Trick to Organize Kids Toys in 20 MIN! (Simplify Toys Series Ep. 1)

[@brittw.6095]

"They don't have to know that I'm rotating them out of the house." Amen. Major props to you and thank you for the language to use!

[@korab.23]

Best thing I've EVER heard about minimizing kids' toys! Works for the givers, works for the kids!

[@michellecanfield6371]

They know now!!!

[@jeanettempascua]

I’ve been struggling to simplify toys for years. I have 4 kids and “everything” is a keeper to them, of course. I usually purge when they aren’t home. But today we pulled out all the toys and I gave them a few categories that I was willing to keep. They were totally on board. And they were honest about what they really play with. It was fantastic! The toy bins are nearly empty now and the room is already more peaceful. Best part is that they really did keep only the stuff I see them play with so I think they did a great job! Thanks for the tips. This was beyond helpful!

[@TheMinimalMom]

THIS. IS. AWESOME!!! I'm SO glad to hear this!!! Way to go!!!!

[@lydiajones4727]

How old are your kids? Mine are 4 and under and I find that my 4 year old (even when he was 2, 3yrs) really struggles with getting rid/rotating out toys! Do you find it gets easier with age or is it a personality thing? Thanks for input! Mom here trying to make room for more time of what matters most(time with kids & to be able to have more kids!) with less stress.:)

[@Julie-rc7wl]

Dawn, I don't have kids / grandkids but I still enjoy and benefit from even your kid-oriented videos. I'm finding as I minimize and organize my things, there is a mindset and perspective that you've helped me to develop. With each additional video, I find myself thinking in new, very liberating ways. Thank you so, so much! I thank the Lord for you and your generosity through what you share. And I pray for you and your family each week! 💕

[@brzoskwinka86]

I was trying a hundred times, my 2 kids wanted keep ALL toys. But this time (im so brilliant;) i showed them your kids room. Then my 5-year daughter said: oh mommy this is do beautiful! I want this shelf, i want this chair, i want this table... ..." Then I said no no no ;-D ! This is so beautiful because they have much less toys and mess, you see? Few hours later we went to their room, she was so happy decluttering ! Then looked around and claimed : now my room is beautiful. Amazing! Then I gave her two new Barbie dolls to pack it as gifts for her friends. As usually Emily said: "no, please, keep one for me, i like it..." I asked, hey, there is no need to KEEP, right? She said: "YES, OK, THIS IS TRUE. One Barbie for Mela, the second for Mary, very good.. " Unbelieveable. She experienced and then totally and deepply understood the idea. Thank you for tips and film. May Jesus bless you!

[@felicia51617]

Love the tip about telling relatives that we're rotating toys, as I have a MIL who goes so far as to say that if we sell something she gave our kids, she wants the money back. Ugh. But the toy rotation response would help so much.

[@ekaterinakonstantinova814]

Damn! I wouldn't accept any gifts from her after such comments

[@rebeccanixon7926]

Yeah, she wouldn't be allowed to buy our children gifts anymore until she could change her attitude.

[@invisiblespirit5476]

@@ekaterinakonstantinova814 No kidding, “Sorry, we only accept gifts that are given without strings attached”.

[@CBull015]

Just give them back to her when the kids have outgrown them and she can sell them herself.

[@ameeleawells3433]

You should definitely sell the toys 🧸

[@oliviahensley7339]

We have four girls, 19-5, and one boy, 4. As you can probably imagine, we had sooo many toys and our basement was just a constant mess. The two youngest would dump everything out to play and then get so overwhelmed with having to pick it up. I watched to see what they mostly played with: dinos and cars for my son, and little figures for my daughter. Using Dawn’s method, we decluttered in 1 1/2 hours, including all the books! We have everything else boxed up and ready to go to new homes in storage, daycare or other donation. I feel so relieved! I’m tackling my kitchen next. Thank you!!!

[@thekitchengarden3056]

Allowing space for the kids to use their imagination is wonderful! Kids don’t need a million toys.

[@momflamingo9263]

Such a great video! When my kids were younger, I was overwhelmed with their toys. We once moved closer to family and decided to have a huge birthday party for 2 of my kids. Tons of friends and family were invited. I never stopped to consider gifts. It was embarrassing how much stuff they got. The next birthday they wanted to invite a lot of people again so I told them, if they want a lot of guests, we have to say “no gifts”. They were totally fine with that. They would much rather have a fun gathering of friends and family. I wish I had seen your videos back then!

[@TheMinimalMom]

YES! I remember the first friend birthday party that our oldest went to and parents were bringing these $20 and $30 gifts and here we were with 5 things that my daughter had picked our from the Dollar Store...I couldn't believe HOW MUCH the birthday child received!! Our family doesn't go crazy anymore but when we have friends from school parties for the kids now I ask that the gift be $5 or less...our kids have gone to so many friends parties and seen the gifts so they aren't necessarily on board with "no gifts" now that they're older, but the $5 limit works well. And we still only spend $5- $10 on gifts they bring to other parties.

