Play, Imagination, Creativity, Fun, Favorite, Few: These are the words I would like to associate with the toys in my home.
And while I have made a lot of progress in this direction, I still feel we have an abundance of toys that sit outside these descriptions.
So I decided to create a bit of an experiment with my girls. I grabbed a large cardboard box and told the girls they were going to clean up their toys. All toys were going in the box except 3 toys each. They were to pick their 3 favorite toys to keep out.
The exceptions: Their stuffed animals/dolls on their bed, coloring/art supplies, the box of legos in the kitchen, the large chalkboard in the kitchen, and their imaginations! These stayed available.
They did pretty good. They each had a bucket to place their favorite toys. They originally filled their buckets with more than 3 toys and then they paired it down. Here is what they picked:
N: Brain Quest, a pretend Lego Cell Phone, and a set of Cardboard Cards made with return address stamps
B: a Barbie, a Wand, a My Little Pony
A: a Wand, an Exercise Band, a Headband
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| Toys picked to keep out |
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| Toys put in storage (barbie house not shown) |
I did not expect these results, but the girls seemed satisfied. I told my girls that the following Friday they could trade out their three toys if they would like. I don't plan on taking out all the stored toys; instead they can make their requests from memory.
Over the next few weeks, I am hoping that favorite toys come to light, that my girls use more of their time playing make believe, and that the toy clutter eliminates itself. We shall see how this experiment plays out!
Have you successfully paired down the toys in your home to a special few? If so, how?!!!!
