We are "lucky" to have a room that we can call a play room.
It's a spare bedroom on our first floor that is always changing. First it was a catchall, then an office/computer room, then a office/craft room, then a office/craft/play room. And now it's just the play room.
Well, it seems like it's always a disaster. A battle I was sick of fighting so, I've been secretly getting rid of extras, broken or grown out of toys. And still we have a TON left. Sigh. So I decided that seeing as this wasn't working, I needed to figure something else out.
The toy sorters were great, if I put the toys away but Carter had trouble getting the toys back, and the bins out. Plus with Wyatt climbing anything and everything, they were destined to tumble.
Here come the inevitable musical furniture. I had these cubbies on the back porch, and they were perfect for the smaller bins. So I got to work. I wiped them down, and let Carter fill the bins. He sorted them how he wanted them and put them where he wanted them. So far so good! He knows where everything is! So he is actually putting stuff away when asked. A Win Win in my book!
Now, if only I could get some paint on that ugly paneling!
Looks great! Now that everything is sorted, check out what I do to keep things in the right place: http://www.buildsewreap.com/2011/08/drawer-organization-for-kids.html
ReplyDeleteIt's super simple, just pick up some stick-on business card holders (I recommend the national brand, not the store brand for wherever you get them) and either print up labels to tuck inside or take pictures of the contents to help him remember what goes where. It ends up being a great match game for him too - when he cleans he has to match up the toy with the right box. It's a good learning exercise.