[@Jo-hello]

Those boys with their thumbs up and proud looking faces are just so adorable!! 😃👍

[@TheMinimalMom]

The unscripted moments are always the best! THANK YOU!!! :)

[@Clutterbug]

20 minutes can make such a difference in decluttering and organizing, great video!

[@TheMinimalMom]

Oh my goodness, Cas commented on one of MY videos! I need to go call my mom!!! Her and I are both super fans of yours, but the type that lurk in the background, never commenting, just nodding our heads along as we watch and getting excited when a new video of yours is released, and then we watch it and discuss it together ;) Someone left a comment asking if you and I were related and it was such a nice compliment, I said "I WISH!!!!" 💕

[@Haulventuras]

ClutterBug i love u 😆 omg!!

[@KandyD-v2p]

For my son’s lego sets we used to keep each set in a plastic shoebox size storage container but then as he acquired more sets, I bought ziplock bags to store each set with the instructions (the slider style works better for little hands) and several sets will fit into a storage container.

[@kanymkulova_dinara]

2 weeks ago I got absolutely fed up with this mess in my house, I decided to start with my son’s toys, I’m not that person who constantly buy toys,but we had a lot anyways.So my son(5y.o) and I set on the floor and I put 20(or whatever the number was) toys before him and let him choose 8, then animal toys,etc. I fell in love with the feeling that I had afterwards, and I clearly saw my son becoming more calm and playing with his toys that he picked with more love and care! That I desired to heavily declutter my whole house and I couldn’t be more happy now💖👌🏼

[@TheMinimalMom]

This is awesome!!! Good work!!!

[@nataliejordan6291]

So good that he could choose. I have just been hiding away toys that don't get looked at because my son will remember something months later and suddenly want it more than anything! I let that be the deciding process. It takes longer but it's definitely progress

[@kristinedozier759]

I just have to say to all of those who are thinking about starting this process, just DO IT! I have watched most of this toys series, and I finally decided to attempt a big purge of the kids' toys this past Saturday, and I wish I would have done it years ago. I have four little boys, ages 2-7, and we were just inundated by toys. After walking down into our basement on Saturday morning and seeing it literally littered by toys and legos, I made the decision to declutter. We all worked together to collect every toy and stuffed animal in the house, organize (and I threw away any toy that was broken or had broken parts, i.e. Transformers in 10 different pieces), and then decided together which three types of toys were the favs to play with: Duplos, Dinosaur/Animal figurines, and small trucks/cars with paw patrol figurines. Then they each chose 5 stuffed animals each, which I thought would be really hard for them, especially my oldest who is a stuffed animal hoarder, but they were amazing! A couple of them came back and traded for different animals, but not one child complained through this WHOLE PROCESS. And, as she says, their play is completely transformed. Tonight, they were all playing out a story with the Duplos, small trucks and Paw Patrol before dinner, and I just loved how well they were working together. Thank you so much for the inspiration! I'm giving the laundry system a "try out" this week. :)

[@TheMinimalMom]

This gave me goose bumps, I am SO GLAD to hear this!!! Thank you for sharing!!!

[@stacyhigginson170]

Can you PLEASE do a video on kid's craft supplies and how to realistically (you're really good at being realistic about things!) have them without going overboard with it?

[@TheMinimalMom]

YES! This is in the works :)

[@oliviaa5559]

Totally agree that you are real and realistic

[@katiethomas5889]

I would just get a small container of whatever size and if it doesn't fit in there, don't keep it or buy it. And don't forget if a crayon or item breaks, throw it out.

[@tawnytuppence5573]

Hi Dawn! Today I’m revisiting this series for some motivation and a dose in your effervescent confidence regarding simplifying kids toys. My daughter is a tween and came to me yesterday asking if we could please get rid of a bunch of her stuff today. I am TOTALLY going with the tips you’ve given here because I don’t have a lot of headspace right now and need the simplest method possible. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing your inborn sensibilities. Your methods have blessed me so much!

[@chesneyallen4244]

“We’re trying a new thing now where we rotate toys! They don’t have to know we’re actually rotating them out of the house” 🤣🤣🤣 TRUTH! We have a well meaning Nana who buys us SO. MANY. TOYS. I appreciate the language to help with this. Thank you!!!

[@mariekedenooijer9498]

I happened to just stumble across your video and I'm loving it! I love your honest, very practical and fun way of aproaching these - sometimes - overwhelming things to do around the house. Thank you so much!

[@TheMinimalMom]

THANK YOU for this encouragement!!! I don't always know when I put my ideas out here how they will be received, this means alot! THANK YOU!!! :)

[@FreedomSprout]

I love the idea of keep categories. We have 5 kids at home, spanning a 12-year age gap, and we've found success in keeping the toys that foster creativity (legos, blocks, board games, science kits, etc.). Not only does it limit the toys we keep, but they don't get bored with them over time as easily.

