our last section. Inevitably, as much as you dejunk, the fact is you will eventually get more stuff. To help keep the clutter down, here are some ideas to keep in mind when buying future toys/gift. Accessories. This does go somewhat against the idea of keeping "pieces" down, but truth is that some items can get more mileage adding accessories. Your daughter may not need another Barbie doll, but purchasing a bunch of brand new Barbie clothes will be a big hit.. New discs for the Viewmaster. An add-on set for the Legos. Doing this works two-fold, first accessories usually take up less room to store than a large "main" item, but they also help breathe new life into toys that might not be played with as often. Think small. One mom told her relatives that if they bought a new item for her children, they also had to find the place to store it. While that's an unrealistic expectation, it's not unfair to ask your relatives to consider space limitations when shopping. Books. While some families will argue they are overrun by books, truth is that it's very hard to feel bad getting a gift that encourages kids to read. Ask relatives to pick out titles they enjoyed as a child. Or purchase a book that caters to the interest of the child, like a kids cook book for your budding chef, or a gardening book for your little one with a green thumb. Disposable Items. These are items that are meant to be used and then gotten rid of . Even if a child doesn't have an Easy Bake Oven, making gifts of kid-friendly recipes (include the ingredients and instructions) can be a lot of fun. A box full of art supplies are always big hits. Crayons, paper, yarn, ice-cream sticks, and other craft items don't take up a lot of room, but can entertain children for hours. Gift certificates. While kids really don't want to open a dozen gifts on Christmas to find 12 gift certificates, it's still fun to receive one or two. When I was a young girl, we always got a packet of McDonald's gift certificates. It was so much fun going to the golden arches and being able to order our meal and pay for it with our own "money." Also, for a large families who may not have the disposable income to eat out much, this is a great way to give a special treat that will be both fun and memorable. Music. CDs and tapes don't take up a lot of room. Still, kids love them. One of the best, and smallest gifts my daughter received was a portable CD player with a couple of CDs. In fact, looking back on that holiday, I believe the player is one of the few items that still gets regular use. Magazine Subscriptions. - Nothing excites kids as much as getting their own mail. Getting a magazine on a regular basis can be a much-anticipated thing. There are a wide variety of magazines, from kids-related ones like Disney and Nickelodeon, the education fare like Highlights and Discovery Kids. Time. If a relative is really at a loss for a non-cluttering gift, suggest the gift of time. Kids love to go out, especially for some alone time. Have the relative give a coupon for an outing, and perhaps add a small gift that will go along with the theme. A small book on different types of birds might be given along with a promise to visit a local nature center. A pair of googles and a coupon for a trip to a local pool. A nightgown and a coupon for a sleepover. Use your imagination. Clothes. If your children are in need of new pants, then certainly ask for them! My sister often buys the kids clothes since she knows that sometimes the younger ones have mostly hand-me-downs. So they won't feel too jilted, she will include stickers or a small toy in the box, so the kids will feel they still got something fun. A Class. Purchasing a class or other activity at a local park district or other similar place is a great way to give a gift that will last longer than the occasion, and their memories of the class will not take up any space at all. Need some help in storing your kids' toys or optimizing the space you already have? Check out our toy storage article for some helpful tips! Comments page 0 of 0
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