Do your kids have a lot of toys?

Question

My husband thinks our 3 preschool age children have too many toys and because of this, do not appreciate any of them. I'd say that if we gathered everything together, it would fill 4 large plastic bins. This is about 1/4 of what their friends have, and I think their friends have too many toys. My husband wants to get it down to one box of toys.

I try to keep it all organized- legos in one box, barbies in another, but in 3 minutes, they can (and do!) have everything dumped out and scattered throughout the playroom, 3 rooms upstairs, down the stairs and all over the family room.

My questions are: How many toys do you think is appropriate for a kids? How do you keep them organized (other than what I attempt)?

I was thinking of locking everything up and having the kids ask for something. Then they'd have to return what they took out before I get them something else.

Or... how can I train them to play with one thing (i.e. cars), and put them away before taking out something else?

Is this a losing battle?

Answer 1

pack them up in different totes and switch them up. each week put the old tote away and bring the new one out it will also help with cleaning and clutter!!!

oh ya and yes my son has TONS of toys he is 10 months and he has his own toy room that's full.   Every night before I go to bed I put the toys away that we had for that day and fill the same basket up with new toys so that way I know he is playing with all of his toys!!! some days I do themes like cars, animals, music....the first time we did the car theme I taught him to go vroooooom it is so cute!!! any way sorry to go on and on and on i'd do the tote thing for your kids!!!

hope I could help!

When they don't pick up their toys have a 'time out' box after you remind them once to pick up their toy put it in the box and they can have it in a week and if it ends up in the box more then 3 times bring them to the goodwill to donate it!! sounds harsh but you wont have that problem for long!!!

Answer 2

I think one bin is enough. I bet half of those toys they don't even play with. My daughter doesn't have many toys, just a couple ride-ons and some little dolls and things. (She's 13 months.) But I still live with my parents (I'm 15) and we always have a full house, so instead of just playing with toys and and being uncreative and anti-social, she plays with my little sister (whose nine) or someone else who has free time. You have enough kids in the same age range that they can all play tag or hide and seek.  

Answer 3

My oldest was SPOILED when she was born.  She was the first granddaughter, first Great granddaughter AND the first GREAT GREAT granddaughter....She was also the first girl in our family in 11years.  My very large family went insane.  She owned her first bike at 3wks old.  Every toy was bought, giant stuffed animals, you name it...she had it.  I found that the more toys she had, the less she played with them.  Kids get overwhelmed with too many toys.  This is what I did..

Have each kid pick 3 of their favorite toys.  Take the others and pack them up.  One box for puzzles, one for books, one for dolls, etc...  Put them away.  When they get bored with the toys they have, they can trade them for a toy in a box.  Make sure you donate toys they don't play with or ask for and toss the broken toys.  IF you have games that are missing pieces, call your local school or preschool and ask them if they would like your "extra pieces" if they have the same games.

Answer 4

My kids have tons of toys but several times a day we have "pick up time" and its a rush to see who can pick up the most.  The understood rule in my house is that anything left on the floor goes in the garbage and I only had to bring out the garbage bag ONE time before they learned that rule!

Answer 5

It sure seems like my kids have a lot of toys-they are all over my house!   And it seems like any type of organization I try lasts about a day and a half before they are all mixed together again.  What I have found works better than trying to organize all the toys is to take about half of them and pack them away for about six months.  If they have too many choices it seems like they don't play with anything for very long.  Plus, when I bring out the toys from storage and trade them out with the ones they've been playing with it's like the toys from storage are all brand new again.  About the only way I've found to get them to pick one thing up before taking another one out is if the toys are kept in a separate room from where they play with them.  That's what the system is at my mother's house, and it works well for her, but that wouldn't work at my house just due to space.

Answer 6

yup he has every wwe  toy you can think of and  a ton of trucks motorcycles and power rangers my wifes buys him wat ever toy when ever he wants it.

Answer 7

It is true when they have so many toys they loose interest. My 3 yr old has tons of toys. When he''s sleeping I put the one's he's not currently into into a large bin and store it in my room. A few weeks go by and I swap out the toys this really works. Or when he wants a new toy I make him get rid of 5 old toys to replace it. One way I knew my child had too many toys was christmas morning he wasn't as excited as I expected him to be. I knew then I was going to work on not spoiling him so much...