Organizing Kids Toys

We all have them...kids....

and they love them...toys...

now what do we do with them...the kids and the toys???

We know what we do with the kids we love them!

Now what about the toys, because if you're like me you don't love those. Especially the ones from fast food restaurants. I am only glad my kids are getting big enough to not eat kids meals any more because it means an end to the darn toys. To bad it also means they are growing up... :(

So what do we do with all the toys? All the army men, action hero's, cars and trucks, magic writers and learning laptops, books, and dress up cloths, fake guns and games?

Do you pile yours up in the corner? Or perhaps in a box under the bed? Do you have a strategic system or have you given up on any and all organization when it comes to the kids rooms?

Me? Give up? Heck no!

I have had a system for my boys since they were very small. They shared a room in our old house, which was a VERY small house, so it called for planning and strategic placement of toys to get the most usage but also keeping the rules.

We don't allow toys in the living room.

I know HORRIBLE! Gasp Gasp.

Living in a 2 bedroom, 1,000 sq foot duplex from the time your kids are infant and 3 years old until they are 6 and 9 you give up a lot but space in the living room was not one of the things we gave on.

You would ban the toys too! It was to small for their stuff to creep in and take over our stuff and after we moved they have plenty of space so there is no need for their stuff to invade our still.

My system your wondering, what could it be?

EVERYTHING IN IT'S PLACE and A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING!

That's my system, my strategic planning.

Really though, I bought a wire shelving unit and canvas boxes from Target when my youngest was born and made every canvas box specific to some toy then I put this shelf in their closet. I love this system because you can set the shelf up how ever you want. I have mine set in a row of two and stacked 3 high because this side of the closet is slim.  I recently found chalkboard tags that I attached to the canvas boxes with twine and wrote on each tag who's home that is. So simple!

Every day before we leave the house they pick up their toys and put them away, every night before bed they pick up their toys and put them away, before they think about changing from inside play to outside play they pick up.

They know now, they get out only what they want to play with and it helps with the "the mess is to big for me to clean it my self" fight. We don't have it. They make it they clean it. Thats that.

After years of this it is second nature. And every few months I go through the boxs (usually when they are at school) and do a little clean up and clean out, getting rid of all the broken and chewed pieces and parts. Click here to read a post about that specifically, what to purge and when to purge it.

Thats that!

Now it's your turn to share. What do you do to help your kids stay organized?

Give me links I want to see what works for your family!

If this turns out...never know maybe I will start a linky party of my own....

Jen