This toy storage system gets the kids to automatically put away their own toys!

This toy storage system can be easy to use, helpful for the parents and good for the child.

Do you have a passive toy storage system in your house that lets the kids take ALL the toys out and spread them all over the room? Whether it is a toy bench, cabinet, chest, box, bag, hammock, shelf, closet your child seems duty bound to get every last toy out and about!

Part of the "problem" may be that you simply have too many toys. From the child's point of view, each toy loses its value. Especially for very young children it is hard to focus on any individual toy to discover its merits.

Traditional toy storage systems such as those from Pottery Barn, Rosenberry Rooms or Petit Tresor all have the same limitations: eventually the child will remove all the toys at once and have a difficult mess to clean up.

The one at a time feature shown in the video not only makes the parents happy by eliminating the mess, but it provides a focus on the individual toy and its merits. The children also feel secure that each toy has a "home" and the child knows exactly where to expect to find it.

What can you do about toy clutter now?

Here are three toy storage system ideas that can help in resolving family conflicts of this type. Each one helps a little. All three are a charm!

FIRST: Don't get so many toys. Most of the toys aren't helping your children and aren't even interesting to them. You can save yourself a lot of headaches and money, too.

You do not have to throw away all the extra toys you have, although you might consider donating them. Not having too many toys in the first place is the starting point of a good toy storage system.

SECOND: Don't have too many toys laying around.

Leave only 3 or 4 toys per child out and available. (Actually you can have 3 or 4 "sets" of toys, such as blocks, puzzles, action figures.)

Get a simple closet lock and lock everything else in that closet. While you're at it throw away the broken toys and the ones that make you wonder why you ever got them in the first place.

Caution: Don't lock the rest of the toys up in front of your children, do it when they are asleep.

Don't make a big issue of the locked closet. It will probably be easier for your child to ignore the closet than it will be for you.

In any case, set up a schedule to exchange one or several of the toys every couple of days.

Caution: Don't exchange the toys outside and inside the locked closet in front of your children.

Finally, get rid of any toy chests, boxes, drawers, bags, hammocks, etc. that would tend to hide some toys under others. Make your toy storage system as simple as possible. For the 3 or 4 toys (or toy sets) you do have out make sure each has a specific, clearly visible place in the child's room. Use shelves or a bench to display this limited number of toys. Use all the free space for playing, not for clutter. See some of the modern kids furniture discussed elsewhere in this web site.

Of course, spending quality time playing with your children will help. Use some of the time you used to spend arguing with them about cleaning up the room.

Show your child that each toy has value by showing them each toy's features and how to play with it. This would also be a good time to determine whether the toy actually has any play value. If not, get rid of it!

THIRD: Require your child to focus/make a choice to play with any specific toy. Even though you now have only 3 or 4 of their favorite toys available, making a conscious choice gives each specific toy increased value and interest for the child. (In fact psychologists say that just making a choice of two toys has the same value generating and focusing benefits.)

One way to do this is by continuously supervising the child. Don't let them just drop a toy and go after another. Teach them that each toy is valuable and should be put away in it's particular place. As mentioned earlier, if each toy has its home space, it gives that toy some personality and additional value. Your toy storage system includes the rules as well.

Another excellent way to help your child avoid clutter is to acquire a One-at-a-time Toy Chest as shown in the video earlier.

Contact Rick directly at our company website and learn how to have a One-at-a-time toy chest built for you!

These unique toy ccabinets provide a specific storage space or compartment for each toy or toy set. In addition it provides the two key requirements to help your child value their toys:

First, the child must MAKE A CHOICE when selecting a new toy

Second the child must MAKE A SMALL SACRIFICE of giving up the first toy in order to play with the chosen toy. This exchange is fully automatic and easily understood by toddlers or even by children that are still crawling.

Remember, the One at a time toy chest itself can't make all the difference. The parents must help in creating the whole environment by completing the first two steps above. The first two steps may make a big improvement in your household and getting a new piece of kids furniture might just be just icing on the cake.

By the way, there are some non-obvious issues when "introducing" a One-at-a-time toy chest to your household. [future link]

However you choose to do it, improving your child's toy environment will not only benefit your child in may ways, but as parents you gain time, eliminate hassles and enjoy the benefits of a better mannered child and a more orderly environment. This is truly a win-win for everyone.

Find out more about toy storage and childrens furniture!

Ideas for parents (and grandparents). Parenting education for how to help children keep toys in order. Includes child psychology references.

What are the best furniture materials for children's furniture? Consider safety, durability, cleaning, hardness and appearance.

Picking up toys one at a time makes it easy. See video of kids furniture that keeps the other toys until the child puts one back.

Your child will put their toys back into the One at a time Toy Chest if they want another toy. This is the best toy storage system, one that is automatic. They do it willingly to get another one.