Over the past few Christmases, as my kids have grown a little older and the sheer volume of toys has grown with them, I've realised that I needed to figure out how to declutter toys.
They're in baskets, under beds, on shelves, in the car, in their rooms and behind the sofa. The sheer amount of stuff seems to creep into every space. And with Christmas only weeks away, the thought of even more arriving fills me with overwhelm. And any time I thought of decluttering them, I felt even more overwhelmed.
1. I started with the easiest wins without the kids
Before I even mentioned anything to the girls (there's a way to do this, which I tried below), I quietly gathered the obvious stuff.
Broken toys, puzzles with missing pieces, dried-up pens, Happy Meal bits and pieces that somehow multiply (if you know, you know).
No one misses these (least of all me), and it instantly cut down all the noise and gave me a clearer picture of what we were dealing with.
This is what went in the pile:
- Broken toys that were beyond repair
- Games that were missing essential parts
- Old party bag toys (a lot of junk)
- Artwork that's past its sentimental moment (I always find this one challenging, as it's emotional clutter)
- Duplicates of things (usually random happy meal cuddly toys)
2. I identified the toys they'd grown out of
My kids are officially out of the baby stage, so it was easier to spot what they've outgrown. These were the toys that still worked, were in good condition, but simply weren't played with anymore.
Here's what I gathered up:
- Baby toys
- Early puzzles and board books
- Characters they no longer care for
- Toys that they never liked, but I held on to in the hopes they would eventually
These are perfect for donating, especially at this time of year when local charities are crying out for toys in good condition.
Luckily, I also have a lovely friend across the road who has the sweetest babe to appreciate some of the things we give away.
Shop these family decluttering books
3. I unleashed the kids and framed it right
This is the part that could have ended in a battle. Convincing any child to part with toys, whether played with or not, is a rather delicate task.
Instead of saying, 'we're getting rid of toys', I said, 'Let's make some space for the cool new things Santa might bring you this year!' So it's not about losing things but preparing for exciting things to come. I felt smug that this actually worked.
We also chatted about which toys might make another child really happy to get. My kids needed some control over the situation, and I think it felt a bit more collaborative.
I kept the decluttering to a very manageable 15 to 20-minute endeavour (more so because they lost interest pretty quickly), giving them roles as toy inspectors. Then we put them into piles for keeping, things to share with other kids and recycling.
4. We celebrated and got a little reward
When we finished, we admired our handiwork, and I said, 'Look how much tidier it looks for your new toys!'
Then, just like doing a spot of dopamine cleaning, a reward of some kind was needed. I always find bribery and corruption work well when it comes to my kids, so we all had a chocolate coin for our efforts.
We then sat down for a festive movie, because I, for one, was pooped from the sheer effort.
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When my girls were toddlers, they weren't quite ready to understand the idea of letting go of things they no longer liked or played with. But now they're a little older, they are more willing. I say willing very loosely...
They can see that making space means they'll actually be able to enjoy their new toys properly instead of losing them in the clutter. And I can breathe a sigh of relief now there's more room to play with!