[@HomeschoolCasaVillareal]

Love!!!!! When you commented about the fam. My mom does that. She looks around to see if the toys or clothes she got them are still there. I feel the pressure sometimes. But your absolutely right!

[@kimberleybenschop4785]

Yes, I used your method yesterday to box up toys that are not in the staples categories , and allready I saw results today; my kids played more engaged and most suprising of all clean up was breeze and I didn't even had to help or finish up. I kept struggeling to clean out the playroom, but your video suddenly made a click in my head. GReat video!!!!

[@TheMinimalMom]

WAHOOOOO! This is SO awesome to hear!!!!! :) :) :)

[@DaisyM12345]

I can't thank you enough for this video! I have been attempting minimalism for around 3 years using the Konmarie method, it's been amazing, but I could not find a solution with the kids toys. THis is it!!! I followed your advice above about 2 weeks ago and it has worked brilliantly!! I thought my eldest daugher (who is 8) would be really against it, asking where everything was, but she just thanked me for sorting out her room! They have been happy ever since. Thank you so so much, getting so inspired from all your videos, I'm so grateful I stumbled across your channel. Very best wishes from England, Daisy.

[@amandacallaway6651]

I just did this today and oh my god, out of 10 boxes of toys I now have 5 completely organised and 5 completely clear ready for Christmas 🎄 so pleased thank you!!!

[@han.nah.]

Love the shot of your dining area and family room!! So cozy and clutter free!! Would love to see more.:) such a hard lesson for me to learn about realizing I can’t please everyone, especially family. That is awesome of your little boy on the plane! 😄 you’re definitely an inspiration to me.

[@TheMinimalMom]

I'm really glad to hear this! It was a PROCESS and I'm glad for the other moms who went before me and showed what it can look like. We're working on a home tour-- thanks for the encouragement!!! :)

[@anusooyagosai9863]

Hi D. Thank you so much for this video. I tried it out yesterday and I am amazed. It took me much longer than 20 mins as I had to sort out a lot of things. I really liked the concept of categories that we are keeping and working our way from there. I was amazed that my daughter did not give any resistance when I asked her to choose only 3 plush toys. I explained that we are putting everything away in boxes in garage. I think that made a difference as previously I would say that I am giving them to children who don't have toys. I also watched the other videos for the craft supplies and only kept a few colouring books and stationary. So much duplicates.thank you thank you. Loving your channel.

[@Esyllt21]

I have a couple questions for Dawn and anyone else who'd like to chime in: 1. What are your thoughts about plastic action figures? I noticed on the video that your children were making their own action figures out of cardboard. The only issue I have with that is that my kids like to play with their action figures in the water and dirt. 2. What are your thoughts about bath toys? What kinds of bath toys and how many do you recommend? I would love to see a video on this! 3. What kind of building blocks do you recommend? We have legos and magnetic tiles, but I like blocks because that adds in defying gravity as a required skill. But three kinds of building materials seem like a lot. I noticed, Dawn, you have both legos and blocks. What made you decide to keep both? Dawn, thank you for inspiring me to make my home a better place for my children.

[@jordensledge555]

This method helped me declutter my daughter's room finally! She has a very hard time letting go of anything but setting the categories ahead of time eliminated the decisions in the moment (and the crying!) I also proposed the idea to her as an "experiment" which she loved. 😉 Thank you for sharing!

[@TheMinimalMom]

YAY!!!! I'm SO glad to hear this!!!! That is awesome! :)

[@san1695]

Thank you for addressing the difficult family members!

[@HomemakerOnAnAcre]

Soooo Excited to find your channel! I'm from St. Cloud, MN! I'm a homeschool mama of 7 :-) I have been slowly purging toys my kids don't know about, and I'm really pumped to finally get rid of even more toys! I have also noticed the benefits for me and my children

[@TheMinimalMom]

Ah! Tom and I met in St. Cloud! We lived in Cold Spring after we got married before we headed back south to be close to my parents :)

[@HomemakerOnAnAcre]

@@TheMinimalMom How awesome! I moved to South Carolina after college then moved back to be closer to my parentsin Minnesota too in 2012 :-)

[@melindadugosh1904]

This is such great advice! I have 2 girls who are 7 years apart. They have so much stuff that they don’t play with half of it. My oldest is out of the toy stage but finding time to purge is a struggle. This is going on my todo list. Going to get them to decide on types of things they like to play with then sort accordingly. Thanks for the advice. I love your channel. Hoping to simplify my house and life soon.

[@holdenerfamily7921]

I was a minimalist before it had a name. Haha. I’m old. 10th pregnancy later, I’m so happy! Bottom line I’m in the kitchen a ton feeding my family and we homeschool. My husband is a professional artist and we both felt like visual clutter screams at us and adds to stress 😬(plus kids are noisy enough). You can save so much precious money ome and money. And extended family WILL catch on.

