How To Keep Holiday Toys From Taking Over

Edit the Selection

Before buying anything new, take inventory of your current toys so that you can donate the ones your kids have outgrown and purge or recycle any that are broken or missing pieces. This is also a great time to tuck a few away to make room for the new ones. When you bring them back out, after the novelty of the holiday gifts wear off, these will feel new all over again! Rotating the toy selection keeps your kids interested and helps limit overall clutter.

Dedicated Storage Areas

No matter the size of the living space, create organization with dedicated storage areas for all of the different items. Games, art supplies, dress-up items, etc., should all live together and in a space that makes sense with their usage. You can also consider where in the home the items will be and select your storage accordingly. For example, an ottoman with storage is great to hide the overflow in the family room or a beautiful collection of woven baskets grouped in the corner of the living room doubles as beautiful décor.

Containers + Labels

Utilize decorative baskets, containers and trays to keep like toys and items together. Decorative baskets can be found in every size and shape—and look fantastic, even on an exposed shelf. I also love to label clear containers for the various small items (legos, race cars, etc.) and keep a beautiful tray with paper and various cylinders for markers, pencils and crayons near the kitchen table to have art supplies at the ready in a manner that feels more elevated. Don’t forget to add labels (or pictures) to help reinforce the organization.

Make It a Game

By making a daily habit of cleaning and sorting, tidying up becomes a game that your kids can participate in. Create a fun playlist and challenge the kids to get everything put away before the last song ends.