DadStreet Talks On The Go Travel Play

I have two children. O will be turning 3 in 4 weeks and Jake is almost 19 months old. They’re close enough in age that they can share a lot of the same toys but just far enough apart that there’s certain things O has outgrown and that Jake just isn’t old enough to understand. With both kids at home we’re able to cater their activities and play toys to their developmental stages, and of course moods! They actually play really well together for the most part, sans the normal course of “it’s mine!” and “you’re a bad boy, Jakey!” Fortunately, that doesn’t happen often and in fact they love each other very much. It’s not uncommon, in fact, to see them holding hands in the back seat.

All of that is about to be put to the test in just a few short weeks. The entire family is about to embark on a trip across the country (starting out in CA), over the Atlantic, and on to Israel. My sister who decided to take up residency there some 4 years ago is now engaged to be married. So what’s the next craziest thing to getting married? (Just kidding honey!) Well, the answer is taking two kids, 2 years and under on a 10,000 mile trip! We’re going to be on the plane an ungodly amount of time and I haven’t even talked about the fact that there’s a 10-hour time difference once we land!

Oy Vey!

So how does on prepare for such a journey? Well, I suppose in many ways you don’t. However, we’re getting certain things in order. For starters our plane doesn’t leave until the evening so the hope is that they’ll sleep the majority of the trip. Assuming they can muster 7 or 8 hours of sleep (they’re actually great travel sleepers) they’ll only be awake for 3 or 4 hours. We’re still figuring out what to bring for the plane ride but for now we’re loading up on:

• Paperback coloring books
• Crayons
• Tons of stickers
• A Macbook with Dora and Sesame Street games
• Two iPhones with kids apps/books
• iPad with kids apps and books

I’m actually a little more concerned with Jake since O can keep herself occupied with games, etc. She also LOVES watching TV (we do limit this at home) so I’m not worried about her plopping herself down for several hours of Dora or Diego. Jake on the other hand doesn’t watch movies and won’t sit still for more than a few minutes. I’m thinking he and I will be making our rounds through the plane saying hi to everyone. Once we’re off the plane we’re facing a 10-hour time change. The wife and I can force ourselves awake but the kids? Different story. I think this one we’re going to have to play by ear and just go with the flow. Fortunately, we get there several days before the wedding. So, hopefully we’ll be able to all get acclimated in due time.

O and Jake are used to making 6 to 7 hour car drives to visit family but this is going to be a whole different story. I’ll be chronicling my journey on www.DadStreet.com should you want to share in the craziness! Although, I do have a good amount of experience traveling with them (both have flown cross-country multiple times) I can always use advice.

Have any of you traveled with small children on such a long distance? If so, I’d love to hear what worked for you.

About the blogger:

Josh is an East Coast Transplant currently living in Monterey, California with his 2 adorable children, beautiful wife and their golden retriever. When Josh is not drooling over his adorable little ones, he enjoys drinking wine, taking pictures, playing with my iPhone, listening to an audio book, trying some kind of new food, surfing online, sleeping, watching TV, yappin’ on the phone, and last but not least trying to spend quality time with “The Boss”.

You can find Josh’s take on parenthood on his blog, Dadstreet.com

DIY CRAFT: Easy as ABC Child’s Room Wall Art

We’ve never had a guest blogger do a tutorial before, and this one is super cute and great for any party or child’s room.

Thanks for sharing Alecia!

-The Big Toy Book Moms

Decorating your child’s room doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg; a few well-crafted accents can go a long way – especially when they’re this adorable!  This is also a great way to help easily divide a shared space – like an office / playroom.  Here is a really easy (and fun) project that you can knock out in an hour and hang immediately!

• What you’ll need:

- Pencil

- Scissors

- Hold Punch

- Printed Letters or Numbers, cut out

- Construction or craft paper

- Ribbon

• Step 1 -

I used our home computer and printer to print out numbers in the font and size that I wanted (make sure you use outline format to save on ink & pick ones that are fat enough to hold up when cut out).  Cut your numbers (or letters) out.  I chose to do 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 because my daughter loves to count right now.

