Between Seven's plastic allergy (and the tossing out that had to be done), purging, flooding, and just plain clearing out, I have been able to pare down to the barest of essentials when it comes to the items designated for play.
I can't tell you how much happier I am now that nothing in my house is shaped like a miniature electric guitar that lights up and plays show tunes when you push its buttons, or has Dora's face emblazoned on it, or screams at me from the shelves of Fred Meyer to buy Just One More! to add to the collection of fifty others littering the floor of my living room.
We still have Legos. And teeny tiny little wood doll house pieces. But we have been selective-- purposeful-- in what we've let into our home. And y'all, it has been so freeing. Not seeing a mound of seldom-used junk cluttering up the house and, in truth, my kids' imaginations ... it's just priceless.
There is hope, folks. There is hope.
Here are a couple of posts that have encouraged me in regards to the choices we've made as a family:
Jess talks about how to choose toys that have lasting appeal.
A mom who took her girls' toys away a year ago talks about the effect this has had on their lives.
Thoughts on less toys by a minimalist.
And, in case you're curious, a tour of our toy shelves:
These, plus a toy kitchen, dollhouse, and accessories, are what made the cut-- not counting puzzles and board games. How about you? What are your kids playing with these days?
4 comments:
Is the castle set Melissa & Doug??
We made similar changes when we moved to Brazil. It wasn't on purpose at first, but we've gotten much better at keeping around intentional toys, things that inspire imagination instead of dictate their role in things.
We have legos, wooden toy food sets, a few cars, a few super hero figures (no plastic allergy, and the creativity these foster in my youngest is worth it), and then more legos & other building blocks. Not quite as minimalist as yours, but so much better than it was for us before.
Good eyes! Melissa and Doug blocks. Big hit with Oli. :-)
I have such a hard time purging Bee's toys. Purging stuff is usually my thing, but I fall far short of the mark with her. It has been on my mind as something I need to deal with, though, so this is a timely post for me.
And yet I ask, what is the butterfly toy on your shelf?
Diana, that's a Montessori puzzle. Not this exact one, but similar. http://www.montessori-spirit.com/en/growth-puzzles/4839-growth-puzzle-butterfly.html#.UnPvkLK9KSM
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