Toy Rotation?

[JoyNChrist]

I know there have been threads about this in the past, but the new search engine hates me more than the old one did. :)

DS got way too much stuff for Christmas, so I'm thinking about putting some up and bringing it out at different times, so he always has "new" stuff to play with. If you do this, what's your system? Or do you just switch stuff out whenever you think of it? Do you switch out everything, or do you leave the favorite stuff out?

Or if somebody just wants to link me to any past discussions, that'd be great too. :)

[KHF]

I don't really have a system. I just watch DD for cues. If I notice she isn't playing with something, I'll put it away in a bin in our storage closet. Sometimes things get brought back out, sometimes they just go away. It depends on if it was really a favorite toy that she just got tired of, or if it was a novelty type of toy that she lost interest in quickly.

I also put back about 2/3 of the things she got for Christmas. I will bring out new things as old items get rotated out. I also might get a new item out for her if she's not feeling well, just as a pick-me-up. The only thing I don't really rotate is books. She always has access to all of her books. They're easy to store. (The exception to that rule is the Diego and Baby Einstein TALKING books she got from MIL for Christmas...those may be on permanent hiatus shortly. Who thinks books that require batteries are a good idea??)

The toy rotation has worked really well for us...it keeps her interested in the things she has and keeps clutter to a minimum. Plus, she adores stuffed animals, so she's always getting new ones of those. If we didn't rotate those, our house would be overrun with the little dust mite attractors.

Kirsten

[brittone2]

I'd like to get back into this now that we're accumulating more stuff w/ two kids (it was so much easier to keep things pared down when it was one kiddo!). For us, it worked best to keep out the classics like train table, kitchen, unit blocks, etc. and then rotate some of the other items. I'll also occasionally box up stuff that doesn't get played with often to rotate, but if it isn't asked for, remembered, or missed, it sometimes gets donated to make room for things that get more playtime. I stash stuff in the attic. So part of it is boxed w/ the intention of rotating it back into play, and some of it is boxed up as a transition to being donated (I keep the stuff that I think we may end up donating all together).

We also keep all books out all of the time (other than putting away holiday themed books, like most of the Easter books are packed w/ the Easter decorations, ditto things like Halloween themed books). We have those Ikea Expedit shelves so they hold a lot of stuff.

[ThreeofUs]

You know, this is something I'm having a hard time with....

DS seems to know to the least yo-yo what toys he has and firmly lets me know that "it's not fair!" when I try to put away toys as the PPs say they do.

But I've got to get rid of all these little, cluttering, not-generally-played-with toys. I'm thinking of a midnight raid that will take all these toys to a box in the car, on their way to a donation site. Anyone have a better idea?

[BillK]

Our system is easy! We put all the stuff that's currently pissing him off away for a while then bring it back in about 3-4 months. :)

[o_mom]

We have a kind of semi-structured rotation going. I try and have only one 'big' item out at once and that is what goes on the train table. For 'big' items we have: Shake'nGo Speedway, Wood train set, dollhouse, Fire station and parking garage. When DS1 says he wants one of those out, we put the current one away. Sometimes I'll change it when I see they are getting bored.

Then we have everything else not 'big', and every couple months I'll change it up. For example, I'll gather up all the puzzles that are out and put them away and get 4-6 new ones out. I try to only have 1 little people set out at once, but sometimes 2 depending on which one it is. For DS3, we have several activity table type items that I just rotate as needed. Just before Christmas I went through everything and donated three big boxes of stuff that was duplicates (don't need four pounding toys) or stuff we really didn't need (like JJJet plane stuff since they don't even know who that is). Sometimes I take DS1&2 'shopping' in the basement and let them each pick out something to bring up. If Ds1 really wants something brought up, I'll ask him to choose something to put away if there really is too much out.

Books we rotate because we literally don't have shelf space for all of them (have I mentioned our greeat library book sale? Grocery bag full for $5). I have 5 10 gallon totes of books stored and one extra copier paper box full - one box is seasonal books, three are picture books and one is board books.. What is out is approximately 2 10 gallon totes worth - 1 of board books and one of picture books. Every couple months I gather all the books and pile them on the couch and get out two new totes, one board books, one picture books. Then I fill the empty totes with the books that were out and write the date on them. Next time I pull out the tote with the oldest date on it.

[bubbaray]

With DD#1, I used medium sized Rubbermaid totes:

http://www.rubbermaid.com/rubbermaid/product/product.jhtml?prodId=HPProd150021

I have 3 of them. I would put a large-ish toy in each and various other toys, so that she had a good selection of different toys in each of the three. I rotated them every 3 weeks or so.

I need to re-do this, now that DD#2 is around and into everything.

I also use the Ikea Trofast storage system for our family room where the girls play. We don't use the playroom as a playroom as its downstairs and I don't like them playing down there by themselves while I cook or do household stuff on the main floor.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S49819508

I'm going to get another Trofast system (the same one) so that each girl will have her own bins.

For books, they are all currently in DD#1's room in an Ikea Billy bookcase, which is full. I am also planning on getting a second Billy bookcase for DD#2s room, and will move the younger-baby books to DD#2's room, freeing up more room on DD#1s bookcase.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/93690707

Its a nice size for our girls rooms and goes with DD#1s Ikea Hemnes bedroom set (we plan on getting the same set for DD#2)

[KHF]

I *always* put DD's toys away when she's asleep. Right now, she's a little under 2.5, so she really doesn't miss them if she doesn't see them going away. If I try to pull them out of rotation when she's awake, she will inevitably go straight for the ones I'm trying to put up!

Kirsten

[Jenn98]

I know it's time to rotate when one of two things happen: My living room is a minefield of toys and they aren't playing with them. They are just dumping them out and walking away. Or, when I notice they just aren't playing with them in general.

Then I gather stuff up and move it around. I was just packing up a lot of the more babyish toys and sending them to the basement last night. I also simply rotate toys form one room to the next (between DD#1's room, the living room and the rec room in the basement). That seems to liven things up. I also noticed that the fewer toys they have available the more they play with them. I have even removed 95% of the toys from the living room and neither of the kids noticed. There isn't a real system to my madness. I just do it when it strikes me as a good idea.

eta: I should add that books and art are always left out. They have full access to all the books and the easel is set up in the kitchen at all times.