Ah yes, it's that time of year again!!! Time for more TOYS!!!!!!! Where are you going to put all those new toys??? You know even if you do all things in moderation, there will still be an overflow...what to do, what to do???
Host a toy swap!!! My local MOPS group does this (we did it last week!!!), but it is such a brilliant plan and a great way to clean out the toy stash! The concept is simple!
You and your child go through their toys and decide what they actually play with, and what they don't. The toys they don't use, or have rarely used in the past year...put them in a bag! My son has about 10-15 toys that he just adores!!! We don't keep a lot of toys around, but the toys that just kind of get shuffled past, I bagged them up! (Please note: if your child is one who might not be open to this idea you can do one of two things: go through their toys when they aren't looking or explain to them the idea of swapping/sharing).
Then contact all our mom friends that you know! Our built in MOPS group is perfect, but you only need one or two other mom's to make this work! Ask that they each bring their unloved toys (I've read where some people set a number like 5 toys) or they can bring all that they want! The toys should be in good, working shape! Don't worry about cleaning...that can happen later on!
Then set a time and place to host the swap! We have ours during our meetings...I know friends who will host it in their dining room! Whatever is best for you! And make the swap, Samuel didn't play much with a few puzzles he mastered...but he loved matchbox cars! I was able to pick up a few matchbox cars, and find a new home for the puzzles he no longer played with! This swap we got a couple boats for the tub, a play telephone, a sesame street popping toy, and a train!
At the end of the swap, any toys left over can go back to the owners or make a donation to a local charity who might be able to use them! It's the perfect way to clean out your stash, a great teaching moment (if applicable), and your child gets new-to-them toys!
Samuel with his train he got!
Another great thing if children are resistant is the movie Toy Story. The 3rd movie is about outgrowing toys and giving to those that will play with them. In the movie the toys themselves mention how they just want to get played with.
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