For children, play is everything.
However, too many toys and choices can stunt their play, rather than enhance the experience.
Imagine Christmas time: seeing their new gifts and toys, bursting with excitement, and itching to play with something ‘new’.
To play with everything! It’s overwhelming.
With toy rotation, you can keep your child’s playing experience fresh and provide them with the opportunity to learn vast skills as they are busy playing.
Within this guide, we will explain what toy rotation is, how to set it up, and the benefits rotating toys can have on both you, and your child.
What is toy rotation?
Simply put, toy rotation is a practice whereby only certain toys from your child’s collection are available for a set period of time.
Then you swap them over with the next rotation.
The science behind less toy choices /toy rotation
Michal Maimaran studied decision-making in children, finding that while choosing from a vast array of toys is more exciting, it takes much longer to choose and reduces the time a child spends engaging with their choice.
When presented with fewer options, Maimaran saw that the time spent engaging with their choice was doubled.
Simply put, children can become overstimulated and unable to choose what to do when there are too many toys.
Instead they disengage, shut down, and stop playing altogether.
How do we help children from becoming too overwhelmed by the amount of toys to choose from? You limit the choice and implement toy rotation.
What are the benefits of toy rotation?
Beyond standing on a rogue piece of Lego, rotating toys means you’ll have a de-cluttered play and living space with far less tidying to do at the end of the day.
As well as the peace of mind knowing that the system you have put in place is backed by science and research.
What about the vast benefits for your child? Let’s take a look:
Increased focus and concentration
By offering a smaller, and more thoughtful array of toys, children are given the opportunity to truly focus, and play on a deeper level.
This increased engagement often leads to finding new ways to play with their toys, old and new, and increasing their attention span.
When a game or puzzle is slightly difficult, there are fewer distractions, so children’s patience, perseverance, and – perhaps more importantly – desire to try again is naturally boosted.
Creativity and independence
Your child may invent new ways to play with what they have in front of them. Perhaps taking their toys to new places, combining them with others, or even deciding to draw them.
Children's creativity can flourish.
Often, children need less help and intervention in choosing and setting up activities, finding ways to do things themselves, or developing their capabilities to suit their chosen games.
Children become active in their play, thinking outside the box, and making new neural pathways in the process.
Boosted appreciation
Psychological studies [1] have already told us that the more we have, the more we want.
We see this in children when it comes to gathering toys.
However, with a toy rotation system, each new set brings with it a much greater appreciation for the toys they already have.
Having less toys to choose from also means that children are more likely to take care of what they have.
Fewer arguments
Few things make parents more excited than the thought of less squabbling between siblings!
Children are happier to play together and, thanks to reduced stress from less stimulation, their ability to share is greatly improved.
With fewer things out, and less general overwhelm, there will be less arguments when it comes to tidying up too.
Too many toys is just too much for children to put away..
With toy rotation, the process of tidying up is much simpler.
How can I set up toy rotation?
The first step is to gather all your toys in one place. Yes, everything. No toy is too big or too small!
Next, it’s vital to categorise. Some examples of potential categories you may wish to consider are:
games,
puzzles,
gross motor skills,
fine motor skills,
arts and crafts/mark making,
pretend play,
stuffed animals,
dressing up,
vehicles,
music,
electronics,
construction (lego, magnetic tiles etc).
Now that everything is sorted into categories, it’s time to create sets of toys for the toy rotation system.
8-10 toys is generally the magic number of toys in each set. Taking one toy from each category is a very simple way of starting.
And what about those toy sets that are not in play?
You could place them in clear plastic tubs which allow you to see each rotation set while in storage? Or perhaps tidying everything neatly into your cupboard or compartmentalised storage is more your vibe.
Now, decide on how long each rotation will last.
With younger children, more frequent rotation can help keep things fresh but, again, each family will be different. You can change rotations each 60 mins / 120 mins / each day, whatever you find fits you and your children best.
Lastly, bring your first set into play.
Make sure the toys are visible, and within reach of your children. This accessibility allows children to make choices, and combinations that they want.
Whilst the initial thought of quite considerable organisation can feel overwhelming, toy rotation helps children to develop an array of skills, in addition to providing the whole family with routine, order and calm.
During the classification phase you will gain much more awareness of what you have: from doubled-up toys, to broken pieces and missing parts. This presents a choice to mend what you have, or throw away those toys that are beyond repair.
It’s also an opportunity to de-clutter and sort out, which has the added benefit of a chance to donate and feel that you are making a positive impact on others’ lives as well.
What age is best to do toy rotation?
Start at any age.
It’s never to late to start.
And if you start toy rotation at an early age, both you and your child will become accustomed to how the system works.
From breathing new life into your toy collection, to making more space – not just in your home, but in your mind as well – toy rotation has the potential to revolutionise play, for your children, and for you as well.
Toy rotation is the play equivalent of the age-old saying that less is more.
[1] Wang, Jetten & Steffens, University of Queensland
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