One Two Many Toys!

Do you sometimes feel like your child has one, two (too) many toys? You’re certainly not alone Mama! I felt like that too. Having an excess of toys is really not ideal for your child, as it can be overwhelming for the child (and the parents). For instance, too many toys cause overstimulation, therefore making it hard for the child to focus on one activity.

Having fewer toys can help your child to develop a deeper connection with each toy. This act can help your child to form meaningful relationships as she grows up. Therefore, as a great mom that you are, it is essential to observe your toddler’s preferences, because each child is different, and adapt accordingly. Be intentional about creating a balanced toy environment. This way, you can foster a more enriching and enjoyable play experience for your child. Now, shall we take a look at my experience?

My Experience

I have lost count of how many times I or my husband have stepped on a toy or two. I bet you can relate to this. Our daughter is over 3 years old and her growth makes me upgrade her toy box ever so often because her preferences are evolving. First, it was figurines from Cocomelon, then, it was from the Paw Patrol, Diana and Roma, Peppa Pig, and Vlad and Niki and now, we’re at a crossroads between our love for Barbie and Gracie’s Corner’s toys.

This rapid evolution has created an immense wealth of toys for her 19 months old baby brother. Although he doesn’t yet have distinct preferences, we’ll soon get there and have more toys! Often times, I look around their room and get stunned by the toy mess going on. Sure, I ask them to clean up, but I have to help because it’s a big mess. Then, I calculate the amount of time spent tidying up and it’s over 15 minutes. Boy! Something had to change. It wasn’t rocket science to know that fewer toys would mean less cleaning up time.

It was time for their toys to get shuffled. I’ll admit that I struggled with making the choice of which toys had to stay and which had to go. But, I know that a lot of toys at once, causes a distraction for the children. Therefore, toys need to be rotated. Fortunately for me, my Montessori knowledge came to the rescue and I decided to leave more open-ended materials, such as dolls, cars, and art supplies out.

Of recent, our daughter loves to get into character by becoming a chef/waiter. She would take our order, prepare the meal and serve us. Oh! And ask for her money! :-). She would do this over and over again, taking different meal orders to prepare and serve us. Only a selection of toys became accessible to the children per time, and they were rotated periodically, after 2-3 weeks, to maintain their interest and prevent overstimulation. With this knowledge recollection, I was able to downsize my children’s toys to a reasonable number.

You may want to consider the following 3 tips that helped me manage the one two (too) many toys around my home:

1. Donate or share: I did this with toys that our children had outgrown, lost interest in or had a duplicate. This definitely reduced clutter and also allowed other children to benefit from the toys.
2. Encourage purposeful play: toys that promote open-ended play, creativity, and problem-solving skills surely add value. The Montessori approach focuses on such, ensuring the child’s developmental needs are met through independence.
3. Create play & storage spaces: this specific area encourages our children to easily clean up after themselves which fosters a sense of organization and cleanliness.

Research-Based Fact

A Guide to Montessori Toy Rotation – How Often & Why? is an exemplary read in summary of the aim of today’s blog post. It covers what toy rotation is; its importance; how often toys should be rotated; and the implementation of a toy rotation system at home. A Montessori-based toy rotation system basically supports your child’s development by providing them with continued stimulation without overwhelming them.

This system allows the child to spend maximum time with a particular toy, while exploring its potential and how it could work in combination with another toy. In order to reveal new interests and capabilities, it is important to rotate your children’s toys once or twice a month, depending on their ages and interests. Since children are fans of repetition, toy rotation can be about switching up some toys to make the set feel new, without necessarily changing all the toys at once.

Reference

Apple Slices. 2024. A Guide to Montessori Toy Rotation – How Often & Why? Available at: https://www.appleslicesllc.com/a-guide-to-montessori-toy-rotation-how-often-why/. Accessed on 11 March 2024.

Montessori in Real Life. 2020. Close-Ended vs. Open-Ended Toys in Montessori. Available at: https://www.montessoriinreallife.com/home/2020/12/12/close-vs-open-ended-toys-in-montessori#:~:text=That%20being%20said%2C%20most%20homes,show%20them%20how%20to%20play. Accessed on 11 March 2024.