Organizing the Toys

That big toy box in your child’s bedroom or playroom might be causing him a good deal of trouble. If all his toys are kept there, he must remove almost everything from the box to locate the smaller items. If he can’t find a toy, then he can’t play with it—and sometimes a child would rather not play with a toy if locating it is an inconvenience. And even if he can find the desired item, he is still faced with the task of replacing all the other toys in the box. Furthermore, toys in a large box frequently get broken; then the box often does dual duty as a garbage can when dirt, paper, and broken toy pieces filter to the bottom of the box—a potentially dangerous situation.

A workable alternative might be shelves, with containers to hold smaller toys. (Large toys can sit on the shelves or remain in the toy box.) Two-and-a-half gallon plastic ice cream containers, for example, work very well for holding blocks, small cars, etc. A child can see his toys at a glance and select those he wants to play with. The pickup is easier, too, and the child learns sorting skills as he puts his toys away.

Since we have organized our preschoolers’ toys in this way, the toys get much more use and the room stays neater. Barbara Shillinger, Aberdeen, Washington