Wondering what the benefits of toy rotation are for your toddlers and preschoolers? Perhaps you’ve heard people talking about toy rotation and wondered if it’s something yo should consider for your little learners? Today I’d like to share why I’m such a big fan of toy rotation! Let’s explore why you should consider setting up a toy rotation system in your home.
We’ve all been there before. Toys scattered from one end of the house to another. Questioning how one small child can much such a big mess in the span of 10 minutes. Spending ALL weekend sorting, decluttering, donating…only for your play spaces to resemble a tornado zone within an hour.
When there are too many toys out, your play space is going to feel pretty overwhelming and very cluttered. If there are too many things to choose from, it’s easier for a toddler to just choose nothing. Or worse yet – to dump everything out in search for one specific thing but then leave a trail of destruction in their path. This is often when you find a cheeky toddler spreading sudocream all over the TV rather than being engrossed in independent play!
And let’s not even talk about pack up time! When there are too many toys out, it can take HOURS to sort through everything and put tings where they belong. And sometimes, things just don’t have a permanent home! They end up collecting in other rooms of the house and before you know it, your home resembles a toy store bursting at its seams!
When you take the time to learn how to create a purposeful play space, your little learner will be engaged in their play for longer, be more deeply engaged and focused in their play, be able to access their toys independently, AND the best part? Pack-up time will become a total breeze! Are you ready to say goodbye to the tidy-up-time meltdowns!?
Why is toy rotation so beneficial?
Having less toys out available for your toddler may seem a little counter intuitive. You might think “But aren’t they going to be bored with so little to play with!?” But it’s just not the case – quite the opposite actually! When there is less out, your children are encouraged to be more creative in their play. A basket of blocks can become sandwiches for a picnic or people playing in a cave!
Less toys = more creativity. Your little learner will adapt their play to suit what they have on hand. Sometimes it takes a little while for children to get used to having less, but the benefits are sooo worth it! I’ve witnessed my own children turn a simple cardboard box into a car; salt shakers at a restaurant into characters; a stick into a magical sword. When given space to be creative, our children thrive!
You’ll also notice that your children are more focused in their play and that they will play for much longer. When there’s heaps of stuff out, their minds dart from one thing to another. But when you cull the toys and start rotating, there’s less distractions. They become more engrossed in their play, and will come back to an activity over and over. Maria Montessori said that “Repetition is the secret of perfection.”
Organised spaces are inviting and welcoming! When your space is organised and tidy, it will invite your child to engage with the space. It feels homely and welcoming rather than cluttered and messy. Even when everything has been removed from the shelves and is spread across the floor, the space still doesn’t feel overwhelming because there isn’t buckets and buckets of toys covering the floor!
When everything has a specific space, pack up time is a breeze! Gone are the days of spending hoooours sorting through tubs and taking toys from one room to the next trying to find a spot to squeeze them in! When you have a specific space for toy rotation, your little ones are going to know exactly where everything belongs. These days it only takes us a few minutes to reset the play room after a day of play and usually the kids are pretty willing to help reset because they know it won’t take long.
But last but not least, rotating your toys and materials keeps things fresh and exciting! A toy that hasn’t been in rotation for a few months can feel brand new again! My children LOVE when we rotate “new” toys onto the shelves and one subtle change is often enough to ignite hours of play!
It’s clear that there are many benefits of toy rotation for your toddlers and preschoolers…but where to next?
Want some support getting started?
By now you’re probably thinking, ‘Okay this sounds like something I totally need!’ but you might be wondering, ‘Where the heck do I start?!’ I’ve created an online workshop series to support playful parents in creating thriving play spaces for their little learners so they never have to spend hours cleaning the play room again!
Inside the Purposeful Play Spaces Workshop, you’ll find:
- 5 Steps for Decluttering Session – Decluttering is always the hardest (and most overwhelming!) part when you decide to make changes to your play space and systems! In this session, I’ll teach you my easy-peasy 5 step process for decluttering, sorting and storing your toys – with bonus kid-friendly labels!
- Creating a Purposeful Play Space Session – Don’t just throw everything in a room and call it a day! Learn about the features of a purposeful play space so you can design a space that works for you and your unique family! In this session, we’ll explore the benefits and disadvantages of dedicated play rooms; the qualities of an inviting, accessible space; and how to design your play space to facilitate independent play – with real-world examples!)
- Getting Started with Toy Rotation Session – Toy rotation is the easiest and fastest way to remove the toy overwhelm from your home! When you rotate toys, old toys feel new again; pack up time is a breeze; and children are more focused and play longer in a space that is organised and welcoming! In this session, I’ll teach you my best tips for creating a toy rotation system you can stick with so you can spend your time actually enjoying your kids and not harassing them to tidy up!!
Plus loads of bonuses including a FAQ video library to answer some commonly asked questions around toy rotation and creating purposeful play spaces; play room labels to help you sort and organise your toys in a way that accessible for your little learners; storage solution list with some of my favourites for getting everything sorted and stored; and curated collection of favourite toys for encouraging independent, child-led play!
Ready to sit back and enjoy less toy mess AND see loads of intentional and independent play + learning in your home? Grab the workshop for $37 now!