[@TheMinimalMom]

Yes, my mom always says "they used to just call it good house keeping" ;)

[@melindajessup7461]

I just found your channel by accident & oh my goodness where have you been all my life?? I've been starting to minimalise for the past probably 3 years & toys have been my hardest! Thanks for sharing!!😊

[@TheMinimalMom]

Thank you Mindy, I'm so glad to hear this!!!! :)

[@jakobbourne6381]

Gifting them books while young or them becoming book lovers would help alot, we usually expose them to literature while at a growing/developing age to do so, and this declutters in the long run as books are easy to organize than toys (we mostly do *personalised childrens books* )

[@rebeccabolchoz8244]

I’m in the beginning stages of my simplifying journey. This is one of the areas that I am concerned about and I like the way you involved your children in the process. Thanks for sharing.

[@kathyellendavis]

I really appreciated this video: great ideas for how to get rid of toys, to store them, and, best of all, the benefits of having less! Thank you so much! I know that we are going to change it up at our house! The only thing that made me cringe a bit was the idea of boys and girls toys. I know that boys and girls tend to play with certain toys, but really toys are for all kids, and maybe they're doing that because we're sending them the message that certain toys are for certain kids. Just a thought. I saw in the video that your kids play together with all the toys, which is great! I've been sensitive to it because I have a daughter who loves blocks and dinosaurs, dolls and play food, cars and coloring. And man so we get comments/judgement on it.

[@missminipenny]

Wow, I did this and it worked! I gave up on our playroom which they never seemed to want to play in and it was always a mess. I have 3 kids 5 and under. I boxed up everything, bought the ikea trofast and kept the categories similar to yours. I set up a small play area in our living room with some foam mats. They play there all the time now and today have been playing for 3 hours straight! Thank you so much!!!!! xxxxx

[@missminipenny]

And i have to add, it is soooooo easy to tidy up now as well, it only takes a few minutes!! x

[@neharikasingh7119]

Great to see ur kids enjoying the process, especially the elder one. Seeing the series to learn to not accumulate stuff for my five month old

[@bth314]

Getting ready to thin out my kids’ toys. Again. Lol. I love your simple approach! I decided to ask my two younger kids (3 & 5) what types of toys they have that they like best. It was surprisingly simple and they gave me just 3 categories each. Hopefully this cuts down on the number of times I have to go digging for a missed “favorite” toy once they’re packed away. Thanks for your tips and advice! Wish me luck!

[@nataliejordan6291]

We had a doll house and it never got played with. The furniture did though, in a building blocks kind of way!! I've just realised now that those little spaces inside are probably really awkward and constricting for the actual play part. I had a sylvanian families one and I loved it but all I ever did was arrange the furniture (and then did it with real furniture when I grew up - I would love a doll house now, ha!!)

[@francoiselafferty-hancock5112]

Yeah I remember as a kid hating using the bottom floor cos I'd have to lie on my stomach. It was impossible to get a 360 degree view!

[@TonyaWeir81]

❤️❤️ OMG!! I went through toys and books a year ago and decided to revisit it based on your recombinations!! I feel like I have lost another 50lbs. I had boxed up all the toys they only had two buckets of toys because one of the boys used them as darts. I reintroduced Some toys. Only what would fit in our toy buckets (just like yours). And they kids chose their books. They were very excited! With less choices of books to read and more choices of toys, they have kept busy during this week of rain!!!

[@SimplyMel]

You did a great job! I’ve definitely found it quicker to tidy up now we’ve decluttered toys. I am loving the minimalist journey - decluttering my house is my new favourite hobby! 😊

[@TheMinimalMom]

Thank you, I really appreciate that! It is a fun process once you get past the overwhelm and fear of getting rid of something important, haha ;)

[@deniseestrada7037]

Maybe bcuz I was a pre-k teacher I always had a lot of toys & the kids were excellent @keeping them organized... fast forward to my "only child" & I can't imagine having so little toys🤷‍♀️... (imagine hyper organized: sea creatures, dinosaurs, superheroes, jungle creatures, train set &table, Legos, cars, Star Wars, etc.)- did he use it all? No... so I could agree w/u somewhere in the middle😊... I do love ur videos & they r super helpful & informative & give me something to strive for!! ✌💛from CA😎

[@lind1107]

Thank you for all these great tips! My daughters toys have gotten out of hand so I was searching for solutions and found your videos. I'm also in Minnesota so that is cool as well! I have an only child (9) so its hard when I have the means to buy her all this stuff but then she gets it all home and has no one to play with...we also have no nearby kids in the neighborhood so we basically end up doing activities outside of the house most days and the gifts and toys just pile higher and higher with no end in site. She also is a "collector" so she wants one of everything which is hard - hopefully some of your tips will help us!

