You Can Never Have Too Many Toys… Or Can You?
- Learning Resources Posted On Mar 2, 2022 | Reading
Mountains of toys may sound like a dream, but too many toys can be problematic for your little player. In the same way that a cluttered office makes it hard for you to focus on your work, too many toys can be distracting and overwhelming for your child. Despite overflowing toy bins across the country, science says that less is better for playthings. Having access to fewer toys allows kids to spend more quality playtime with individual toys instead of jumping from toy to toy, leading to more focused playtime with each toy, improved concentration skills, and more creativity in the way kids play.
You may be asking yourself, how many are too many? Not including a favorite stuffy, experts say setting out three to five toys at a time is the right number for infants and toddlers. Research published in Psychology Today indicates that toddlers presented with fewer toys (four in the case of the study) experienced more engaged, creative, and varied playtime with those toys than a group presented with more toys.
This doesn’t mean you need to get rid of your tot’s toys, though! Instead, consider rotating your toy stash, swapping the current set of several toys for another set when your little one seems ready for a new stimulus. Toy rotation may sound like it requires a lot of tracking, but it’s simple. Start by going through your little one’s toys and tossing anything that’s broken or missing pieces. Set aside anything you’d like to donate, then see what’s left. Choose up to five items, varying by type – for example, one doll, one puzzle, a set of blocks, and a dump truck. Place these in your playroom and put the others away in a closet or another out-of-sight storage spot. When your kiddo appears bored with the current set of toys, put them away and choose another five. You can also swap individual toys if there’s something your child just doesn’t seem to want to play with.
In addition to promoting more focused playtime, which enables your child to better reap the intended benefits of each toy, rotating toys also makes clean up easier and clears your playroom of distracting clutter! Give toy rotation a try and watch as your little one engages with the toys on hand. And remember, your toddler can turn anything into a toy, so don’t hesitate to set out metal pots and wooden spoons to bang, plastic cups and bowls to stack, laundry baskets to hide beneath, sheets and chairs to turn into forts, and TP tubes to turn into bugles. The fewer toys your child has on hand, the more creative they’ll get with their playtime.