According to the definitions from Oxford Languages, a Toy is an object for a child to play with, typically a model or miniature replica of something. In simplicity, we say a toy is something kids play with to have fun and these objects are usually a replica of a known living physical thing. Kids don’t care how they scatter the rooms and playgrounds with their toys. Here, we will look at how to organize kids toys, both in homes and schools.
Toys serve as tools for exploration, learning, and entertainment for children, many toys are often designed for use by children.
The majority of toys offer kids at least some learning opportunities. The best toys stimulate a child’s senses, ignite their imaginations, and promote social interaction. Toys and baby toys have a lot to learn about the world, and they are eager to do so.
If organizing your kids’ toys is proving difficult to do, you in the right resource to help you learn how to organize kids toys, both at home and in school.
Kids And Toys
When an adult works, they use certain tools of the trade. For kids, their work is their play. You need tools to do your job correctly, and children need appropriate toys as well.
Their toys are their tools. Kids are drawn to toys like moths are to a flame. Even when there are no toys in sight, children will fashion them out of whatever they have available.
Toys are simply objects that children use to entertain themselves while simultaneously exploring the world around them, educating themselves, role-playing, and learning to express their emotions.
Toys are oftentimes used as symbols for other things and therein lies their great potential for helping children grasp bigger concepts.
They fire the imagination, laying the foundation for improving cognitive and motor skills, they also help teach the importance of sharing, cooperating, and communicating.
Toys play a crucial role in a child’s healthy development, many studies have shown that children learn through interaction and toys offer hands-on learning possibilities that can instill basic skills that can benefit children for the rest of their lives, some are outlined below;
The Benefits of Toys To Kids
As we focus on how to organize kids toys, we should not also forget how important these toys are for kids. Below are the amazing benefits;
1. Toys Refine a Child’s Motor Development
Fine motor development is a child’s ability to control the small muscles of the body such as the eyes, fingers, toes, and tongue.
When a child grasp a toy and learn to manipulate it, they are practicing their motor skills and becoming more adept at hand/eye coordination. This helps a child advance through the stages of physical development.
Toys that require them to push, pull, grab, pinch, turn, or otherwise use their hands and body to make it do something are instrumental in a child’s growth.
Small toys, such as dolls, cars, and blocks that fit into your child’s hands tend to be favorites because they are easy to hold and carry.
Using their hands to position their toys or stuff them into their pockets gives kids ultimate control. Smaller details found on toys, such as buttons zippers, or beads give children practice with fine motor details.
2. Toys Improve Cognitive Development
Toys nurture children’s cognitive development during the most important childhood years. Also, toys stimulate concentration levels and enhance attention span and memory.
Board games, drawing boards, and musical instruments are pivotal to childhood development. The toys are key to their future autonomy. Take the simple act of assembling building blocks or riding a bicycle outdoors.
Children benefit from cognitive development encouraged by toys that can help them grow. Cognitive development during childhood years improves the child’s ability to approach languages and math skills in a fun manner.
3. Toys help with Emotional Development
Apart from physical growth, the pandemic taught us how we need to be cognizant of our surroundings from an emotional well-being point of view. This is why nurturing that part of the brain from an early stage becomes crucial.
Toys are responsible for children’s emotional growth.
When children have favorite toys, they’re practicing bonding in a very healthy way as toys provide connection, positive memories, and a way to interact with their feelings.
Kids associate their toys with love, attention, and happiness. They also associate their playmates or parents who play with them and their toys as parts of these emotional connections.
Toys also can provide a safe place or face if they need to talk about anything that troubles or scares them.
Children who spend hours in wonderful play with their toys tend to have a healthier and happier childhood which they can look back on fondly.
This can help them transition easier to adulthood as they have fully been able to experience being a child.
4. Toys Encourage Creativity and Imagination
Toys that can be played in a multitude of ways help your child’s brain expand and get them thinking in narratives. This, in turn, helps them to see the world more broadly.
Creativity is so important to nurture and helps kids learn to think outside of the box.
When items as simple as blocks, dolls, animal toys, balls, mini-cars, or pretend food is handed to a child, they will take these as invitations to start creating stories and living out scenarios in their mind. A child’s play is truly their first classroom.
Even with objects that aren’t initially designed to be toys, kids will quickly re-assign them as such, especially if that is all they have available.
5. Toys Teach children About STEAM
Children are in a continual habit of absorbing lots of information firsthand from their environment or surroundings. Toys give kids another pathway to explore science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM).
When your child builds a tower with blocks and eventually watches it fall to the ground, that is a lesson in physics.
Watching a remote-controlled car bounce around just from the radio waves of the controller gets kids curious about how it all works.
A puzzle stimulates your child’s brain and helps them explore patterns.
Whether toys are complex or very simple, never underestimate them as they always have a lesson to teach kids and really help in their development.
Kids learn more through creative play as it continually engages their senses.