[@alecktra1]

WONDERFUL! My young daughter has watched a few of your episodes with me & has become so excited about cleaning stuff OUT.

[@freelandtr]

Thanks for the motivation! I have been purging but I am ready to do another pass to purge even more toys!!

[@TheMinimalMom]

Passes are good! That's the method I used and it gave me confidence to get rid of more and more :)

[@publicserviceannouncement4777]

I like your "we're rotating toys" advice. It's clever! However, I had to learn the hard way, once someone gives me a gift, they really shouldn't be asking about it afterwards. That's a boundary issue and one of the reasons I had to cut off a toxic relative who probably would've moved half of her hoard in my one bedroom apartment had I not gone completely no contact. Gifts given with conditions aren't really gifts to me. I feel like they're a way to emotionally manipulate. Don't let anyone make you feel guilty about a gift. It defeats the point of something being a gift.

[@jessicamurphy6522]

I've never thought of this before! Thanks for sharing! That's really helpful and encouraging. I have things I haven't gotten rid of because of that :( time to go!!

[@AMcDub0708]

ABSOLUTELY!!! It’s SO RUDE for people to inquire about something they gave you. BUT if someone IS rude and asks, the “we’re rotating” is great, non confrontational advice!!!!!

[@rebannparo08]

It's funny how you mentioned how peaceful the plane ride was! I've taken several ten hour trips with my sister's kids on my own (from my hometown to where we live now) and never once had electronics for them. They had a book or two and maybe a toy but they rarely used them. They'd talk, listen to music, look out the window, have a snack, stretch their legs at breaks, or take naps. No complaints, no arguing, no "Are we there yet?" questions. Simplicity really does make a difference!

[@TheMinimalMom]

Ah, that's so cool to hear! Love this!

[@lifedebtwithlanette4468]

Thank you so much for such a simple process and inspiration for today's basement toy room declutter! It was much needed:)

[@amclaudet]

This laundry system is almost identical to mine, except we bring clothes from Bathroom hampers to laundry room each morning. We also match socks but only once a week. The basket system works so well for me for my 5 kids.

[@kimjaymama26]

Best toy storage video I have ever seen! And believe me, with 5 kids, I have watched a lot!! Thanks

[@bananaschmidt2173]

Love the Attitude with the presents

[@Anelp8]

I have been decluttering and purging clothing, knick knacks, and toys !!!😲....I have made 3 trips to goodwill and 2 trips to the dump in 2 days !!! Getting ready to make a 4th trip to goodwill here shortly. You have been such an inspiration. I am on my journey to a minimalist lifestyle. Not going to lie, it is hard with 3 children, sorting, purging and donating...my littlest seems to be the most attached to his "toys"....Any advice as far as calming his spirit down and helping him understand this process (when it comes to purging toys). Btw, he is 4.

[@betsyolsson-mackowski7682]

Your boys are so sweet and such awesome helpers!🤩

[@funnyshirl06]

I'm so jealous that you found the Trofast Ikea toy storage option in black frame and black bins! They don't have that same configuration in black anymore. :( The best I can find is white frame with white bins (otherwise, my options are pink or orange bins,), but I like the idea of black a lot better for hiding smudgy fingerprints.

[@TalyaT922]

They have the pine ones you can paint or stain any color.

[@p.offereins5519]

My 3 year old son played a our whole trip to our holiday destination (almost a whole week!) with one small box of old Lego (with wheels, steering wheel etc). Besides his afternoon nap and a little bit of tablet time. My 7 year old daughter was just reading, reading and reading. Besides some (more) time on the tablet while our son was napping. Have to say I never expected how easy it would be.

[@TheMinimalMom]

Yes, it usually isn't until we're forced into an extreme that we realize they don't need much to get by! So glad to hear this!!! :)

[@Gwenp392]

I used these tips to organise my husband’s tools and things. It works perfectly. Thanks.

[@lemon1653]

My daughter becomes attached to every little thing. She also has an incredible memory of everything she has. If I make executive decisions to get rid of her stuff I’m afraid I’ll loose her trust. When I have her choose, she only picks a tiny amount to let go of, when what we actually need to do is a massive declutter. Plus, she often remembers and regrets getting rid of the few things she said could go. I have no idea how to proceed, and I feel like I’m drowning in toys, papers, and nicknacks. If anybody had any advice, or is going through the same thing, please let me know.

