Have you ever felt like your living room has been taken over by your children's toys? You're constantly stepping on wooden blocks all over your floor or clearing dolls off the dining room table. You and your little one are both overwhelmed by toys!
Rotating your child's toys benefits both of you. It gives you peace of mind and brings organization to your home. A smaller selection of toys has developmental benefits for your little ones, encouraging focus, creativity, and appreciation of their toys.
In this guide, we'll tell you all about toy rotation: what it is, how to do it effectively, and the benefits. Let's dive in!
What is Toy Rotation?
Toy rotation is when you give your child a few toys to play with at a time. Usually these are toys you already own. Instead of having every toy out all at once, you rotate through them in small groups.
This practice is great for creating a calming home environment and stimulating your little one's development. It's a popular technique for many Montessori families.
How to Rotate Toys: Tips & Tricks
When you decide to start rotating toys, you'll have to decide how you want to organize toys that are out of rotation. You'll also want to be in tune with your child so you know which toys to give and take.
1. Organize toys by type
Organizing your little one's toys will make rotating easier. You can choose your own categories, but here are some of our suggestions:
- Building blocks
- Imaginative play sets like food, doctor kits, etc.
- Dolls, stuffed animals, or wooden toy animals or figures
- Games and crafts
- Musical toys
- Seasonal or themed toys
You can choose toy chests, toy organization bins, or other space-saving and easy-to-use toy organization tool.
2. Find a space to store toys
Keeping out of rotation toys in their own separate space is key. If they're out of sight, they're out of mind. This should be somewhere your little one doesn't have access to, like the top shelves of a closet or in the garage.
3. Pay attention to how your child plays
The best way to rotate toys varies from child to child. A great trick is to pay attention to which toys are your child's favorites, and which they haven't played with for a couple days. Switch out the forgotten toys, and wait for their favorite to change before switching that out.
You'll probably rotate through toys every couple weeks to a month. Toddlers usually need toys rotated more frequently than younger children.
Benefits of Toy Rotation
Keeping your child's toys in a rotation benefits both you and your little one. It leads to a more organized, calming household and supports your child's growth and development.
1. Tidy, organized home
Having fewer toys available means your home will be tidier and cleanup will be easier. An organized environment lowers stress for the whole family. And, with less to clean up, your child will be less overwhelmed and more eager to learn cleaning and organizing skills.
2. Boosts creativity and imagination
With fewer toys to choose from, your child will find new and exciting ways to play. Building blocks will become pretend food or tracks for toy cars. Stuffed animals or dolls will be characters in vibrant pretend play stories. This open-ended play is great for your child's cognitive development.
3. Promotes independant play
From playtime to cleanup, your little one will feel empowered to take the lead and make their own choices. They can play creatively and independently and handle putting their toys away. Open-ended toys are the most effective at encouraging your little one to problem-solve and play independently.
4. Strengthens attention span
When your children aren't bouncing between multiple toys, they'll be able to focus on one toy for longer. In a fast-paced world, it's essential to help our children slow down and focus. A better attention span will help them later in life with school, work, and their personal life.
5. Makes play exciting
Rotating through toys makes each one feel exciting and new. Instead of getting bored with every toy, your child can take a break from them and return to old favorites (or toys they completely forgot existed). Your child will play with each toy as if they were new!
6. Eco and budget friendly
Toy rotations help your wallet and the environment. By investing in fewer, higher quality toys to rotate through, you'll reduce consumption and save yourself money in the long run.
Consider Toy Rotation for Your Family!
If anything in this guide resonated with you, then it may be time to consider implementing toy rotation into your home. You'll see the benefits in peace and growth for the whole family.
If you want to take the leap, consider shopping our collection of eco-friendly Montessori toys.
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