The importance of toys in a child’s development can’t be overemphasized and the kind or type of toys provided to kids is also something to take cognizance of, so when choosing a toy for kids the following should be taken note of;
- It should be Fun
- It should be easy to Store/Keep
- It should be educational
- It should be age-appropriate
- It should be quality, durable, and long-lasting
- It should be engaging
- It should be aesthetically pleasing
- It should be safe for the kids while handling
How To Organize Kids Toys: Guide for Parents
Kids love having toys. But sometimes, too many toys can become a problem. They can quickly clutter up your home and make it hard to find space for anything else.
Not to mention, kids can be really messy when they’re playing with their toys! That’s why it’s important to create systems for organizing your kids’ toys so as to help create a clutter-free and functional play space.
Below are some ways how to organize kids toys effectively;
1. Declutter and Sort
Before thinking of organizing kids toys the first thing to do pertaining to the organization is to declutter as decluttering is super important.
One way to declutter is to have a rotation system whereby only a few toys are given out at a particular time interval. Another way is to throw out broken or missing toys.
Oftentimes, when a piece goes missing from a toy set, it’s easy to just throw out the entire set because you don’t want any more incomplete sets lying around.
But it’s important not to be wasteful. Use your best judgment when going through toys. If you’re having a hard time tossing things, you could also give used toys to a friend or family member with kids.
Missing pieces make many toys unusable but other toys, are not!
Consider donating or recycling toys that are in good condition but no longer used or those that are no longer of interest to the kids.
2. Categorize
Keeping toys easily accessible is really important. You don’t want to have to search through a pile of toys every time your kid wants to play.
So, one way to organize kids’ toys is by category, grouping similar items together.
Grouping based on type, theme, function, age, color, learning, etc.
For example, you can have a bin by creating categories for stuffed animals, one for Legos, one for cars, one for building blocks, one for dolls, one for art supplies, etc.
This will help keep the toys organized and make it easier for your kids to find what they are looking for. This step will also help you determine the storage solutions needed for each category.
3. Suitable Storage
Select storage options that are suitable for the types of toys you have. Here are some popular storage solutions:
- Toy Bins or Baskets: Use large bins or baskets to store toys that don’t require specific compartments. Label each bin or basket with the corresponding toy category to make clean-up easier.
- Shelving Units: Install shelves to display and organize toys like books, puzzles, or items with specific shapes and sizes. You can use bins or baskets on the shelves to keep smaller toys organized within each category.
- Clear Containers: Transparent containers or bins allow children to see what’s inside without opening them. They work well for smaller toys or collections like LEGO bricks or action figures.
- Hanging Storage: Consider utilizing wall-mounted organizers with pockets or hooks to store items like stuffed animals, art supplies, or smaller toys. This saves floor space and keeps toys within reach.
- Appropriate Height: For younger children, store the toys that are available for them to play with at their eye level and in easy reach. It will make packing away their toys a lot easier for them too. Use higher shelves for older kids.
- Appropriate Labels
Labels are very useful to help both kids and parents locate where each toy belongs after grouping of the toys has been done.
Use pictures and easy-to-read wordings depending on the child’s ability to read.
This helps promote independence as it helps the children to be able to clean up themselves after the usage of a particular toy.
4. Play Area
Designate specific areas for different types of play. For example, have a designated area for building blocks, a reading nook with a cozy chair and bookshelf, or a table for arts and crafts.
This helps children understand where specific toys or activities should take place and makes clean-up more manageable.
Conclusion
The importance of toys in child development is something that parents need to consider both in terms of what type of toys we provide, as well as how many to give them.
The above step-by-step guide on how to organize kids toys is a hands-on task for parents to carry out. Also, these steps could be applicable to the school system if they have toys for kids.
Although, the organization of kids’ toys is something to be done by both the parents and the child.
Involving the child in this organization process and also making it fun, helps the child instill good habits and also helps the child be conscious of organizing after playing in the play area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Organizing your kids’ toys can be overwhelming, but here are some steps to get started:
Sort through the toys: Gather all the toys in one place and sort them into categories such as dolls, cars, puzzles, etc. This will help you see how much you have and make it easier to organize.
Declutter: Get rid of broken or unused toys. Involve your children in the process and encourage them to donate toys they no longer play with.
Create storage solutions: Invest in storage bins, baskets, shelves, or toy organizers to keep the toys organized. Use clear containers or label them for easy identification.
Designate specific areas: Assign specific areas for different types of toys. For example, have a shelf for books, a bin for stuffed animals, and a drawer for art supplies. This will help your kids know where to find and put away their toys.
Implement a cleanup routine, Encourage your children to clean up their toys regularly, Teach the “one in, one out” rule, Simplify toy rotation, and Make cleanup fun.
You involve them by giving them choices, making it a game, and teaching them organizing skills.
Preventing toy clutter is an ongoing effort. First, you have to set limits, encourage meaningful play, and regularly declutter.
Reference
- https://www.lottie.com/blogs/childhood/five-things-parents-should-know-about-the-importance-of-toys-in-child-development
- https://kidpowered.com/blogs/educational-toys/8-characteristics-that-make-a-toy-great
- https://kidsonwheelz.ca/blogs/news/why-are-toys-so-important-during-childhood-development
