Kids can lose interest in their toys quickly, leading parents to constantly buy new ones. A better solution is implementing a toy rotation where you switch out which toys are easily accessible. This keeps old favorites novel again and prevents toy overload.
Why Toy Rotation Works
- Novelty: Removing toys for a while makes them seem new again when reintroduced.
- Less overstimulation: Limiting the number of toys out at once reduces overchoice and frustration.
- Organization: Putting away excess toys helps manage clutter and organize the play area.
- Cognitive benefits: Switching toys stimulates imagination and flexibility in children.
How to Start a Toy Rotation
Pick rotation contenders: Select about 10-20% of your child’s toys that will go into the initial rotation.
Group by type: Organize rotation toys into categories like vehicles, dolls, blocks, art supplies, etc. This makes switching out easier.
Set a schedule: Rotate toys weekly, biweekly or monthly based on your child’s age and attention span.
Store outgoing toys: Use separate bins, baskets, or under-the-bed boxes for toys that are currently “out of rotation.”
Reintroduce with fanfare: When bringing toys back, make a big deal of it to create excitement. Say “Look who’s back!”
Toy Rotation Ideas
- By category: Rotate all vehicles one week, then all dolls the next week.
- By theme: only have zoo animals, then farm animals, then jungle animals out at a time.
- By season: switch summer and winter toys each solstice.
- Random: pull a few random toys to bring back and put the rest away.
- By child: let each child pick one toy to bring out of rotation.
Making it Work
- Involve kids: Ask your child which toys they want to rotate and when.
- Make swaps gradual: Don’t rotate all the toys at once. Do a few at a time.
- Create baskets: Use separate baskets or bins for “in” and “out” rotation toys.
- Set limits: Only let a few toys from each category be in rotation at a time.
- Keep it flexible: Adjust the rotation based on your kid’s interests and what works for you.
In conclusion, instituting a toy rotation is a simple yet effective way to boost the novelty and educational value of your child’s existing toys. By regularly switching out which toys are easily accessible, you can maintain your kid’s excitement and attention – without constantly buying more. Start simple, involve your children in the process, and remain flexible to make toy rotation a fun new habit that benefits the whole family.
FAQs about Toy Rotation
What is toy rotation? Toy rotation is a simple solution to a common problem. Most children today have too many toys, and feel overwhelmed by choice. In toy rotation, instead of having all the toys in the house out at once, you divide them into smaller, more manageable groups and switch them around on a regular basis.
What age do you start doing rotation? There really is no right age to start toy rotation. The best practice is to start rotating toys as soon as your child begins playing with them, probably around 6 months. But this doesn’t mean that you need to run out to a store and start picking up a bunch of new toys right away.
While groupings can vary, some toy rotation categories could be building, play figures, stuffed animals, puzzles, vehicles, games, or imaginative play. A great rotation system will have toys represented from each type of play group.
Once the trash and donations are out of the room, the next phase of creating your toy rotation system is about organizing everything they play with by like and kind. Create your categories custom to what your children use: Dolls, stuffed animals, board games & puzzles, cars, play kitchen food & utensils, etc.