• Step 2 -

Trace your numbers onto the BACK side of your construction paper.  I used a different design for each number just to make it more ascetically fun – pick whatever colors/textures will work best for your space & child.  When tracing the numbers be sure that you trace them BACKWARDS and to the BACK side of your paper – so that once you cut them out, the printed side will show your number the correct way.

After you have them traced, cut them out.

* An alternative to Step 1 & 2 would be to combine the process and print your numbers directly to your construction paper, but I didn’t want the printed marks on the front of my paper and since I used scrap paper that I had leftover from other projects, my sizes were different and would not have fit easily into my printer.

• Step 3 -

Punch two small holes in the top, center of each number.  Keep the holes far enough apart that you can easily string a ribbon through each hole without worrying about it ripping.  Sting your ribbon through the holes, slipping the ribbon from back to front for the first hole, then front to back in the second.  Repeat for the remaining numbers, in sequential order (of course).  Distance your numbers appropriately to fit your wall space and preferred amount of ribbon.

• Step 4 –

Hang your new wall art!  I tied a bow on each end and used a small piece of sticky tack to adhere each end to the wall.  Stand back and marvel!

Because this craft is so easy, you could always incorporate the help of your kids or change the images you’re hanging to suite the seasons or your child’s interests at any given time (think using dinosaur images instead of numbers or going with a red & green theme at Christmas).

About The Blogger:

Alecia is a stay-at-home mom to two little girls, wife to an amazingly devoted husband, and an aspiring writer.  When she not sipping pretend tea, she shares savings tips, online deals, crafting ideas and recipes at Savings & Stewardship; helping the modern family survive, thrive, and live life fully.

Loving Leapster Explorer

Children these days are already exposed to a plethora of technology. In fact, they are probably constantly trying to play with your touch- screen phone, tablet or any other electronic device that is lying around the house. My son is no different. That is why I jumped on the opportunity to get him a Leapster Explorer this past holiday season. Although it was quite the splurge for a 2 year-old ($69.99) it was worth EVERY PENNY!

I wish I would have investigated the setup before letting my son open it, but my husband said I shouldn’t play with his toys before he does. It’s just not fair. Well, we definitely paid the price. Once you get the Explorer you must plug it into to a computer to set everything up, and my son was not having it! So, I had to wait until he went to bed that night to really investigate all of the fabulous features of this touch-screen wonder.

The Explorer is portable, yet the buttons are large enough for children who are still developing their fine motor skills. It also includes a stylus that is ATTACHED to the game console so little fingers are less likely to lose. But, the best part about it is you don’t have to use the stylus if you don’t want. You can use the touch screen with your fingers. This was a must for my toddler, because he was used to playing on my IPod touch and Pop Pop’s IPad.

Leapster really did a phenomenal job of incorporating all of the familiar features of other touch-screen products and made them kid-friendly! They have an e-book feature using the Leaplet Learning Apps. We downloaded the Dinosaur’s Roar book, which is completely interactive, and the pictures on the page come alive with just one tap of a finger. The Leaplet Learning Apps allows you to purchase more reasonable games than the cartridges (which can run around $24.99/ cartridge), and they are just as fun! My son loves the “Jewel Train” game in which you have to rearrange the tracks so the train can get into the station. He struggled with this game at first, and originally I thought this way out of his reach (academically), but he soon came to successfully completing several levels!

My son’s favorite cartridge game is “Toy Story 3”, but it was a little challenging for him at first. It has an interactive board game layout, and your little learner can navigate through various activities on the board without having to complete or pass the level previous. This made for a happy mommy, because I didn’t have to go through and play the levels he couldn’t pass! It touches on skills such as letters, phonics skills, rhyming, word recognition, word building, spelling, and Physical Science. Of course, this is all the while that your little learner thinks they are Buzz Lightyear or Woody, which truly does give them a thrill.

All of the games, accessories, and console itself can get pricey, but they are worth it! I put all of the items on my little guy’s Christmas list and that helped a lot. So, I would definitely suggest making this a “big” gift and suggesting things for fellow family members or partygoers. Everyone loves to get a child a gift that is not only educational, but a gift they will love and treasure for many years!

