Empowered to Declutter! Kids Toys

Decluttering kids' toys 🧸 Buckle up!

I have three kids, aged 7, 6, and 3. Two boys and a girl. They have a lot of toys. I was going to list their favorites, but let's just agree they have a lot. Probably too much! It's no wonder that it can be so overwhelming to tackle all of it.

Step 1: Clean Up the Toys

For us, the first step with toys was cleaning them up. Maybe I should be embarrassed that this is our first step but I'm not. My kids enjoy playing on their own with the toys that they have and sometimes they don't clean them up. I've chosen to let that be the least of my worries. If company comes over unexpectedly and sees that there are toys on the floor or scattered all over our toy room, they should know that kids live here and sometimes it's a mess.

So, we tidy up the toys! It's important that my kids are included in this step so that they know how much work goes into cleaning up their stuff. If they don't enjoy spending half the day tidying up their toys, it makes them a little more willing to let some things go.

Once everything is back in its place, it's easier to declutter. 

Actual photo of a small part of our very messy toy room.

Step 2: Throw Away the Trash

We sorted out the broken toys and the literal trash we found and put those right in the garbage. That was easy. It's hard to make a case for keeping broken toys, and even the kids agreed they should be thrown away.

Step 3: Introduce "The Container Concept"

Kids can attach sentimental value to absolutely everything. Somehow that McDonalds toy they forgot about until they just saw it for the first time in a year is equally as important as their stuffed animal they've had since birth. I'm trying to teach my kids (and myself) that not everything can be special. If everything is special, then nothing actually is. That's a hard thing to grasp as a six-year-old, and here's where I love Dana K White's "container concept." 

The idea is that every home, every room, every drawer is a container. Anything that doesn't fit in that container needs to be donated, sold, or thrown away/recycled.

We have books coming out of our ears! (Thanks a lot Dolly Parton...) Don't get me wrong, I love books. But they are stacked in every room of our house. I designated one shelf for books. The kids picked their favorites and put them on the shelf, and the rest had to go. Once the shelf was full the kids took time to really evaluate which books they liked the best. We applied this idea to all of their toys. We designated space for each type of toy, and when that space was full, we said goodbye to the rest.

Step 4: One In, One Out

In the past, instead of getting rid of toys I would just buy more containers. Toy boxes in the toy room are full? Better buy each of them a toy box for their rooms. Now those are full? I should get those cute bins on sale for all of the little toys I keep stepping on. Someone gifted us a giant box of Hot Wheels cars with the matching tracks and garage? I'll find space in another room for that, since the toy room is getting pretty full... 

Not anymore! Both Dana K White and Allie Casazza talk about the "one in, one out" rule. This was a rule I was already familiar with! I remember my dad actually practiced this with his clothes (and begged the rest of the family to practice it too 😆). 

If one new item comes in, then an existing item goes out.

I am determined to follow the "one in, one out" rule for our toys! It won't be easy, but when a new toy comes in the kids will need to choose a toy to donate. Will I regret this rule when they cry or throw a fit? Probably. But it's an important lesson for kids to learn if I want to break generational clutter. 

Step 5: "Rinse & Repeat"

We will have to do this again and again as new toys come in. Maintenance decluttering is what will make this whole journey have a lasting impact on our lives. Having to declutter our toys again does not mean I've failed. It just means I get to follow the steps again and continue growing beyond a cluttered house.

Why Am I Making My Kids Declutter?

I moved into my first home with my husband with 13 totes of things from my childhood. One tote was full of only stuffed animals. I remember opening the lid, looking at it, closing the lid, and bringing it straight to the thrift store. Yes, some of those were Beanie Babies with their tags intact. I don't want my kids to go into adulthood with that much baggage from their childhood. Life is overwhelming enough as it is.

Pro Tip # 1: Include Your Kids

When it comes to decluttering kids' toys, I think it is important to include your kids. How would you feel if you came home after a long day at work to find that someone else threw out half of your most loved things? You'd be pretty upset. If your kids are toddlers or infants, you get a pass. But if your kids are old enough to notice their things have gone missing then they should be included at least in part of the decluttering process.

Pro Tip # 2: Finish Without Your Kids

My kids had a tough time getting rid of their toys. When they remembered they once loved that toy, they were convinced they could not part with it. So, we completed our decluttering for the time being and I vowed to come back to it on my own... At this point, I also remembered I had two boxes of toys hidden away that I intended to swap with our other toys. Those boxes went to the thrift store instead.

There are a lot of ways you can declutter kids' toys. I recommend including your kids in the process as much as you can. But if you're like me, there will be a time to go through their things without them. In my opinion, there's no magic number of toys that will ensure your kids have the best environment to grow in. Just keep what you think works best in your container, for your kids, and for you! Like any other part of this decluttering process, if we find that they are needing something I got rid of, I guess we will just have to put it on their Christmas list.

XO, Courtney

Let me know in the comments if you have any tips or tricks to decluttering kids' toys! Likewise, if you found any of this helpful, I'd love to hear what worked for you.

Learn more from Dana K. White

Learn more from Allie Casazza