The holidays are a special time for everyone, but perhaps they are most special for the little ones who find the magic in everything! The early morning anticipation as they wake up their parents, the complete joy and glee on their faces, the frantic unwrapping of presents, and the excitement of playing with their new toys.
As parents, we might not see things from the same perspective! We are probably thinking, "oh yay, more clutter!" or "where on earth are we going to put all of these new toys?". These thoughts can definitely cloud the joy of the holidays and take away from the magic that our kids are experiencing.
Just know, if you are feeling the same way this holiday season, you are not alone! The great news is we don't all have to feel these anxious thoughts. With the right knowledge and tools we can be prepared to handle that "Christmas morning clutter" before it even appears.
Here are some great tips for culling, organizing, storing, and systematizing all of these new holiday toys! Let’s create a playroom or kids area that can stay neat and tidy all year long…
1. Pare Down Pre-Holidays
The holiday season is an amazing time to teach our children about being generous to those who might not have the same blessings we do! It can be a great lesson for them to be a part of sorting through their old toys and deciding what to "gift" to others so they can make room for new and exciting toys.
Have your kids help you purge the current toys! Sort into “keep” and “giveaway” piles. Ask them questions like "when is the last time you played with this?". Get them participating and involved in the spirit of donating to those less fortunate.
2. Set Up Storage Systems
Creating an organized playroom or kids area before the holiday chaos can help things immensely! Get organized ahead of time so that when all the new items arrive they already have a designated area to be stored. Shelving with organized bins/storage cubes is a great start. Take the time to label these so that the kids can easily know where items belong. Create a "clean up" list or chore chart on how the area should be left each night before bedtime to ensure that the space stays neat and organized.
3. Prevent Unruly Unboxing
As we face mounds of crumpled up wrapping paper, piles of tissue paper, and many empty cardboard containers, it can easily lead to complete chaos with missing pieces/items that are lost forever.
Keep your kids organized by having some guidelines for opening gifts. Try to open all gifts and then have a "clean up" to clear the area of leftover wrapping paper remnants before any toys are unboxed.
Once the area is clean, have the children pick out their "priority" item, the one they are most excited to play with. Once they are through playing with that item, it can be put away in its designated space and they can move on to select another toy to open up.
4. Store Similar Items Together
Think about all those little, tiny pieces that go along with today's toys! Keeping these organized in storage bins, plastic baggies, and small containers is a great way to go from the start.
Stock up on these things from your local dollar store prior to heading into the holidays! That way you can pull them out and be prepared as you unbox new toys and put them away. Have a designated place for board games/puzzles, a bin for Lego sets with each set stored individually inside a baggie or small container, etc.
As we head into the holidays, do not fear! Take a few extra minutes to think about where you could create a kids space or playroom to neatly organize and store new toys. Prepare for what is coming by taking time to sort through old toys, donating those in good condition, and tossing what has been well loved over the years.
Make a quick trip to the dollar store while you're out doing your holiday shopping and look for great containers/storage systems that will hold lots of pieces and organize different toys. Then have your label maker ready on Christmas morning so you can create a designated space for the new items right from the get-go!
In the end, the most important thing is to enjoy the moments, savor the memories, and be present during the time we get to share with our kids. They grow up before we know it, so do your best to not let the stress of the holidays cloud the magic you can create with them.
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Warmly,
Shari