Organization and Configuration…Read how it can be done!

Many parents that I have taught and worked with over the years would ask me, “Do you have any suggestions about how I should organize my child’s toys?” “Do you have any ideas about what to put all these toys in to help both when you are teaching my child and when you leave for the day so that my child can still continue to explore and play?” I have been asked these and similar types of questions a lot over the last 20 years of teaching. Anyone who knows me and has worked with me, knows that one thing that I love is to be organized. It helps me see things clearly and provides me the freedom to be creative, to plan and at times allows me to think on my feet about how I can teach something new because of what materials that I see available. I actually love when parents ask me this question because a lot of times the answer serves two functions. One – it helps them sort through toys and materials they may still need or no longer need and Two – the organization of toys and learning materials can simulate a classroom type environment that can help parents continue with follow-through of teaching and playing with their child long after the teacher goes home for the day.

The tips that I am going to share with you today are going to be helpful across many parents in different situations. Whether you are a parent that have teachers that come into your home to provide teaching services for your child or a parent that does not have teachers coming into your home at all, the suggestions that I provide will help you create an area that will welcome playing and exploration and will be associated with a lot of fun all at the same time no matter how big or small the space is. When my children were little, my husband and I created a space in our home that functioned as half a living room and half a play area for our children so that they can play freely, especially when there were times that we needed them to be occupied safely such as when I was making meals or talking on the phone, etc. I wanted to create an environment for them that would be both fun and be an environment that they can explore their toys to see how they worked. In order to do this, I had to come up with a way that I could use a portion of my living room and maintain staying organized even after all their toys were out in the open and available to them.

Creating an organized play and learning area will take some planning and thought beforehand. I don’t know about you, but there have been many times in my home where I am looking to change the way my furniture is situated. It’s just a thing I do from time to time to give me the feeling and illusion that I have redesigned a room in my house, only I repurpose things whenever I can. It’s a behavior that I engage in intermittently throughout the year that is reinforcing to me :) When I do this, the first thing I do is take an inventory of what is in the room, ask myself if there is anything that is not being used in the room and how would something look if I moved this piece of furniture around or against this other wall, etc.? This is the first step that I want you to take when deciding about the play area you want to organize. You first must pick a space or create a space in your home no matter how big or small that you can dedicate to letting your child play and explore the activities and toys you have for them. This can also be an area that you can put the toys away in each time without “snowplowing” them into a closet or under something. “Snowplowing” is a term my husband and I have used for years that referred to whenever we caught our children putting everything underneath their beds and calling their room clean…lol. I also remember doing that as a kid from time to time, so I understood them trying to do it too. However, “snowplowing” items is something that should be avoided and tackled head on in order to achieve the maximum benefit of being organized. Whether it takes you an hour to sort through what you have or 8 hours to do or longer, the end result and sense of accomplishment you will feel of going through everything ONCE will make staying organized easier as time goes on. Each toy will have a designated place for it to go, in other words “have a home of their own”, and better yet, when it is time to clean up, this could be an embedded teaching opportunity that can be taught to your child over time.

If you are ready to create that play area so that every toy has a home of its own and become more organized, subscribe to receive my free checklist of the steps you can take to start creating an organized play area that will allow your child to explore the activities and toys you already have for them and help you feel that you have a space in your home that will encourage exploration on a daily basis whether it be across teaching sessions or with just your family and child together.

All My Best – Sue