You may have noticed in the photos and videos that I share on my social media accounts that Addy only has a few toys to play with. And that's intentional! Addy has way more toys and books than you see at any given time, but I choose to put them up and only give her a few at a time. I rotate her toys and books periodically to help her and me!
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A toy rotation is often a part of integrating the Montessori approach into your home. Check out my blog about starting Montessori here at your home.
Create a Plan
Implementing a toy rotation system can start even before your baby arrives.
Carefully planning which toys you introduce to your home—focusing on a variety of types that encourage different skills, such as motor, cognitive, and imaginative play—helps create a balanced and stimulating setting.
It’s equally important to communicate this plan with friends and family, especially when they might consider purchasing gifts. Letting them know your preferences for educational and developmental toys can align your toy collection with your child’s growth needs and avoid the overwhelming presence of too many similar items.
If your baby is already here, it’s not too late to organize a toy rotation system! Begin by assessing the toys you currently have, categorize them by type, and identify any gaps in the developmental opportunities they provide.
Then, you can gradually phase out less useful toys and introduce more appropriate ones into the rotation. This ongoing process helps maintain an engaging and educational play space that adapts as your child grows, ensuring their toys always align with their evolving interests and abilities.
Be Intentional With the Toys You Choose
One of the key aspects of determining what toys you choose involves limiting the number of plastic and light-up toys in your child’s collection. Opting for toys made from natural materials like wood, fabric, or metal limits the exposure to toxic chemicals and artificial materials.
These more natural materials can provide a richer sensory experience and encourage more imaginative play. Additionally, steering clear of excessive light-up and sound-emitting toys helps foster concentration and creativity. Focus on toys that stimulate open-ended play, such as building blocks, puzzles, dolls, and art supplies, which support cognitive and motor skills development without unnecessary distractions.
Regarding light-up toys...
It's important to consider that while they might initially attract a child’s attention, they can often be overwhelming, especially for younger children.
These toys typically offer a lot of stimulation with flashing lights and loud sounds that can overpower the senses rather than engage them. They can also detract from the learning experience by providing external rewards (like lights and sounds) that can divert focus from the intrinsic rewards of play itself.
The Montessori philosophy emphasizes that "the reward is play itself," suggesting that the true value of play lies in the activity itself rather than external validation. Toys that encourage active involvement—where the child manipulates the toy rather than passively watching it—promote deeper learning and satisfaction. Because of this, choosing simpler, quieter toys can greatly enhance a child’s ability to engage in meaningful, self-directed play that is rewarding in its own right!
Why I Rotate Toys
By selecting a handful of toys and books for Addy to play with at one time, I'm not only leaving less mess for me to pick up when she's done, but I'm also giving her an opportunity to play better by having less.
Having too many toys out can become overwhelming. She will look at one toy and quickly become distracted by another, and on and on and on. She's able to play longer without so many toys to overwhelm her! She'll pick one or two to play with, and this allows her to dig into her imagination and curiosity.
Toy Themes
By storing extra toys and rotating them in and out, you can also choose to create "toy themes" to teach different concepts or switch with the season. It's fun to do little holiday themes for their toys and books, but you can also choose to focus on shapes, colors, vehicles, animals, and so much more! Have I mentioned before that children learn the most through playing? Selecting toys that go along with a theme can help them get extra exposure to certain concepts during play.
Get Extra Life Out of Toys
Children can get bored of playing with the same toys over and over. When you store the majority of their toys and rotate them out, you're renewing old interest in their toys. This allows you to get so much more life out of them!
Toys that have been stored for a little while and then are put back out might seem like new toys to your child. It's the best way to get your child to appreciate their toys, play with them more, and get excitement out of them every time they come back into rotation!
When Do I Rotate Toys?
The key to a successful toy rotation system is determining the right frequency for switching out toys, which can vary based on your child's age, interests, and attention span.
Typically, rotating toys every two to four weeks strikes a good balance, keeping toys fresh enough to maintain interest but not so frequent that it disrupts your child's deep dive into imaginative play. This interval allows children to explore each toy's possibilities thoroughly before they're reintroduced to old favorites, which can feel new again after a break.
Also, watching how your child interacts with different toys can provide insights into the optimal rotation frequency, as some toys might captivate their attention for longer periods. Rotating toys not only maximizes the use of each item but also helps in the child's cognitive development by regularly presenting them with a refreshed set of challenges and stimuli.
Types of Toys to Include
Obviously, you don't want to have only one type of toy out, like all books or all stuffed animals. You should have a variety of different types of toys for your child to play with!
Board books: Make sure you put out books that your child will be able to "read" independently. For newborns and smaller infants, you would focus on books with crinkly paper and high-contrast pictures (you'll need to flip the pages for them at this stage, of course). As they get older, you can put out touch-and-feel board books or smaller board books that they can hold in their hands. Check out my Amazon list for a bunch of kids' books that I love!
Musical toys: These can be any toys that make a sound. Rattles, tambourine, xylophone, or even just banging 2 blocks together. Addy loved these wooden blocks that create different sounds when shaken.
Gross Motor Skills: Toys like this ball drop toy or a box to fit different shaped cubes into. Puzzles are also a great option for this. Check out this set of great full body, indoor gross motor toys like a trampoline, pickler triangle, and more!
Creative play toys: Depending on the age of your child this could be different stuffed animals, character figurines, trains, dolls etc.