About The Blogger:

In addition to running her own blog, Running on Empty Mom,  Rebecca Gillis is a full-time college student, job coach and teacher’s assistant for special needs children, wife—and, most importantly, a mommy. Rebecca started contributing to an online town newspaper for Collingswood and Haddonfield this past January for AOL, which has also kept her quite busy! She is finishing up her teaching and writing degrees at Rowan University and hopes to make a difference in the lives of her future students and readers.

Quick Easy Tips to Squeezing in a Fitness For Mom

I read a brilliant quote on a friend’s Facebook page the other day: “Tomorrow’s body is today’s workout.”

As “CEO” of my household, I know how difficult it is for us busy moms to find the time {and energy} for working out. But, as a woman, I know how hard we can be on ourselves when we look into the mirror. Others may see me as a strong, petite, average-sized woman, but all I see are love handles, saggy boobies, and a flabby belly.

Between taking care of our families, cleaning out homes, grocery shopping, and schlepping our kids around town, it’s easy to push off exercising until tomorrow. But if we continue on that path, we’ll never look into the mirror and be content.

A few years ago, I started taking Zumba classes here and there. I’ve always been bored by the thought of elliptical training or walking on a treadmill, but I’ve had a love for dancing ever since I was a child. I was intrigued by the Zumba fitness philosophy of “ditching your workout, and joining the party.” I was also intrigued by their claims of burning upwards of 500 calories with just one hour of booty-shakin’ fun. Weight Watchers and sporadic Zumba workouts started to make a difference in not only how my clothes fit, but how I felt. I had more energy, and was starting to feel confident and sexy. No sooner did I realize that I needed to add one more thing to my “placemat”….and so I became a certified Zumba Instructor. I wanted to help other moms gain confidence and sculpt bodies that they wanted to see when they looked into the mirror.

I encourage you to find something you love to get your heart-pumping, otherwise you will always find something else that “needs” your attention. Checking to see if there are any Zumba classes in your area is a good place to start {don’t be fooled, anyone can Zumba–you do not need much coordination nor a dance background to join this party!}. Here are some other simple things you can do today to get the body you want tomorrow:

• Drop and give me 20 – push-ups, crunches, anything! We all have time to squeeze in 20 anything’s! Making lunches? Pause for 20 squats. Drying your hair? Do 20 calf raises.

• Make push-up’s your BFF {and I don’t mean push-up bras!}. Doing a simple modified push-up works so many parts of your body, and using your own body weight is not only a safe way to work out but it’s also free! Brushing your teeth? Place your hands on the ledge of your sink and do some push-ups. Playing on the floor with your little one? Get on your knees and do a few more! There’s nothing more efficient and easy to do to help sculpt sexy arms, a nice back, and a tight belly!

• Don’t wait around for a good parking space! Pick the furthest spot and hike it into the store. Pushing a cart full of groceries and kids to and from your car is an added bonus!

• Do you watch a favorite show at night when the kids are sleeping? Spend commercial breaks doing crunches instead of snacking.

• Brush your teeth as soon as you put your kids to bed—doing so will make you less likely to reach for the popcorn or cookies as minty fresh breath curbs your appetite.

About The Blogger:

Chrissy is a happily-married, child-raising, semi-homemade cooking, country music-loving, amateur-writing, hypochondriac-thinking, wife & mom of two amazing kids–“Buckaroo” {age 6} & “Miss Mac” {age 3}.

When she is not running her household, she can be found reading celebrity gossip magazines {when she has a minute to herself}, watching chick-flicks {when it’s her turn on Netflix}, spending quality time with friends & family {as often as she can}, shopping {also as often as she can}, and sometimes {though it should be more often} working out!  Her placemat {note: a business card would not be big enough!} includes duties as a wife, mom, business owner, blogger and everything in between.  She blogs about her life as CEO of her household over here. In her “free” time, Chrissy is a Zumba instructor as well as a contributing writer for several online publications.

Follow Chrissy on Twitter: @Cmacceo

Guest Post: Encouraging Healthy Eaters

About a year ago, my daughter began to have some strange reactions — hives actually –to certain foods that I was preparing for her meals. After maintaining a spreadsheet of her reactions, I determined that she was allergic to food dyes, even those coming from seeds! In a way, it has been the best thing to happen to us because as a result, I am raising a champion vegetable eater!

