A Space to Play

By Natasha Duffin-Jones

Toys, toys everywhere! Anyone else feel that their home is being taken over by the sheer number of toys accumulated by their little ones? Looking on social media, it appears all families have beautifully curated playrooms for their children. Influencers and content creators can make parents feel inadequate about their own play spaces. Then it can be an ongoing battle to simply remain in control of the number of toys we have. That being said, let’s explore different ways to encourage less mess and more play, and to regain control of the mess, play, and comfort within our homes.
 

Do you have too many toys?

Firstly, too many toys usually results in children feeling overwhelmed and not actually able to play with the toys they have. When looking into a pile of toys, children cannot imagine how to begin and, therefore, spend limited time engaged in play. Furthermore, the clutter is then hard to tidy up so toys get left in the wrong places or just abandoned everywhere, making everyone feel stressed! 

In order to keep the number of toys within our home manageable, I find it useful to regularly audit the toys we have. When I sort through the toys I consider the following:

• Do the children actually play with it? 
• Are there pieces missing? 
• Are any of these toys broken?

Of course, children seem to have a sixth sense regarding items you are planning to remove from the home and they seem to become their favorite again! If you are worried about your child’s renewed interest in certain items, remove them for a week and see if they are missed before removing them permanently. Older children can actually be involved with this, and it can be an opportunity for learning too. Once unused toys have been removed, they can be sold, donated, or passed on to others. 
 

Categorize your toys 

Next, I start categorizing the existing toys as I would when I’m organizing play spaces at school. I try to group similar items, such as all the creative items (paint, playdough, pencils, pens, crayons, chalks), small world toys (figurines, doll house), role-play items (larger items like a play kitchen), toys for physical play (ball pit, Pikler triangle, slide), construction toys (blocks, Magnatiles, LEGO), musical toys, and so on. 

Make and organize a playspace

After categorizing toys into groups, I then look at the existing space that we have. Some families are lucky enough to have a playroom; however, especially in smaller apartments, this is not always possible. You can create a great play space in a living room or bedroom.

I find it helpful to look at the space I have available and then organize the big items first, keeping similar items grouped together. So I would put the role-play toys together so children can use them together, for example, using the kitchen and then taking the trolley to the shop or taking the baby out for a walk. 

After that, I would ensure they have the equipment they need together, such as keeping the creative items near an easel or a table they can use. Art trolleys are useful for storing creative items and ensuring that they can be accessed easily. Keeping creative items such as pencils and pens in clear containers can help children see what they have available. I have found some great options in Mr DIY for storing creative items. 

I like to store puzzles and games with loose parts in zip-up bags so that it is easier to ensure none of the parts go missing. Role-play clothes can be stored on hangers at a child’s height so that children can play with them effortlessly. 

I would store similar items, like musical toys, together using drawers or baskets; this makes it easier for children to find the things they are looking for when they play. If you cannot see into the storage baskets or boxes, I recommend labeling each basket or box to help with tidying up. You can even use a picture of the items in the box for younger children.

Keeping similar items together can help children develop their creativity when they are engaged in play, meaning that they will play for longer. For construction toys, I would make sure they are stored where there is a space next to them for building so children do not have to transport the toys far to play with them. 

Displaying toys helps children to see what they can play with. Montessori-style shelves are popular and these open-style shelves help children see what they have. IKEA have the KALLAX range of shelves which work well for this, but any open shelves will work just as well. 

If you have too many toys to display them simply like this, then you could consider a toy rotation. Packing away some toys and then changing them every few weeks or months can keep children interested in their toys. 
 

Books, books, books! 

We are a family with two teachers so our home is overrun with books. Too many books can make it hard for children to choose what to read. It can be useful to have small shelves with a range of accessible books for children to read independently next to a cozy place to read, and this can help to create independent readers. We store the majority of our books on larger book shelves and then rotate the books on the smaller bookshelves as necessary. Children need to be able to access books they enjoy by themselves in order to become passionate readers. 
 

Baby toy safety

Finally, it can be hard when you have multiple children of differing ages to ensure that some toys are kept away from younger siblings, especially babies. Store any toys that are choking hazards out of reach of babies and allow time for older siblings to play with them. I recommend using a high table that the baby cannot reach. Also, it’s nice to get these toys out when the baby is sleeping—you can have special playtime with your older child during that time. 

Ideally, your play spaces will change and develop as children grow and their preferences change. Evaluate regularly to review if your spaces are working for you and your family, and remember less is more when it comes to toys and play. Functionality is more important than creating an Instagrammable space, and your children should be able to access their toys independently and tidy them away as well! 

Note: BAMBI reminds all readers to secure any potentially unstable items such as bookcases to the wall to prevent them from tipping and causing injury.  
 

About the Author 

Natasha Duffin-Jones is a mother of two children as well as an early years and primary teacher with a Master of Early Childhood degree. She is also a children’s yoga teacher with her company, Story Time Yoga, specializing in teaching yoga with children’s stories developing literacy and emotional literacy. She also likes visiting different places in Bangkok with her children and documenting their adventures on her Instagram page @bangkokmamaandbab