| Christmas means one thing for little kids. Toys! It is so | | | | outgrow toys so quickly. Find toys that they have |
| fun to give them a lot of toys on Christmas morning. | | | | outgrown and pack them up. If you are saving them |
| The wonder and excitement in their eyes is so fun to | | | | for younger or future children, you need to have a |
| witness. Christmas day can give you and your family | | | | storage plan. Designate a shelf in the garage or a spot |
| memories that last a lifetime. But, after a while, the | | | | in the attic for these toys. If you keep them out, they |
| reality will set in that you have nowhere to put all of | | | | are likely to get broken and they just take up so much |
| these new things! Unless you can find space for them, | | | | space. Take all the toys in the house and separate |
| the parts and pieces will soon be scattered around the | | | | them into piles. If something is missing too many pieces, |
| house with everything else. You need to prepare by | | | | get rid of it. If something just never caught your kids' |
| making space ahead of time, so that you don't spend | | | | attention, give it to a child who will enjoy it. Take this |
| Christmas worrying about where you're going to put | | | | opportunity to teach your children about sharing and |
| everything. | | | | charity. |
| 1) Start by taking an inventory of what you have | | | | 3) The toy box can be a real challenge. Most are just |
| purchased. You will need to prepare a special place | | | | a big container that can be useful for organization, but |
| for things that have pieces and parts so that they | | | | is most often used as a receptacle for quick room |
| don't get lost. For example, if you are giving your kids | | | | clean-ups. Designate these bigger containers for big |
| board games, then you might want to install a shelf in | | | | items, like stuffed animals that won't get lost at the |
| their room specifically for board games. This way, they | | | | bottom. Place containers like baskets and bins around |
| have somewhere to go. They'll be easy to find when | | | | the house for containing and organizing toys. |
| the kids are ready to play, and it will be easy to toss in | | | | 4) Get the rest of the kids' rooms in order by getting |
| game pieces as you find them around the house, as | | | | their closet really organized. Hang their clothes on infant |
| you inevitably will! You may even decide to put in a | | | | hangers or children's hangers whenever possible. Baby |
| small game table next to the shelves so that the kids | | | | hangers help save space in the closet that can be |
| have somewhere to sit and play. This way the games | | | | used for other things, like shelves, drawers, bins and |
| never make it far from the shelf. | | | | buckets. The closet is a great place to make room for |
| 2) Get rid of the old before the new comes in. Kids | | | | toys that need to be stored. |