If you’ve had the kids at home for the holidays, you probably have toys everywhere, I know I do! If you feel overwhelmed and like you’re fighting a losing battle, here are three tips to help you get on top of the mess. I’ll help you create a functional toy organisation for the long term and as a result, it’ll be quick to tidy and easy to maintain.

1. Reduce the toys you have

Kids play better when they can see what they have. Even if you only have 15 mins to declutter, pull out broken toys, toys that are too young/old or never played with. It will make all the difference. Get the kids involved. They’ll often make the decisions very quickly. Always have a plan of where the toys will go. Create three areas for selling, donating or binning. Give yourself two weeks to sell your items. If you haven’t done it by then, accept you’re unlikely to get around to it and add the toys to your donation pile. Once you’re done, put those donations straight into your boot so you feel the instant benefit. But don’t forget to swing by the charity shop next time you’re out. Alternatively, Anglo Doorstep Collections will pick your donations up direct from your front door.

2. Introduce toy rotation

You only want toys that fit in the space. Any overflow, once you’ve reduced, should go in the loft or alternative space. This keeps it easy for your kids to see what they have and prevent overwhelm. Then every couple of months rotate the toys. The kids will feel like it’s Christmas and you won’t be drowning in plastic. Win-win.

3. Organise your toys

Now you only have what you’re keeping, put like toys with like, and find suitable containers to store them. For instance, all the cars, the fidgets etc. You can use old shoe boxes, it doesn’t have to cost. Then label them. If your children are young, use pictures to help them learn where things go. The key is not to have huge containers full of random stuff. Choose the right size container for the toys and try to make them easy to access. Ikea kallax or trofast are great storage solutions for this.

And finally, don’t let a lack of time put you off. Remember what I said at the beginning, that even 15 mins can make all the difference. And you don’t need to do everything all at once to get a good end result. Share your wins with me!