We’ve all seen it – the picture perfect playroom with neatly-organized bins, happily stacked wooden blocks, books arranged in a rainbow-hued pattern. It’s expertly styled, of course, but is it functional? Is it real? Is it a space a child will feel empowered to play in?
Today, we’re debunking the myths of popular playroom ideas by offering smart storage solutions that consider – first and foremost – the child’s perspective. Want a playroom that your child can independently care for? Read on to help your littles incorporate The 5 P’s of Toy Organization.
Purge items.
You already know the drill; the less stuff you have, the less stuff you have to organize! But how do you purge toys with a particularly sentimental child? We’ve got 3 tried-and-true strategies:
- The stealth purge (best for getting rid of unused items).
Ask your child, “Can I tidy this space for you?” For example, your daughter might have a playdate planned at a friend’s house. While she’s out, remove any items you haven’t noticed her playing with and place them in a bin, box, or bag to keep out of sight for a few months. If an item is missed, you can easily recover it from storage. If an item is forgotten after six months, feel free to donate or save for a future child. (Note: Your child’s favorite toys are often not your favorite toys! It’s important to be as impartial as possible here to ensure that what your child truly loves is front and center. Yes, that means the Hulk action figure, the mega-sized giraffe, or the plastic candy-colored Barbie dream house.)
- The primary purge (best for getting rid of excess items).
Ask your child, “Which is your favorite _____ ?” For example, your craft drawer might contain dozens of different writing utensils (glitter pens! crayons! colored pencils!), but your child really only likes using markers. Or, your basket of blocks might contain multiple sets, but the pastel-colored ones appeal more to your sensory-sensitive child. The primary purge offers insight into which items your child primarily uses and loves, so you can donate the rest with little resistance. Remember: studies suggest that keeping 1 toy (rather than multiples of the same kind of toy) leads children to higher levels of cooperation and problem-solving.
- The someday purge (best for getting rid of broken/discarded items).
Ask your child, “Can I replace this for you?” For example, your son might have 6 foam swords with broken handles. By asking him if you can replace them, you’re serving three purposes: (1) Determining whether or not he would even enjoy the toy once fixed, (2) Considering the opportunity to condense the set with 1-2 upgraded versions of higher quality, or (3) Creating the possibility that he’ll forget about the item altogether, thus forgoing a someday replacement.
Pair by zones.
Sure, we all love the idea of a perfectly-designed playroom, but did you know that separate playrooms often discourage independent play? Young children want nothing more than to navigate life alongside their parents. They want an invitation, i.e. “Come play!” rather than a perceived exclusion, i.e. “Go play.”
With this in mind, consider play zones that are integrated into your everyday activities. A play kitchen near your kitchen will get far more independent use as your child models your own actions – prepping breakfast, clearing the table, washing dishes, etc. A simple book basket by the living room sofa is far more likely to be combed through than floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in a playroom (no matter how beautiful!). And looseleaf paper and crayons in your desk drawer might spark your child to send a letter to grandmother while you send an email to a client.
Pro Tip: Don’t underestimate the power of delight! We have a member who never uses her microwave, so she surprises her kids with a different toy inside each morning: a tub of Play-doh, a Matchbox car, a stuffed animal. They love popping open the door to see what’s inside, and almost always scamper off to play with it so she can prep breakfast independently.
By scattering play zones and activities throughout your home, you’re reinforcing the idea that play exists within a child, not a room. It can be accomplished anywhere, and with anything! (That’s extra great news if you’re a small space dweller, Amen?)
Prioritize function.
Function means different things to different humans – kids included! Most children prefer books to be displayed by their covers, not their spines. Does that make the space feel tidier? Not necessarily. But is it more functional for the child? In most cases, yes. Likewise, closed storage feels clean and tidy, but often means a child’s favorite toys are left inaccessible or undiscovered.
Consider your child’s personality in order to prioritize what’s most functional for them – always aiming to establish good habits up front. For example, a child that requires a low sensory input might prefer a credenza or sideboard with a few of the day’s favorite toys displayed and the rest hidden away to rotate at his/her whim. A child that requires a high sensory input might be more accepting and inspired by open shelving only.
Partner with your child in creating a plan that feels empowering and sustainable to maintain. And remember, sorting is a highly mathematical skill that children develop slowly over time. Avoid overwhelming organizational methods for toddlers until they’ve reached a more masterful level of 1:1 correspondence/bijection. Until then, rest easy knowing that – with every clean-up session – your child is building a strong STEAM foundation before your eyes!
Plan for new creations.
In every play zone, planning for new creations is essential. Perhaps you keep a low surface empty for ongoing LEGO builds, agreeing that after a set amount of time the creation will be put away and repurposed into something new later. Maybe you keep an entryway shelf empty for nature finds, agreeing that – once displayed for the week – they can return to the great outdoors. And of course, there’s always the refrigerator: the ongoing art gallery curated daily by parents worldwide.
Pro Tip: Many children feel sentimental toward their creations, and rightfully so! Finding a way to capture them, either by photography or illustration, might make parting with temporary creations easier. I like to keep a secret email address for each of my children. Periodically, I send photos of their ongoing sculptures, artwork, and finds to that email address. When they’re older, they’ll have a treasure trove of memories to enjoy for posterity!
Whatever you decide, keep this phrase in your back pocket: “There’s something new to create tomorrow.” By providing the encouragement (and the space!) to fulfill this mindset, your children will be well-steeped in creativity day after day.
Present the unexpected.
Want to hear something crazy? A playroom needn’t house a single toy.
Real-world, actual items that we live with and use in our daily lives are magnets to children. In fact, there’s a scientific name for it! Heuristic play was coined by child psychologist Elinor Goldschmied in the early 1980s, and the simplest definition, of course, is this: object play. Because a child’s deepest, most inherent goal is to make sense of the world around them, their brains are like an archaeologist’s on a dig: “What purpose does this serve? What does this thing do? What does it mean? How does it work?”
Allow your child‘s exploration of safe, everyday items. Let curiosity take over. Open the kitchen drawer and observe as your child explores the salad spinner. Give your kids the handheld vacuum so they can see how it works. Hand over your cosmetics bag and prepare to be amazed as they busy themselves for a good half hour.
By presenting the unexpected, you’re offering your child an open-ended, multidisciplinary, free(!) source of discovery in the playroom and beyond.
Need more inspiration to keep your child playing day after day? Take a gander through our Marketplace, and if you haven’t already, enjoy 3 weeks of FREE play-based prompts right this way!