After I cleaned out the hot press (which remains in order so far!) I began using toy rotation for my toddler. My little guy has a very short attention span, and I noticed that a toy was very quickly gathering dust after it had been left in his reach for a few days. Now when a toy is produced that he hasn’t seen in a while, it keeps him quiet for longer.

So what is toy rotation?

Toy rotation reduces boredom. It is what it says really – instead of leaving all toys available to your child at all times, remove them and use a selection of toys at a time. Too many toys can either be over stimulating or practically ignored! Some people do this to a very strict schedule. I am quite easy going with my approach.

How do I do it?

Create a space for the toys that cannot be reached by your child. (My wonderful hot press!) Some people rotate weekly, I do it every two days. I will choose two toys and bring them downstairs for him to play with, then remove them after two days, replacing with two new ones. As mentioned, how often you change is up to you. You can be very scheduled or laid back depending on your child’s preferences and how they respond.

What are the benefits?

Sometimes a little boredom can trigger creativity and imagination, but too much boredom can contribute to negative behaviours and tantrums. Playing is a child’s way of learning, so by keeping their interest you are promoting their learning. Kids interacts with their toys and if the toys are not repetitive, the interactions develop more and more each time.

If your kids are stimulated with their toys, parents see less boredom and feel less of a need to go and buy more.

And of course, the playroom/area is much more organised – great for the neat freaks among us!

This method is free and just takes a little time investment from the parent. But I find 30 mins organising the toys buys me hours of a content toddler afterwards – that’s more than a fair trade off. Give it a go and see what you think.