Trouble with toys? Switch it up!
It is every parents frustration to spend money on toys, only to watch their kids eventually lose interest and start doing sword fights with the candle sticks. It has been mine for 6 years. We don’t stay inside much, but while inside I like for the kids to be occupied. I discovered a little trick that KEEPS my children’s interest in their toys. Want to hear it?
Putting LESS toys on the shelves and switching them up. You heard me right. Less is more in this case. When children have fewer choices, they will be more likely to make a good choice!
Here’s how I do it
We don’t have a full-fledged “playroom,” but we devote one cube shelf downstairs to toys. The kids also have a few toys in their rooms. The remainder of the toys I put in storage totes that go in our easy access attic space. One day a week, I bring down the totes and switch it up.
First we had to clean up.
Next, I take down the toys from the previous week, and restock the shelf with “new ones.” The kids help with this simply by pulling out what they are interested in.
The toys from the previous week go into the totes and are ready to be stored back in the attic.
It usually takes about 10 minutes tops. This week it took 20 because I was taking pictures 🙂 Twenty minutes of switching toys is a great investment; it yields hours of interest in toys again. Look he’s already enjoying his toys again.
One last thing, it doesn’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to have the same toys each round of switching. JUST DO IT and let your kids help you pick out what they want to play with that week. Have fun!