1. Toy rotation system

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by toy clutter in your home or felt worried that your child is never playing with any of their toys? The solution is simple. Learning how to rotate toys effectively will reduce clutter and increase your child’s engagement and focus on them.

What is toy rotation?

Instead of having all the toys in the house out at once, you divide them into smaller groups and switch them around on a regular basis. While engaging with the rotating toys for a long period of time, your child’s creativity, sense of patience, and perseverance develop as well as the enthusiasm to clean up afterward as it becomes more manageable to do.

How to decide which toys to rotate?

Once toys are categorized based on their types and function, you can provide a toy from the same category (transportation- cars) first, and then offer another toy (helicopters) within the same category so that it gets more interesting to play with them.

2. Toy storage and organization

It is best that your child doesn’t have easy access to the toys that are not on rotation as they may get distracted by them and will want to get them out or pull them down. If they ask to keep something specifically, even if it’s been out for a while, it is okay to let them explore new possibilities with it. Be mindful of their tendency to repeat the same thing, in that case, suggest a time limit for the toy, and switch.

Place toys that belong to the same category in their respective baskets – blocks, little animals, wooden playthings, balls, dolls, motor toys, props, puzzles, games, arts &crafts tools, etc. For the storage of these baskets, use a cube system as it is easy to manage and highly functional. If you are rotating four baskets at a time, try to offer four sets of toys that work well together. You can rotate toys on a daily or weekly basis as long as you give the child enough time to explore their play possibilities fully, but not so long that it gets boring.

3. Furniture and equipment

Playrooms should provide some space for relaxation and others for stimulation. Consider placing swings, couches, and other flexible seating arrangements unique to the child’s needs in the playroom. Sitting on the floor while at play is also common – so consider purchasing carpets, furry mats, and cushions for your little one. Occupational therapists can recommend the right tools depending on your child’s specific developmental needs. Consult an OT before buying furniture and sensory equipment for your child.

4. Lighting and Colour

The size of the room, the amount of natural and artificial light it receives needs to be considered when deciding the right paint colour for your child’s playroom. Moreover, your child’s specific interests and/or sensitivities will also become a deciding factor in your choice of paint.

If painting the room with gender-neutral colours, create visual interest by painting the accent piece at least three shades deeper. Neutral, earthy tones with warm properties add feelings of peacefulness and calm and can be used in the relaxation area of the room. More colourful and brighter options can be used in the areas for stimulating activities such as creative art work, building, sensory play, etc.

OTs can help parents create play experiences and environments that support healthy child development. So, if you are wondering whether your child is developmentally on track, if they are using their toys in an effective way, and if the environment is set up for their optimal learning and growing, save yourself time by reaching out so we can share our expertise obtained through our work as an OT.