When other parents learn about her allergies, they always ask, “So what *do* you feed her?” The answer is simple — fruits, vegetables, whole grains, & lean meats.

Here are some of our favorite ways to eat healthy – I hope you’ll find one that will work for you too!

Almost every kitchen has a muffin pan, but did you know that it can make the best little snack tray? We love to fill it up with all kinds of different taste sensations! For today’s snack time, I filled it with carrots, apple slices, craisins, black olives, & organic crackers. It took less than five minutes to fill it up with nutritious foods and with four toddlers surrounding it at our table this morning, it was gobbled up almost as quickly! You may want to try some of these in your muffin pans:

• carrots
• cucumbers
• cherry tomatoes
• hummus
• crackers
• bites of cheese
• apple slices
• dried fruit
• pretzel sticks
• cereal
• pears
• peppers

When your children are sitting at the table, it’s likely that you don’t want them to “play” with their food, but you could try being “play-ful” with their food. When I taught preschool, parents took turns sending in snacks and there were always a couple that would say “I don’t *like* that!” So instead of telling the children that snack is raisins and pretzels, tell them with your eyes wide, “We’re having ants & sticks for snack today!” Boys really think that’s cool. Think of how much fun you can have with that! Dried fruit is “nature’s candy” and carrots & peppers are “bunny food”!

Don’t forget to let your kids catch you eating delicious & nutritious food, too. Setting a good example for your children will go a long way. When my husband and I dine out with our daughter, we like to order a Greek side salad — our daughter now immediately takes some of my field greens, tomatoes, & cucumbers for herself. There’s nothing that makes me more proud as a Mom than to hear her say, “Mmm, feta! It’s yummy!”

Just remember, if they don’t eat it today they may like it down the road. Keep trying, keep exposing them to whole foods and limit your pantry to healthy, “grow” foods. You may be surprised at what they will try!

About the Blogger:

Sara is the wife of a college football coach and mom to the world’s busiest toddler. You
can read more about their adventures on her blog The Football Wife. (www.thefootballwife.com)

Guest Post: Birthday Parties, Headless Style

Did you know that October has more birthdays than any other month? I do. 2 of my 3 kids have birthdays this month, and my other child? November. We’re in full birthday mode around here, not to mention all of the fall holidays and trying to get prepared for Christmas. It’s no wonder I call myself ‘headless’, right?

I’ve found that the simple parties are the best.

The following are tips to throw the easiest, cheapest, and most fun party for your kids, the headless way!

1-Plan it for after school on a Friday. We live close to the school so I can meet the kids and walk home but if you live in a more spread out community you could have parents drop off the kids but have your start time no later than 30 minutes after school is out.

2- For boys: Have soft-foam dart guns and extra darts available and set them free in the back yard. (Alternately you could provide ‘light sabers,’ or whatever small, outside toy your child is into this week.) They can form teams or it can be a free for all. No need to supervise other than just being around. The kids can handle it and will enjoy the free play time.

For girls it could be craft supplies, dress up clothes, mani/pedi supplies, the sky is the limit. Remember: this toy, or craft, is their ‘goody bag’. It doesn’t need to be costly.

3-Have water and simple snacks available.

4- Serve dinner: pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, whatever the birthday boy or girl loves right now. Remember: make sure it’s easy! Kids love simple food.

5-Can’t forget the cake (or cupcakes,) and ice cream!

6- Shoo the kids out the door at a reasonable hour (3 hours is usually a good run time for this kind of party,) pour yourself a glass of your favorite beverage, collapse on your couch, and pat yourself on the back for being done!

My kids LOVE this party because with our busy schedule we don’t often have a chance to have their friends over. I love this party because it’s inexpensive, I don’t have to micro-manage their play time, and it’s usually over before I know it.

Do your kids have a favorite party? Tell us about it in the comments!
About the Blogger:

Kendra, or Headless Mom as she’s known on the internet, has been blogging for 3 years. She likes football, moderate exercise and chips and queso. Her daughter is in college and her sons (age 8 and 10,) just keep her busy – that’s why she’s headless! Visit Kendra at her personal blog, The Adventures of the Headless Family, Inland Empire Family and Draft Day Suit, where she writes about her obsession with sports.

