It's that time of year when our playroom gets a scrub down to make room for some new toys.  We take 3 simple steps to get our space ready to receive new toys and thoughtfully share and donate the ones we have outgrown.

1. Set a goal:  try to get the kids to agree on a number of toys that they want to get part with.  They will want to keep everything, so setting a goal is highly recommended!  Usually kids do better when you give them a goal to strive for.

2. Categorize & sort: we use 4 categories - donate, pass down, keepsake, and trash.  We've made these helpful signs to help the kids labels bags and piles of the things they want to categorize.  You can download them here:

 Making Room - Signs

Donate - we want to make sure that any toy we donate is in good condition so that other kids can enjoy them as much as my kids did. So nothing that is broken or missing parts and not marked up. 

Pass Down - these are toys that are in good condition and that the kids may have someone specific in mind - maybe a neighbor, a cousin, friend, just someone that they know would enjoy it.

Keepsake - these can often be the hardest and most of the time have to do with stuffed animals.  You want to give the kids a chance to something they treasure.  We ask - does this toy remind me of a happy memory or has it brought me comfort when I needed it?  If it's a YES, then we keep it 💕.

Trash - anything that is broken and heavily used that cannot be repaired.  

3. Action: when it comes time to donate or pass toys down to family friends, let the kids be part of the delivery so that they can see first hand the reaction of the kids getting the new toys or the impact their donation will have on others.

 Hope this bring a little organization and makes a little more room for some fun holiday gifts!