[@TheMinimalMom]

Ahh, this definitely does make it tougher! I've definitely had to find which approach appeals to each child. For our oldest I can offer to buy a box of toys from her and she is game, our third LOVES donating toys, he loves to think that other boys and girls will get to play with them and that makes him really happy. I would say that our second oldest would most closely resemble this, she just really likes her things and does not like anyone to touch them or move them or play with them. I had completely forgotten about this, at one point we had said that it was totally ok if she kept everything as it was, but that we just couldn't get any new toys then for Christmas or Birthdays because all of the toy spaces in the house were filled up and that they weren't all getting played with. This coincided with us selling our house right before her birthday. So she decided that she did want to fill up a box to give away and still get gifts. I was glad she did it willingly because I wasn't quite sure how my family would have reacted if I had said that she couldn't get birthday gifts! I think she participated because the decision was hers and she felt in control of it. After that we didn't seem to have to make a big deal out of it anymore, I'm not sure if she outgrew it or what exactly happened. BEST wishes, though, I KNOW this can be a sticky topic!

[@JennyT101]

If you can't get her to let them go, have you considered trying toy rotation? If she just has way too much maybe box up 2/3 of them, don't get rid of them, just explain that she can only have a manageable amount of toys in the house.

[@christinebowe4523]

Teach her to share with kids less fortunate than herself.

[@kristinabaker4433]

There's apparently a deeper issue going on here emotionally/psychologically, look into Positive parenting & Teach through Love approaches, as a single mom, my girls were like this also, wanting control over their things and having emotional attachments to them, it isn't healthy for any of us to be emotionally attached to things, As my health and well-being has improved, my stress levels are lower & I am able to connect with my daughters, still a single-mom, but my girls are less emotionally attached to their toys and we're all happier overall, I hope this helps

[@nataliejordan6291]

I was like this too - I'm 34 and it's only having my own kid that has really helped me realise what I don't want. My son is the same now. My brother was too, he changed after moving house every year at uni. My Grandad was a hoarder kept in check by my Nana. Sometimes we just attach emotion to everything - I would get bored of my teddies but then cry when I thought about letting them go! I kind of get it now with things I had high hopes for that didn't work out, like hobbies. To answer your Q - I did manage to get rid of little bitty things when we moved but had to replace a train set that he missed... I hide things but don't throw. Then I return anything he asks for. I'm about to donate some he hasn't played with in a v long time. It's a much slower process but I was made to give stuff up as a kid and I still remember how it felt, and it definitely made me worse. X

[@ginamommy]

I like your coffee table! Its big and a very simple design.

[@TheMinimalMom]

Thank you! Tom's sister and brother-in-law made it out of palette wood for us, I love that I don't have to worry about the kids scratching it!! ;)

[@TeresaSTJ]

I was watching a video of decluttering with the daughters. It looks like a yarn winder would be a good gift in the future.

[@thecatlady3501]

Oh my gosh! I’m totally doing a version of this is weekend!!

[@TheOrganizedPineapple]

Rewatching this because even though I've simplified toys it's been the summer and 110 degrees outside so a lot of toys I'd put in storage have crept back out in general circulation because we have needed to be inside a large chunk of the day. When school starts again I'll definitely be boxing up everything again. For some reason the toys we chose to keep in our original purging were all ones with 1000 pieces! Little people, marble works, wooden trains, Legos (big and little). I've been losing my mind and patience this summer with all the toys everywhere. Can't wait to get back on track with the out of sight out of mind mantra.

[@ingridlindfelt7691]

Love your videos and your energy! I have an 9 month old boy and we have received a lot of toys from family and friends, most for the future when he's older and there's a couple of siblings too. I dont want to throw these away in regard to the environment and having to buy new toys, but Im also stressing over where and how to storage them...... Any suggestions? //watching from Sweden

[@elvirahernandez1306]

Wow you just changed my life.... Thank you

[@TheOrganizedPineapple]

I did a version of this two years ago and couldn't be happier! My kids each have one of those bin things you have in your living room in their rooms and honestly it's not even full or has like 1 stuffed animal in a bin. They didn't even complain at all about cleaning up. I really knew my older boy was completely overwhelmed with stuff and I'm glad I could give him peace of mind and a clutter free area. Toys were easy for me but been struggling with other areas of my house. Watching for ideas!

[@TheMinimalMom]

YAY! This is awesome to hear! And thank you for sharing, I know it will inspire other moms!!!

[@jennifertilus4890]

I did it! Well in one area of our house. The stuffed animals will be tough. A bunch of the toys are buried because of home construction. But we turned one bedroom into a “toy room”. I went through everything. I will definitely need another go. But what helped the kids...things got sent to Grandma’s house. With her permission, if they wanted it it could go in “storage” or they had to ask grandma if she wanted it. She said yes to pretty much everything lol 🤷🏼‍♀️ not my house lol

[@lightgoldenlight]

Love this! Do your kiddos ever get tired of playing with the same toys? Do you ever do a toy rotation, or is that not needed?

[@emilyh6709]

Thank you for all your helpful tips ☺ Just wondering if your kids play with any puzzles or board games? I'm trying to decide what to do with our stack. Thanks!

