Organize The Play Room Before Santa Comes
Have you organized the play room yet? Every year, you promise to have a lighter, more meaningful Christmas. The grandparents, aunts, and uncles come along. They add piles of new toys to the growing number of gifts under the tree. It’s all just fine while they are still wrapped, adding joy to our Christmas decor. But what happens on Christmas morning? Your kids unwrap all their new toys. Is there even space in the play room for any of it?
DONATIONS ARE NEEDED MORE THAN EVER
If you have used toys that are in good condition, they are needed more than ever this year. Many families are still unemployed and reeling from the impact of the year, and for their kids, Christmas may be coming from the local Goodwill store. You can make sure they have plenty of great options to choose from by donating the clean, working toys your kids no longer play with – and make room in the play room for new items. Get the kids involved and let them see what an impact they can have by opening their hearts and their play rooms to others.
GET THE PLAY ROOM READY
In addition to going through all of the toys and donating what you can, it’s a great time to organize the play room. Do you need a new bin to keep the Legos or Barbies from being strewn across the floor? Have your children reached new ages (and new heights) where additional shelving might help keep the space organized? Assess the space. It’s a great time to make changes to how the room works for your kids (and for you) and to acknowledge any new interests your kids have developed since last year.
5 IDEAS TO MAKE YOUR KIDS’ PLAY ROOM ROCK
Add a reading area. Get some pillows, blankets, or bean bag chairs. Place them near a bookshelf and create a cozy reading nook.
Create homework space. It’s the day and age of distance learning and shared Zoom spaces. A desk or chair and table can be added to the playroom.
Create a display area for artwork. If your fridge is already full and you want to display more artwork, just run a line of twine between two nails, grab some clothes pins, and clip up their best pieces. This can also work for drying art if you have a littler painter in the family.
Give your youngest kids more freedom. Using bins and crates with labels is a great organizing tool, but what if your child is too young to be able to read? Label the bins with pictures instead.
Declutter your fridge. How is this a play room tip? Well, if you have little kids who use alphabet magnets on your fridge and it feels cluttered, try this project from Oh Happy Day and create a magnetic wall in your kids’ room.
New toys will be unwrapped soon – now’s your change to organize the play room and be ready for anything.