A Note From Big Toy Book Mom, Corine-

We first met Kendra at our Sweets In The City Party during Blogher 2010 in New York City. We instantly fell in love with her when she handed us her business card…

How could we not love her? This cute little doll now sits on top of my desk reminding me of the fun time we had at Sweets In the City!

Thanks Kendra!

On Your Marks, Get Set, Its Game Night!

Our games included a Monopoly game, a Cluedo (the English version of Clue), CandyLand (the old version without Queen Frostine), Snakes and Ladders (the English version of Chutes and Ladders), and maybe a deck of cards. My childhood game closet is a far cry from the games my children have to choose from.

We have accumulated a massive collection of games after 14 plus years of birthdays, Christmases, and just because. We’ve had some hits. Some misses. And some games that wore out. Even after a few clandestine purges we still have a huge collection of games.

Our family loves a good game night. As the children get older, game nights become harder to schedule. Here’s why…

• My teen is an independent sort. She’s happiest reading a book, checking Facebook, or lately chatting up a storm with her friends. I can’t blame her. She’s about to start high school. Life is a busy social whirl of volleyball, books, school gossip, movie nights with friends, and getting the best out of what is left of the summer. I hate to tell you this, but teens would rather spend time with their friends than with their parents.
• My kids are involved in sports. The older two play volleyball. The youngest splits his time between karate and football. All three are on the summer swim team. Family time needs to be dovetailed between practice, summer workbooks/homework, and rushed family dinners.
• My husband has a long commute. When he is home he likes to be able to catch a kid’s game or play a video game with the kids.
• And then there is me. I love buying games, but not necessarily always playing them. Take chess, for instance. I never played as a kid. We were a checkers family growing up. I bought my kids a learn-to-play-chess set. We have had a number of games of chess, but I feel like I slow the game down by my slow chess play.

We are not quite to the point where we have to pencil in “Family Game Night” on the wall calendar or cozi.com online calendar…but we are not far off! For now we grab family game night when we can.

I do the following to ensure that family game night works:

• We play after dinner but before dessert.
• I lure reluctant kids to family game night with a promise of dessert or popcorn.
• I set the family game night on a day when I have the kids picking up the toys from the family room and clearing off the coffee table. We need a large playing area for comfortable game play.
• I choose a game that will work for 5 players. If the game is complicated, we play with 4 players with my husband and youngest child teaming up.
• I choose a game that will work for different ages. Two recent successes…Apples to Apples Jr., Pictionary, Bubble Talk, and Pictureka.
• I let the game night end when I can tell that the oldest or the youngest’s attention is waning.

What games do you and your family like to play on family game night?

Leave a comment.

About The Guest Blogger:

Jill Berry is a writer and Mom of 3.  You can find her blogging on her site  Musings from Me about her kids and everything else under the sun.

Guest POST: New Grandma

When my daughter got married I think I was more excited because I knew there would be grandchildren coming.

When she told me she was pregnant, I was beyond excited. I started planning the baby shower immediately. When she went into labor, my whole attention was on her “my baby”, but once my grandson arrived, I can’t even describe the feeling I had. I’ve never had such a happy feeling swoosh over me like that before. At that moment I knew I wanted to spoil this boy with lots of love and anything else he wanted.

I try as a brand new grandma, not to be a budinsky and I watch “How” I give advice. I let my daughter know that she’ll be receiving tons of advice and opinions but to use her maternal instinct and she won’t make a wrong choice. Afterall, isn’t our first child a test case? If they’re fed, dressed, clean, and alive and happy- I say success. Well that’s what I used to say- The rules totally change when you become a grandparent. This baby needs to have whatever he wants and I’ve been searching for all the latest and best toys for all ages. I’ve gotten up to his fifth birthday so far. Already thought about what sports he’ll play, how we’ll splash in puddles, How he’ll call when mom or dad is giving him a hard time. You know all those “No’s” you say to Your Children….yeah well, we save the “Yes’s” for our grandchildren.

