Toys 4 Tots!

Does your child's bedroom or toyroom look like this?

It looks quite a bit overwhelming to the point you just want to close the door and not think about it.  The kids don't even want to or can't play in there, so they drag random things out to your living room. With just a few hours and maybe some help from the kiddos this Fall Break week, you could turn this room around to a functioning playroom again, and be able to also reclaim your livingroom. Now, is a great time, with Christmas right around the corner, to throw away broken parts, match up lost pieces, donate cleaned up stuffed animals to local hospitals, grown out baby toys to nursery's , or even set-up a mommy-time lunch trade (for easy and cheap Christmas shopping).

 Start with totes or boxes out in the hallway for give-away, not to get mixed up with the toys to be kept, and a huge black garbage bag for garbage. Disclaimer: get rid of these toys ASAP, so those cute little hands don't trickle them back in. Out-of-sight, out-of-mind! Also, using designated totes for like items.

AAHHH!!! Beautiful space for playing! Now comes the consistent part of making sure they keep it that way. Picking up whatever they are done playing with, before getting something else out, is the key. Try creating a reward system, like 10 beans in a baby food jar everytime they clean up, when full they can pick out a treasure from the chest, or go on a one-on-one date with you, an ice-cream cone, or whatever motivates your child. If it gets overwhelming again, try setting a timer for 5 minutes then getting a treat, or have a competition with 2 or more children seeing who can pick up the most. Also helping from day-to-day messes, have certain pick-up times, like right before lunch and right before dinner, making indoor winter-time playing and cleaning alot more blissful!