[@TheMinimalMom]

Good question! I was just thinking the other night as we were playing go fish that I should also do a video on games and puzzles! I've pared our puzzles down to about 5 of their favorites (and they seem to be just fine with that and our second LOVES puzzles) and have gotten rid of all of our board games except one (sequence for kids) because 1) they don't take care of them and I got tired of the boxes getting broken and random pieces everyone 2) we have just as much fun playing card games like uno, blink, phase 10, go fish and crazy eights and they take up WAY less room :)

[@emilyh6709]

@@TheMinimalMom Thank you for replying and for the great tips and motivation 😊

[@Julie-ok5fr]

I will share a "realtor story"..but 1st..your wisdom is genius!! Where were you 15 yrs ago when our kids were 3 and 6?!? So..for the story: We were getting ready to put our house on the market and our youngest, our DD was about 4. I was so proud of her room, bc all of her toys: dolls, doll cradle, stroller, high chair, net of stuffed animals neatly above her bed was down to 20 or so animals..And the realtor said: " If you could get all of this stuff that is lining the walls out, it would sell better." Looking back...she rarely played with any of it..just her 2 favorite babies that she would put in the umbrella stroller. I really think that as you have said, just bc we had something as a child and loved it, it isn't necessarily the same scenario with our kids today. We used to be pros at avoiding the trendy toys and had opted for board games and puzzles instead but still..it all just multiplied. ( mostly the big stuff and toys came from well-meaning grandparents..why?!) Well, all I can say now is, you won't end up like me and be purging your kids unwanted things when they are high school and college age! DS21 actually just liked his hot wheels, books, and puzzles and DD18, her books and 2 dolls. Oh yeah..and the both loved play food!!!

[@lindsaysteward3457]

New subscriber here. You had me at my first watched video. I have 7 kids and we homeschool so the time I thought I had to invest in these projects always kept me from doing them. Not anymore! Thank you!!

[@TheMinimalMom]

Oh good, I'm so glad to hear this!! And homeschooling 7, that is awesome, but alot to manage I imagine! I used to say that I could never homeschool, but now that we've simplified our house it is becoming more and more appealing! Thanks for subscribing, I'll look forward to keep in touch :)

[@amyhoff1501]

Your children are such good helpers and have fun doing it

[@caramoonlynn]

Good idea to set limits like that. I'm going to do that.

[@reneehenderson09]

I love this! This is my goal to tackle before back to school!

[@TheMinimalMom]

Ah yes, its always helpful to have deadlines!! Good luck!!

[@sarascislowicz3228]

I like that table. Where did you get it?? Super helpful. I am new to minimalism and loving your videos.

[@stephaniedougherty7845]

I watched this today with my little girls (5 and under) and they are up for it although challenged! They are super creative with all their toys and different “elements” like Duplo, doll house and even board games have no problem mixing in their imagination! So it is hard. But they asked me to go for it tonight and to please have their toy room decluttered by the morning! So Lord, give me grace! I know how much they like their toys! And I like how they play, so this is hard for me too! But the problem with tidying up and feeling cluttered is going to keep me going...

[@alyssaclevenger4950]

I loved your video(s) but I'm having a hard time just choosing a few categories of toys to keep. I have two little boys, ages 1 & 2. I've got rid of a few toys, but I still feel like it's too much for our space. I feel like I like more variety than this allows, but maybe I'll try it! Like you said, I can always get the toys back out if we are missing something!

[@TheMinimalMom]

I would encourage you to go more simple than feels natural! You'll be amazed at how creative they are with the few things they have and you'll probably really appreciate how easy it is to keep clean and how nice it is to have more free space :)

[@kayleea6191]

I would LOVE to have a link to the toys that you found your kids like playing with most. Another question, what type of toys do other kids play with when your kids have playdates at your house? I have found that my kids and they get bored easily

[@heathergirtz2750]

MN mom here too! We decluttered our kids toys this past year and it has been so amazing. As sad as my boys were to see their toys go they play so much better now. We have also gotten into the habit of asking relatives for experience type gifts instead of toys. That helps keep out the extra clutter and the guilt of having to get rid of something someone gave you.

[@TheMinimalMom]

Yay! Fun to meet "local" moms! I'm glad to hear your positive experience, I know that will encourage others!!!!

[@carmgenuardi1738]

Love your videos! Thank you for sharing your journey with us. I wondered where you got the storage unit for kids toys and the white table with the organizational units. Thanks!!

[@TheMinimalMom]

Everything is from Ikea :)

[@TheMinimalMom]

(and thank you for the kind words!!!!)

[@michelejaclyn258]

you guys have the cutest kiddos!!😊

[@TheMinimalMom]

Thank you!!! :)

[@amandablake5814]

What you container shelf are you using here? Love how it hides all the toys inside!

[@simplesgood7694]

Nice idea!!! 👍 For sure, I’m trying this!!!

