The Importance of Toy Rotation
The Importance of Toy Rotation
Are you looking to decrease toy clutter and inspire independent and imaginative play? Then toy rotation is the perfect solution for you! In today’s blog, we are bringing you everything you need to know about toy rotation. So wave goodbye to mess and stress and welcome in creativity and engaging play.
What is Toy Rotation
Toy Rotation is quite simply the process of storing and displaying the toys you have at home!
Dividing toys into smaller groups and switching them regularly, is an effective way to minimalize choices that can often overwhelm children when deciding what to play. This feeling of overwhelm often contributes to mischievous behaviour and the dreaded toddler tantrums.
It is also the reason toys are left to one side and forgotten. Sorting and rotating toys helps narrow down the options for play and makes it easier for children to engage.
Benefits of Toy Rotation
Rotating toys is a mutually beneficial exercise for you and your little ones for a ton of reasons!
You reap the benefits of a clutter-free space, and clearing up after playtime becomes a significantly shorter task. Kids also flourish in a clearer play area.
Having a smaller, more manageable selection of toys to play with reduces overstimulation. This opens up a pathway to creativity as kids explore a sense of freedom.
Playtime becomes less expensive as each rotation feels like a new set of toys to explore! Children are excited to re-engage with their older toys and often find new ways to interact with them.
Setting up a toy rotation system is a great way to clear out old toys that your children have outgrown. You could donate these toys to a nursery or charity shop for new kids to enjoy!
Children become more engaged as playtime feels fresh and unexplored. This increases focus, patience and independent play.
How to Approach Toy Rotation
There are no rules when it comes to toy rotation, so you can create a system that compliments your life and fits in with your schedule! But first, let’s begin with sorting!
1. The first step to toy rotation is to gather all your toddler's toys together. If your little one has a favourite toy or a plaything that soothes them, leave it to one side.
2. Begin your first de-clutter by searching for broken toys or toys that your children have outgrown. Separate them from the pile to be recycled or donated.
3. The toys that passed your inspection can now be divided into categories! How these categories are organised is entirely up to you. Feel free to use the below example as a guideline. Then customise it to suit the needs of your child.
This sorting technique is laid out similarly to the way we approach toy making! Our ‘let’s’ ranges are designed to inspire key areas of play that help develop and support your little ones. This versatile collection makes playtime fun! Delivering the very best in creativity, learning, play, exploration, and imagination.
Let’s Get Categorising
Arts & Crafts - All art supplies, colouring books, crafting activities, paint and playdough all fit into this category. These toys encourage creativity and imagination and are great for the development of fine motor skills.
Musical Toys - Rainmakers, mini pianos, tambourines, microphones and shaker toys all inspire self-expression and emotional exploration.
Pretend Play - Kitchen sets, play food, car toys, teddy bears, dolls, and dress-up clothes all belong in the pretend play category. These toys are great for inspiring communication and socialisation.
Active Toys - Toys that build muscles and contribute to good physical and mental health: such as balls, bikes, sports equipment, climbing toys, bouncing toys and swings.
Building & Stacking - Designed to fine-tune hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness, these toys require concentration and encourage focus. These kinds of toys include Stacking blocks and cups and lego bricks.
Thinking Toys - These toys are great for boosting the cognitive development of little ones and encouraging critical thinking. Toys such as shape sorters, puzzles, brain teasers and mazes all fit perfectly in this category.
4. Now it is time to divide and conquer! For the next part, you will need some toy boxes on hand ready to be filled. Start by selecting 2-4 toys from each category and then place them in a box together. Repeat until all boxes are full and the floor is clear!
5. Pick a box and leave it in the playroom. Store all the remaining boxes away. Decide how long you would like to go between rotations (a week is usually a good starting point) and you are ready to go!
Feel free to implement rotation however you like! You may want to re-organise overflowing bookshelves or seasonal toys into a box system too. Whatever works best for you!
We hope you enjoyed this article and are feeling inspired to experiment with toy rotation. Let us know how it goes for you in the comments below!
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