toy rotations can seem daunting, but they don’t have to be! we just moved about a month ago, so it was the perfect time to redo/revamp my son’s toy collection and organize it in a way that rotations were possible.
i didn’t take any pictures of his closet, but i used various baskets and bins I already owned and sorted his toys into categories:
- toys (2 of these just for regular toys)
- puzzles
- academics (stuff like flashcards and his wooden clock that he’s a bit too young for at the moment)
- crafts
- board books
then, every week or so my goal is to take the 4 toys he has access to and exchange them out for various new toys that i already have sorted nicely, so it doesn’t even have to take more than 5-10 minutes.
before i show you this week’s rotation, I wanted to share some of my thought process as i do this rotation for him each week:
- montesorri. we are not 100% montessori, but i like to be in the areas i can. this includes putting some toys in baskets/trays and having toys that have a purpose and aren’t just noisy (or plastic). i also have all his toys at his level so he can grab which toys he wants when he wants.
- small pieces. my son is still at that age where everything goes into the mouth at some point, so i have to make sure i don’t put toys/activities that have too small of pieces so he doesn’t choke when he’s having independent play.
- variety. i try to have one puzzle and then the other toys being a wide spectrum of what their purpose is so he has variety in what he has access to.
our toy collection isn’t super large yet because i don’t really buy him new toys. as you know, kids can make anything a toy. but, anytime i’m at a consignment/thrift store or garage sale, i check out the kid’s toys and that’s where the majority of his toys are from (or from family). and you’d be surprised the gems you find!!
here’s this week’s rotation:
now, let’s look briefly at what each cubby holds (the bottom always has those books, organized by color):
wooden blocks with the alphabet on them
a musical instrument puzzle where every time the piece is put in place, it makes that instruments’ noise
various musical instruments (only a couple pictured)
a few board books by eric carle (only a couple pictured)
and to the right of the book case, i have his newest toy (thank you once upon a child) which is his cleaning set by melissa & doug. literally have wanted one of these for him but never wanted to buy new. $10- what a find!!
toy rotations can be fun for you & they’re definitely fun for your kiddos! get one a try this week using the toys you already have!
tia marie
tia marie 