[@greenfig2434]

Thank you! I struggle with the toys (and paper) more than anything. I run a home daycare.. I always looks at the toys and think ‘oh my current set of kids are developmentally in these kinds of toys but maybe they will be or my next group will be’. Do you have any category tricks for developmental ages 1-5 ? I seriously want one of every toy if I could. I have a problem..

[@alexis_prays]

When I seen this house I thought "I feel like this is a Minnesota house..." Low and behold... I was right! I live in Minnesota too lol

[@TheMinimalMom]

Wow, you're good!!! That's awesome, always fun to meet other Minnesotans!! :)

[@lindatalbot3208]

I have 3 kids, decided to start with the one I have the most control over! My 3 month old had 36 toys! And I'm talking just for the early months! I bought 5 of them myself for my first child - everything else has been a gift or was from a friend having a clear out. Before the birth, I tried to let friends and family know that we didn't need any more toys for this baby yet she was still given 8. Just got rid of over half the baby toys ... it's a start!

[@23respectme]

My kids love playing with their dolls, barbies, playmobil, dress up clothes, stuffed animals, paw patrol, books, play food, craft supplies, sylvanian families and more. How do I go about just picking a few of those as categories...??? Anyone who has tips? I'm stuck...

[@evelynr8779]

This is wonderful, Dawn!! Thanks for the encouragement and for letting us see your tricks. :)

[@kristiLB93]

Great system! Especially the part where you don't explain to relatives - that topic is not up for discussion! 😄👍

[@LorenzoToysandGames]

Good advices! I need to go to ikea that toy storage is what i need

[@TheMinimalMom]

Thank you!!! I've definitely been impressed with how it has held up-- our kids are not always easy on it!!!

[@andmelinda]

Oh my goodness... The babies ❤️❤️ they were so tiny

[@Jo-hello]

Awesome video dawn! Thankyou so much! X

[@TheMinimalMom]

Thank you for the encouragement, I appreciate it more than you know!!! :)

[@suryaaselvaraj]

Just love this ,Dawn 💗💗💗

[@dandnclaxton]

You had me at “I’m a minimalist, I don’t buy my kids toys!” THIIIIS. I started during the pandemic out of guilt but now they’re broken and everywhere and we see ready for a declutter!!!

[@paulinaniezbecka6673]

Very good advices. Thanks a lot :). Best wishes from Poland

[@LesfacettesdeCaro]

*Hi! I'm a french mom of a 4 years old girl and I have just discovered your channel. Great ideas and motivation! Thank you!*

[@TheMinimalMom]

I'm glad to have found you, too! :) I'm always curious if other cultures have the same pain points or not!

[@themainescratcher476]

Nice idea but most kids won’t be so eager and easily give up their toys!! Lol! I only have a 4 yr old grandson and my living room looks like a imaginext showroom!! I have been able to slowly eliminate other toys but only cus Santa is coming and I told max there is no more room? He’s so funny though, his parents aren’t together so he comes every 4 days for 4 days ( his dad lives with us trying to save money for a house) and I swear the first thing he does when he gets there is take inventory and makes sure all his toys are there! At his moms house , his cousin lives there and I think he likes being here as he knows his toys are safe from other kids! He also goes to daycare all week! So I believe he finds comfort knowing at my house they are safe!! Great video, but not realistic for this grandma! I wish though lol!! 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍😊😊😊

[@discovermusicwithdanielle7859]

At some point you mentioned reducing toys. I have a busy 10-month-old in a small living space and we are so bored in the winter. We play with the same toys every day and it’s hard to find places to go. Of course we sing, and play physical body contact- but we need toys! What to do?

[@crisneh0306]

I really like this idea. But I prefer Montessori style. Rotating toys is a lot better don't you think? In case they're not playing with one of the toy bins, you can replace it with an old one and find new excitment with the old toy. I know it may take more time because you're actually rotating ..

[@PantherGap]

Would you consider making a video for new moms and avoiding the problem of kid/toy clutter? I'm super conscientious about all the baby stuff we have already brought into our house... (I have a 3 month old) and I'm trying to figure out a strategy for future kid stages and how to maintain a simple house!

[@TheMinimalMom]

YES, my sister just had a baby so we are going to do a series after Christmas!!!

[@PantherGap]

@@TheMinimalMom Yaay, I feel so lucky!! Thanks for creating these videos, I love your perspective and how you present your ideas. They've been very helpful for me! I hope you and your family have a great Christmas :)

[@TheOrganizedPineapple]

I was great at the beginning with my first child. He played with stuff we already had, spoons and bowls, etc., but then with each other child I started to fall into the buying toy trap.

[@crystalnichols7224]

And then grandparents enter the equation...

[@annesoukarie6380]

Just subscribed! I love your energy, your enthusiasm, it gives lots of motivation!

[@ash25oct]

Kudos! I am motivated to de clutter too :)

[@pammie124]

Where did you get the black container shelf that you keep your kids toys in?