Sensory toys: I would always include sensory toys. The touch-and-feel board books fall into this category for younger babies. You could also include different textured balls or even go around your home and find different baby-safe products that have different textures, like a wooden spoon or clean toothbrush. Magnetic tiles are great sensory toys for older children!
If your baby is teething, you may want to include some sort of teething toy for them to chew on as well.
So how do you do this? Get a shelf that you can display that week's toys on that are easily accessible for your child. It's an important step in their independence for them to be able to grab the toys they want to play with and will allow you a little free time! This is the shelf that we use.
Use Toys in New Ways
Rotating toys not only keeps the playroom interesting but also provides a great opportunity to refresh how toys are used each time they reenter the rotation.
By presenting toys in new and varied ways, you can significantly enhance their play value and encourage your child to develop different skills. For example, a set of building blocks can be reintroduced alongside miniature figures to encourage imaginative play scenarios or paired with a picture book about buildings and architecture to inspire construction projects.
Similarly, a simple set of colored rings, typically used for stacking, can be turned into a sorting game with colored bowls or used in an art project to teach concepts of color and size.
Another toy, such as a dollhouse, can be rotated in with different furniture or dolls from another set to spark new stories and games. This approach not only keeps your child engaged but also helps them discover new ways to interact with their toys, promoting creativity and problem-solving skills. Of course, this all takes thoughtfulness on your part when reintroducing and shifting toys, but it is definitely worth it in the end!
Create a Storage System
Creating an effective storage system for toys that are currently out of rotation is crucial in maintaining an organized and functional play environment.
An efficient system not only keeps your space clutter-free but also preserves the condition of the toys, ensuring they remain appealing and engaging when reintroduced. Start by categorizing toys by type or theme, which makes it easier to rotate them back into play thoughtfully.
Use clear, labeled bins or boxes to store the out-of-rotation toys—this way, you can easily see what's inside without having to open and rummage through multiple containers. Place these storage containers in an accessible yet out-of-the-way area, such as a closet, attic, or under-bed storage, to keep them out of sight but not out of reach.
This organized approach not only helps in cycling the toys effectively but also makes it simpler to assess what you have, which can aid in planning future toy rotations that stimulate your child’s interest and developmental stages. By investing a little time in setting up a storage system, you ensure that each toy's reintroduction feels fresh and exciting to your child, maximizing the play value and extending the life of each item!
Teach Kids to Keep Their Space Tidy
Having a toy rotation system offers a fantastic opportunity to teach them about keeping their play space tidy and cleaning up after themselves!
As each new set of toys is introduced, take the time to demonstrate and explain where each toy belongs when not in use. This not only helps in maintaining an organized space but also makes the task of cleaning up feel more manageable to a young child, as there are fewer toys to deal with at one time.
Encourage your child to put toys back in their designated spots before transitioning to a new activity or at the end of their playtime. You can make this process enjoyable by incorporating playful narratives or songs about cleaning up, which can make the task feel like part of the play.
Regularly rotating toys not only keeps the environment fresh and engaging but also reinforce the habit of tidiness as your child learns to handle a manageable number of toys at one time!
Extra Tips!
Communication With Family Members and Friends
Communicating with family about your preferences for your child’s toys can sometimes lead
to challenging conversations, especially when well-meaning relatives gift items that don’t align with your criteria, such as toys you find too noisy, overly commercial, or not in keeping with the educational values you cherish.
It’s important to approach these situations with gratitude first, expressing appreciation for the thought behind the gift while gently explaining your preferences. If a toy really doesn’t fit within the environment you’re striving to create; one strategy is to kindly ask if it would be possible to have the receipt to exchange the item for something that better suits your child’s needs.
Alternatively, suggesting that the toy could stay at the giver’s house for your child to enjoy during visits can be a practical solution that also makes grandparents or other family members feel their gift is valued.
Clear, honest communication can help set expectations for future gifts, making it easier for family members to choose items that contribute positively to your child’s development and align with your parenting approach!
Can I Donate Toys That Were Gifts?
Donating old toys is an excellent practice that can teach children about generosity and the value of helping others. It also helps manage clutter and keeps the play environment refreshing and engaging.
When the time comes to declutter, involve your children in the process to help them understand why it's beneficial to pass toys they no longer use onto others who might need them. Explain how their actions can bring joy to other children, turning the act of donating into a positive and fulfilling experience.
Additionally, it's important to address the emotional aspect of parting with toys, especially those that were gifts. Reassure your children (and perhaps yourself) that while the sentiment behind a gifted toy is appreciated, its purpose is fulfilled when it's used and loved, not necessarily kept indefinitely.
Encouraging a mindset of non-attachment to material items fosters flexibility and gratitude, qualities that are beneficial throughout life. By regularly donating toys, children learn to appreciate what they have and understand the impact of sharing their abundance with others.
What Toys Do I Include in My Toy Rotation?
Check out my Amazon storefront for lists of books and toys that we've used with Addy.
Conclusion
Implementing a toy rotation system can significantly enhance your child's play experience and development. By being intentional about the toys you introduce, keeping the play area organized, and thoughtfully communicating with family about your preferences, you create an environment that fosters creativity, learning, and growth. Including your children in the cleanup process and educating them on the benefits of donating used toys also instills valuable life lessons in organization and generosity. Toy rotation not only keeps your home neater and more manageable but also ensures that your children remain engaged and excited by their playthings, making each toy's reintroduction a new adventure. By embracing these practices, you can maximize both the educational value of playtime and the joy it brings to your family’s daily life.
Xo,
Jess
L E T ' S B E F R I E N D S !
