How to Choose Low Clutter Toys (Ideas Kids Love)

As a homeschooling family, our home environment truly shapes the course of our day. It’s my job to make sure our home has plenty of outlets for creative play, exercise, and learning…while still keeping the toys and clutter under control.

It’s a huge challenge.

In fact, homeschooling sometimes seems totally opposed to a minimalist lifestyle. After all, we are trying to fit a classroom within our home!

But whatever our work or schooling choices, I imagine we all struggle with the underlying idea that we need a lot of “stuff” to make our kids happy. I mean, what is better than giving to our kids?

Yet we all know it’s this very same stuff that makes us miserable later when we’re tripping over toys at every step and shoving things into closets when company drops by.

We can’t help but long for a simpler, better way. There must be one…right?

Well, of course the “right way” can look wildly different for each family and in different chapters of life. But here are a few basic principles that have helped our family cut down on the kid clutter by figuring out what was important to have around and what we could do without.

Less Really Is More

We all say we want a simpler life, but when it comes to that look of sheer delight on their faces when we say “yes” to a purchase they really want…how can we resist?!

For that matter, how often do we say “no” to ourselves?

The truth is your family habits won’t change until you’re convinced that buying more stuff won’t make you or your children happier,

I’ve written before about how much more stuff the modern family has than our grandparents did just two generations ago. And when it comes to our kids, it gets pretty shocking:

• The average child in the developed world owns more than 200 toys but plays with…wait for it…only 12 of them!
• The average American parent spends $317 per year per child on new toys. Imagine that repeated, year after year, for a family with multiple children.
• Only 3% of the world’s children live in the U.S., but they own more than 40% of the world’s toys!

These are some pretty impressive reasons to reevaluate what our kids really need to be happy. Chances are, their fondest childhood memories don’t revolve around stuff.

I love the classic “Dear Abby” advice:

If you want your children to turn out well, spend twice as much time with them as half as much money.

Limiting The Toys

I love Montessori principles and have found a lot of success setting up small play “stations” in my home. These can be adapted for different ages and abilities.

A home could never look or work exactly like a Montessori classroom, but the basic Montessori idea of “freedom within limits” certainly comes into play in our everyday lives at home. We limit the freedom a young child has in order to set them up for success, increasing their freedom (and responsibility) as they get older.

There are countless ways to organize toys, but limiting a child’s toys to an amount they can take out and put away independently gives them more freedom and choice.

This doesn’t mean getting rid of all of their toys. It might mean keeping them to a certain number, or in a certain room. It might mean rotating small bins of toys periodically.

Limits will help your child…and you…know when it is time to rotate or purge toys.

Stick to Low Clutter Toys

Most importantly, be extremely choosy before bringing a toy into your home…even if it’s just 10 cents at a garage sale. Often we just think, oh, she’d love this and purchase things based on that. Probe a little deeper and ask yourself why she’d love it, and for how long.

Liat Hughes Joshi, author of Raising Children: The Primary Years, gives three main factors that can help when deciding whether a toy purchase will pay off:

1.Social Value

Can more than one child use this toy at time? If so, which ages? Will this toy encourage active play and sharing?

Good examples of toys that serve this purpose well might be a dollhouse, a board game, or a bat and ball.

2.Versatility

How creative does this toy allow my child to be? Is it designed for one purpose, or can it be used multiple ways? How many?

Open-ended toys like Legos, Lincoln logs, wooden blocks, or silk scarves allow kids to repurpose them in creative ways as they get older. These will be staples around your house a lot longer than another stuffed animal or a mermaid costume.

3. Durability

What is this toy made of? Does it seem like it will last? Does this brand have a good reputation for quality?

My husband especially looks for quality in an item above all else. Although it can mean spending more initially, having a few well chosen quality items always beats piles of plastic junk from China.

It’s less to clean up for you, less waste for the environment, and will fetch a higher resale value when it comes time to purge…going on to give another child joy.

So which are the best toys? I have some ideas!

Low Clutter Toys that Last!

Here are some low clutter toys that have stood the test of time for us! I’ve intentionally tried to keep the list short and pared down to essentials. Check out my other posts on the best natural toys and the Ultimate Gift Guide for more quality toy suggestions!

Creative Toys

• Legos (the one and only exception to my ban on plastic toys)
• Automoblox
• Easel and art supplies
• Chalkboard or Boogie board
• Paper dolls (Usborne has high quality ones)
• Kinetic sand (skip the plastic molds and accessories)
• Felt boards/books
• Playdough (make your own and use kitchen tools as accessories)
• Coloring books

Collaborative Toys

• Board games
• Playing cards
• Marble run
• Dollhouse
• Train table (table is key for containing clutter)
• Playsilks (open-ended dressup)

Active or Outdoor Toys

• Trampoline
• Jumprope
• Gorilla Gym
• Bats/balls
• Chalk
• Bubbles
• Child’s bow and arrow set
• Sun Art paper
• Sticks, rocks, and what nature provides! (no kidding!)

Comforting Toys

• Soft plush doll or animal (with a few accessories)
• Blanket
• Small pillow
• Child-sized reading rug or chair

What toys have stood the test of time for you? What toys do you say “no” to? Please share!

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