Things change so much with what doctors say to do with babies. For instance, when my kids were born, they had to sleep on their stomach. Now they have the infants on their back. Having raised two healthy girls (alive and happy) I feel I was successful, but now here’s this little prince and I sometimes have to ask my daughter what I should do. It’s a little weird or maybe it’s because I don’t want to make a wrong choice. I had to learn how to use the carriage, car seat, and the pack and play (not sure if they even call them that anymore). The first time I went out in the car with him, I had no idea how to get the car seat out…embarrassing, thank goodness my daughter was there. Pacifiers now come in ages…who knew…a paci was a paci. The nice thing is that she gets to tell me how to do things too.

I now understand my mother, I’m saying the same things she said that I hated ….. “When you were little…..” I want to be there every wakened minute, I want to hold him all the time and kiss his face over and over. It’s funny how just when you think you have it down, life throws these curves in your path. This of course is the best curve ever. I wonder if as I learn to be a grandma if it’ll be easier with the next one…just like when you have children.

I love my children to death but I am head over heels in love with this little boy… my Prince T! He will do no wrong, he will be very advanced (he already is), he will be the best at whatever he does. I will spoil him, and he will have my whole heart.

Isn’t that what grandparents are for?

About The Guest Blogger:

Rachel Ferrucci is the mother of 2 girls (23 & 18). She owns her own Bath and Body business, Touch’d and can be found blogging about her life as a Mom and Grandma on her blog, RachelFerrucci.com or talking about life as a young, edgy Grandmother on her live Mingle Media web show “The G Spot”.

GUEST POST: Playing with Toys & Your Kids

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“Of course some fortunate parents are able to enjoy their children most of the time,
even in adolescence.” (Spock, 1990)

.I’ve always wondered what makes kids and adults do the things they do. What was their favorite toy growing up? What instinctively told them what to do in any given situation, and does a toy influence the outcome of life? I am a toy designer/teacher, and here are some snippets of information I have collected and discovered over the years to better help you understand, as well as ideas for how to play with, toys and your kids.

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Why do we grow up?

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Why do we sometimes stop playing, learning, and experiencing new things as we reach adulthood? The background stems from childhood where creativity and play were the only things to do in a day—all through imagination, teaching, and creativity. Toys were/are a form of education for me. I believe that creativity is a part of our collective intelligence. Picasso liked to have toys throughout his studio in order to seek inspiration from them. Other less distinguished, but equally restless, adults find solace in a variety of toys, to soothe the nimble finger, or to occupy the darting mind. After all, if toys play an important part in our childhood fantasies, may we not suppose that toys can play an equally important part in our adult lives? Perhaps the father who plays for hours with his son’s toys is exercising an important therapy. Think of toys as emotional, mental, and sometimes physical therapy. You use your imagination, skills, and creativity, interact with people, and listen and grow with toys. Play with your kids, it will help you in so many ways.

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“The little world of childhood, with its familiar surroundings, is a model of a greater world.” (Carl Jung)

Some adults become so involved in the delicate creative world of toy making that they bring to it a talent for creation from the normal spheres of their life. This shows the enormous and immense hold the world of toys can have over the imaginations and talents of people engaged in other occupations. Toys can be a great learning or rejuvenating experience. You can begin to see a side of life not typically seen. You begin to become competitive again, create and have a renewed sense of humor, and begin to better understand your children. Because there is no racial bias, people react and interact together and learn together because toys are a way to hide or amplify what we really are. This explains the high curiosity and imagination with unusually high logic, and why some people are just not children any more. What playing enables a person to do is to have a sense of psychological and philosophical views combined with education, which helps us use our creativity as well as our imagination. Play with your kids, go shopping with them, and discover new things about toys and learning with them.

There are three stages of both growth and life. The first stage is learning, relating, and familiarizing. The second is using and creating. The third is analysis and knowledge. They may have a little retrograde, then the cycle repeats itself. I believe as we get older our bodies both physically and mentally begin to reverse. As you get older, you have experienced a lot as a whole and will return to the points that were the most creative or where the most learning originated. Whether at school or playing, both are a learning experience. As people get older, or as the child matures, society and the environment play a greater role. Toys of childhood are replaced with their collected objects of time, where they are used as an object of security. As one cannot fit the mold of society with the maturity of a child, people become stagnant and replace toys with other items. Only when we see other adults playing with toys is it all right to join in.

