Rotating Toys Part Two: Labeling and Storing

The second part of rotating toys is labeling each bin.

1.  Print out large numbers and attach them to scrapbook paper. Tape the numbers on the inside wall of each bin.

2.  Take inventory of the bin and either handwrite (which I did originally) or type a list and tape it to the lid of the bin.

3.  Find a storage place.  I'm blessed that A has a large closet.  We use the right side of her closet floor to house all of the bins.  I am up to eight bins. (The toys were mostly gifts or purchased at secondhand stores) They stay in the closet until they are brought into rotation.  My sister borrows the bins every once in a while too, which was a major contributor to motivating my organization!

(After we've used a bin of toys, I put the toys back into the bin and put it on the bottom of the pile.  That way, I know which ones we've used and which ones have been waiting for a while.)

Tomorrow, Step Three:  Rotating the toys

Rotating Toys Part 1: Organizing toys into bins

When I was fresh out of college, I heard about a study that was done on school children.  It basically stated that when learning toys/manipulatives were in organized containers and when everything had a place, children were less disruptive and more on task than when things are disorganized and toys/manipulatives were all over the place.

This had a profound impact on how I taught and now how I am raising my daughter.  A has a few shelves that are her own that house her toys.  We have LOTS of toys, but only a few are out at a time.  This is how I go about keeping things organized.

1.  I took all of A's toys out of her room and sorted them into piles: stuffed animals, dolls, cloth books, stacking toys, shape sorters, etc.

2.  I lined up five Sterilite 30 qt. containers along the hallway.  (I chose these simply based on size)

3.  I would place one item from each pile into each bin.  If I didn't have enough sorters, for example, I'd just substitute something else I had.  I continued doing this until the bins were full.  If there were items that had pieces, I'd label a plastic baggie and put the pieces in that.

4.  I had a lot of dolls/stuffed animals, so after I had put one of each in the bins, I made a separate bin to house those things.  I also had a lot of puzzles as well as bigger toys that do not fit into the bins.  I made a separate bin for puzzles too.  The big toys are either stored in the closet or in a big tub behind A's glider.

Tomorrow:  Step two--labeling and storing bins