Toy Organization + Rotation
Did you know that less is more, especially where kids toys are concerned?
Checkout this new study from Univ of Toledo in journal of Infant Behavior and Development.
“With fewer toys, participants had fewer incidences of toy play, longer durations of toy play, and played with toys in a greater variety of ways. This suggests that when provided with fewer toys in the environment, toddlers engage in longer periods of play with a single toy, allowing better focus to explore and play more creatively.”
Researchers observed 36 toddler subjects between the ages of 18 and 30 months in free-play sessions.
The toddlers were given either 4 toys or 16 toys.
“There was a significant difference in the quality of toddlers’ play between the two toy conditions,” the study reports. “As measured by sustained play and variety of manners of play, toddlers had a greater quality of play in the 4 Toy condition compared to the 16 Toy condition.”
Essentially, when given a few toys, the toddlers played with them in more varied ways and for longer periods of time.
Pretty amazing, right?
A great way to minimize the amount of toys you have out and therefore, time cleaning up can be solved with: TOY ROTATION!
Only keep out, on shelves, the amount of toys (per child) that can fit into one storage bin. Place the rest of the toys in up to 3 storage bins (per child) and rotate them on a monthly or quarterly basis.
Check out my “toy rotation” stories on my Instagram for a good visual in how I went through this process with a recent client!
Have a toy situation of your own? I would love to help!