Invent new ways to play with toys and games. Think differently, role-play, and experiment with all kinds of toys. Even if you don’t have kids, toys are a way of discovering who you are and may want to be. Go ahead and play, you will feel and look younger, but best of all, you will have a big smile on your face.

About The Guest Blogger:

Peter Wachtel (a.k.a.) “KID Toyology“ is an award-winning creative toy and entertainment designer, inventor, and teacher. He has designed more than 500 products for the toy, entertainment, and design education industries, many of which can be found at KidToyology.com. Peter was recently the chair/academic director and design instructor at Ai Hollywood for Graphic & Industrial Design, and has taught toy design at Pratt Institute, Parsons School of Design, and Otis College of Art & Design.

Organizing THE PLAYROOM.. You Can Do It!

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GUEST POST By: Sandy Jenney of Organize with Sandy

Sorting in a Playroom

Would you like your playroom to look this organized and fun? More than likely it will take some work. Here are a few tips that might help you.
Step 1 -

Get those black and white trash bags. Black for trash – White for Donate

Step 2 -

Make those decisions quick. Do not sit and remember each birthday party or Christmas that each toy came from. Remembering the fun, who gave it to them. Feeling guilty if you give it up. That is “personalizing” the toy. You can take a picture of it…if it is something you want to remember.
Step 3 -

Look at each toy or book. Ask yourself these questions:

1) Does it work? (broken? – trash)

2) Do they like and and play with it? (If not – donate)

3) Have they out grown it? (donate)

4) Does it have all the pieces and parts? (If not – trash)

5) Is it broken? (Trash)

6) Is it worth taking up space in the playroom? (If not – donate)

Step 4 -

Decide if YOU are the reason they have too many toys. Are YOU the one that doesn’t want to give up the toys? Many times WE are the problem, not the kids. We remembering picking out that toy and how excited we were to give it to them. We know how much it cost and know that it was expensive.

BUT…..if they do not use it any longer, if it is broken ….it is time to give it up.

Toy Storage

So now that you have your toys sorted (well hopefully) you need to know where and how to put them.

My Guidelines and thoughts are Simple

I like a shelf rather than a toy box. Toys get lost in toy boxes. Kids don’t want to dig down to the bottom. Pieces fall down into that dark hole of toy misfitness and are never seen again.
Be sure if you use a shelf that you anchor it to the wall. Kids like to climb on things, especially if they see something up top that they want and can’t reach. You want to always be sure that shelf can not fall over on them.

Be sure to put the toys at age appropriate levels. Put the toys where the young children can find them. Put the older toys and games with small pieces up higher so the younger ones can’t choke on small things. This toy shelf I bought years ago when my boys were young. It had been a coat rack in a daycare. See the smaller cubbies on the right. That was their top cubby when it was turned on its side and their coats hung in the other longer part. I probably bought this about 25 years ago (wow that makes me feel old…I still remember how excited I was to find it…and it was cheap!)

I am all for the clear baskets or like these….where you can see what is in them. They don’t all have to match or be stylish (depending on where your playroom is). These are from the dollar store.

This one we use for the marbles. Yes…that is a big sock..filled with marbles. Don’t ask me why we keep them in a sock. I just know that my Dad put mine in a sock years ago and these are still the marbles I used to have….(yes in a newer sock)….but it works.

Think outside the box. I had to figure out some way to hang these guitars for guitar hero. I had this hook already and it fit perfect….solution.
We made a bedroom in the basement for one of our older boys (his choice). The kids used to use the “under the stairs” space for a fort. But since that was now made into his closet…we had to block the other side. This was our solution.
Several bulletin boards did the trick. It blocked off the opening and provided a great place for the kids to display their art work.I am all about practicality.

Make it work….think outside the box.

About the Blogger:

A pediatric nurse for 28 years,and mother of 8- Sandy recently decided to turn her love of organizing into a business that can help others feel the peace and calm of having an organized home, office and life. You can learn more about her organizing services or read her blog tips at her site… www.organizewithsandy.com

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Follow Sandy on Twitter @OrganizerSandy