Is your child’s room filled with toys and stuffed animals? Does it sometimes seem like they have more toys than you do? Are their toys scattered across the floor making a mess every time you try to walk through the room? It’s a common scenario for many parents — but there is an alternative. Toy boxes can help keep toy clutter under control and prevent accidents in the home. Here are five reasons why every child deserves a toy box.
1. A toy box helps your child play safely
A toy box helps your child play safely because it keeps all of your child’s toys in one place and out of sight, which prevents you from getting distracted by toys that are lying around the house. Cozy up with a toybox in your living room so your youngest son or daughter can find everything they need when they get home from school. More simply, if your kids have a Tobbi ride on car, they can directly put other toys into the car. Even better, you can store extra toys and treats in the box, so you don’t have to leave your watch or favorite book at home. This isn’t just a clever toy. It’s also a great way to talk to or pet any animal. Any dog, cat, or ferret can live inside a Sky Box, so your kid can look after their favorite furry friend whenever they choose. The box comes with a coffee table book with photos of different animal species, toys for small or big cats, and instructions on how to care for a wild animal. Smart toys are a great way to encourage your child to learn new skills, work toward a goal, or just trick their brain. If a smart toy isn’t top of your list right now, consider checking out more affordable options that can help boost your child’s development at home. Solids are probably your child’s favorite type of learning toy. These were traditionally used to help develop fine motor skills in preschoolers and young children with learning disabilities, but there are other types of learning fun for all age levels. For 5-year-old Alex, getting a yard marker was a big deal. He needed the marker because he thought it meant he was small enough to run around outside. He loved getting everything he could from neighborhood fairs and sniffing the ground before he ventured beyond his front gate. You don’t need to buy a $200 marker for your child to play with. You can buy a yard marker supplies set for less than $50.
2. A toy box helps you clean up quickly
If you are using a toy box, you can toss toys into it, then zip it up. That way, you can clean up quickly, without having to sift through toys and find the right pieces. If you don’t have a toy box, you can use a large plastic bin or a laundry basket to do the same thing. My get-out-of-the-house guests in the summer usually bring me their cleaning supplies. If the room is frigid or dark (due to the shut-off heaters or very little daylight), I will use the same ones my kids use: mister, bleach, floor cleaner, foam brush, old towels, buckets of water to clean out sinks and toilets (my husband loves to get all the blood off of our sinks), and possibly some hand sanitizer. We always take a load of brush into the hallway and water down the little rafters there—like the guys in Twin Peaks—to get the house clearly looking nice and neat. My girls are quite happy to vacuum. This is when the real work begins. I like to care for my plants a bit longer, and because most days I set them out after supper, I like to do that first. That way, when I come back to the house, I have had an opportunity to tend to the little guy or gal for a while. Things accumulate on the kitchen counter. Sometimes, food piles up. Then, there are bottles and jars. And then there are glasses and cosmetics. So, if you are out of town on a vacation—or if you are sick—do not walk in, and do not expect to find your car keys amongst the pile of folded laundry. Before you step foot in the house, have your children pick up an item to throw in the waste bin. On the stove, a knife. In the refrigerator, a paint brush. In the cabinets under the sink, some sorbet (remember those?). And on every surface, a paper towel to squeeze out excess water. If your children run into food that they cannot eat, they can always throw that in too.
3. A toy box makes it easy to tidy up after your child
A toy box is a great way to keep your child’s toys organised and out of sight. It’s a great way to keep their play area tidy and you’ll find your children are more likely to play with their toys if they can see them and are more likely to get rid of them if they can’t see them. A childhood toy box was a tin container with tight-fitting lids that contained fun toys. As these lids were tightly sealed they almost always remained closed. Adults had to open the tin to get to the goodies inside, allowing limited access to keep the kids happy and entertained for hours. You can buy replacement toy boxes for adults and children too and they are easy to clean and store. These boxes make great gifts too. A great stocking stuffer for the play and leisure of all. How to make your kids’ toys more fun “Upcycling” is a fun activity where you modify, transform or upgrade standard items. It’s also a sustainable activity that helps re-use and can cut down on the number of new car purchases you need to make. So much of our contemporary culture is geared towards buying new, fluffier, and shinier things that really, really aren’t necessary. We have a tendency to splurge on things we don’t need or use, or give items away, when we don’t end up using them. So, while you might think that your kids aren’t interested so it’s a waste of time to upcycle old toys and clothes, there are many, many benefits for you all. Upcycling and changing objects to be used again could very likely lead to saving money. More money is no longer an incentive to buy new things. The temptation to splurge will inevitably be there and you might find the impulse buying you once did helps you approach things with a bit of caution this time. Your kids might find something special in it too. Research shows that kids are often drawn to new experiences and find new objects irresistible.
4. A toy box keeps toys organized and out of the way
A great way to keep toys organized and out of the way is to use a toy box or a basket. You can use baskets to keep smaller toys and use a toy box for larger toys. Here’s a great example: How-Tos for Small Kids by Archos. Baskets quick-draft and easy to fill and clean. If you aren’t up for making a pretty single piece of art that simply looks nice, you can buy baskets in different sizes so that you can “stack” them. If you are looking for a basket that goes with any of these toys: Grover, Ruffles, Fisher-Price, Medium Head, or Large Head, this basket will set you back $7.59. However, if you factor in all shipping costs (at least $10-ish), this basket will cost $6.47. Not bad. Over the course of a 4-year-old’s life, that comes out to less than a nickel per month. If you choose to buy larger toys and fill those as well, the cost will further decrease. As a preteen and a teen, I spend about $23 a month on subscriptions to two different toys & accessories companies. Most kids do not, and even if they did, it is horribly unfair to expect you to give your mobile phone and/or iTunes habits up completely. Usually, the subscriptions for smaller companies cost less, but that comes with less flexibility. You probably can’t get the new toy right away, and if you don’t like the subscription plan (which is usually the case for most toys), you will have to either give it back or buy it again when the time is right. Since this is a young child’s responsibility, this may not be a viable option, so I highly recommend that you spend a minute going over this with them, and if they are interested, asking them questions. Other options: As I stated earlier, Grover usually sells their subscription for less than a nickel ($12.
5. A toy box makes playtime more fun
A toy box is a great way to make playtime more fun. Keeping all of the toys in one place makes it easier for your kids to grab whatever they want to play with and they’ll enjoy playing in the box as much as with the toys inside. Bullet Point: 4. A little bit of colour can go a long way with a choice of colours. Different toys appeal to different kids. Use visual appeal to your advantage and combine different toys for the most fun kids game night ever. Colorful toys are affordable and a novelty for adults too. What you need: scissors, glue, A ring for stuffing, white glue, twine or string, bubble wrap, and markers. To complete this project, here is the necessary equipment: Place the bullet points and pieces you want to buy inside of each other. It needs to be filled but also needs to be neat. Put on a label so that you can see what is inside. For a more elaborate experience, you can have a party or keep all of your favourite toys in one place. No matter what though, put a smile on your kids’ faces and let them chase that thrill of finding something new.
