How to Master the Art of Toy Rotation
Mom and Dads everywhere, you're in luck. It's easy for children to forget about toys once they're out of sight.
Keep this in mind as you master the art of toy rotation in your home. Not only will you have calmer, happier kids, you'll also be able to introduce "new" toys to your family on a weekly basis.
Step 1: Change Your Mindset
When you leave lots of toys out for your child to play with, it actually makes it harder for them to deeply engage in their play. A widely available amount of toys only leaves them wanting to move from one toy to the next and can also lead to a more stressful play environment.
The less you leave out, the more deeply your child will be able to connect with a single toy and get lost in their own imagination.
Step 2: Limit The Selection
Toy rotation does not mean you have to donate or get rid of your child's toys. Instead you're limiting what's available to them during playtime.
Select between three to five toys to leave out and box up the rest, storing them away until it's time to refresh their selection.
Choose a selection of toys that will appeal to different senses. For example, you might leave out a pretend toy (a wooden set of pots), a stacking or building toy, an active toy (a trike), a thinking toy (a puzzle) and a musical toy.
Step 3: Consider the Seasons
If you live in an area with big changes in the weather, consider sorting toys accordingly. For example, you might leave more active indoor toys out in the winter months since there is less outside playtime available.
Step 4: Don't Forget About Books
When we talk about toy rotation, it's easy to forget about the shelves of books that are also readily available to children.
One way we love to streamline our book collection is to sort by a theme. For example, when spring is approaching here in Maine, we love to pick books about gardening, insects, camping and other seasonal themes while books about the holidays or winter get put away.
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